- Laszlo Toth
Laszlo Toth (b.1940), is a Hungarian-born
Australian geologist who vandalisedMichelangelo 's Pietà statue onMay 21 ,1972 .Wielding a
Geologist's hammer and shouting, "I amJesus Christ — risen from the dead" [cite web
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,905967,00.html | title = Can Italy be Saved from Itself? | accessdate = 2008-03-15 | publisher = [http://www.time.com/time TIME magazine] ] [cite web
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2565,00.html | title = Notes and Queries: Whatever happened to Laszlo Toth, the man who smashed Michelangelo's Pieta in 1972? | accessdate = 2006-06-08 | publisher = [http://www.guardian.co.uk/ The Guardian] ] [cite web | last = Evers | first = Chia | authorlink = | year = 2006 | url = http://www.newsoftheodd.com/article1024.html | title = Laszlo Toth, "Jesus Christ," Attacks the Pieta (May 21, 1972) | work = Today in Odd History | publisher = News of the Odd | accessdate = 2006-06-08] , he attacked the statue, and removed the Virgin's arm at the elbow, knocked off a chunk of her nose, and chipped one of her eyelids. He was never charged with the crime, in view of his apparent insanity. OnJanuary 29 ,1973 , he was committed to an Italianpsychiatric hospital . He was released onFebruary 9 ,1975 , and was immediatelydeported to Australia where he had studied prior to the attack; Australian authorities did not detain him. He is believed to reside inMelbourne ,Australia .fact|date=March 2008Toth is the
eponymous inspiration for books of letters byDon Novello . [cite web | year = 2003 | url = http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_100303_lazlo.html | title = The Laszlo Letters (Don Novello interviewed by Bob Garfield) | work = On the Media | publisher = WNYC Radio | accessdate = 2006-06-08]References
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