NBC'S MATT LAUER SITS DOWN WITH AMY FISHER TO DISCUSS HER NEW BOOK, 'IF I KNEW THEN...' ON 'DATELINE NBC,' FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

Fisher Also to Appear Live on "Today" � Friday, Oct. 1

NEW YORK -- September 30, 2004 -� NBC's Matt Lauer sits down with Amy Fisher to discuss her new book, "If I Knew Then..." on Friday, Oct. 1 on "Dateline NBC" (8:00 PM, ET). She will also appear live on "Today" that morning (7:00 AM, ET). Fisher, who was arrested and pleaded guilty to reckless assault for the shooting of her lover's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, was once known as the "Long Island Lolita" � one of the most notorious tabloid figures of the 1990s. After her release from prison, Fisher changed her name and social security number, and underwent plastic surgery in an effort to pursue a normal and anonymous life. Now married with a three-year-old son, Fisher, 30, says she decided to come forward and document her cautionary tale in an effort to help parents and teenagers struggling with some of the same issues she dealt with 13 years ago.

In the interview, Fisher shares with Lauer that she decided to write her victim, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, a letter before her release from prison because, "...I didn't want her to walk around with that fear like, 'Is Amy Fisher really a psycho? Is she gonna come after me? Is gonna hurt me or my children?' You know, that must be a horrible feeling to walk around with... I just felt compelled to write a letter to her. You know, 'I'm not crazy. I'm not gonna bother you. I feel awful.' ...And tried to do something, you know, where this woman will be able to sleep at night."

When Lauer challenges Fisher about her financial interest in publishing this book, she says, "...it's not about the money...It's more about, you know, my self-reflection and me coming to terms with who I am in respect to being able to help others, you know, gain insight into their lives."

David Corvo is the executive producer of "Dateline NBC."