Erin Piacenti‘s family spoke out after the Bank of America vice president was fatally stabbed in a random attack in New York City’s Times Square, sharing that she was “a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.”
The family shared insight into who Piacenti, 32, was in a GoFundMe page set up to help support her 5-month-old daughter, Madison.
“Erin’s life was defined not by the circumstances of her death, but instead by the way she lived. Erin was deeply devoted to her family and friends, exceptionally bright and accomplished, and was someone who brought warmth and energy to the people around her,” the statement read.
The family explained that Piacenti “graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied political science and sang in an a cappella group.”
She started her career by working as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s and later graduated from Fordham University School of Law magna cum laude. She went on to work at Davis Polk for several years before she became a vice president at Bank of America.
“Erin’s career accomplishments, however, speak to only a small portion of who she was. To the people who knew and loved her, Erin was a thoughtful daughter and sister, a loyal friend, a devoted partner and companion in every aspect of Frank’s life, and, most recently, an incredibly loving mother to Madison,” her family wrote.
Piacenti and her husband, Frank Piacenti, got married in 2024 and “had just returned from a family road trip upon her passing.” The family added that the couple “were preparing to build a life together with their new daughter.”
The GoFundMe has already raised more than $560,000 of its $750,000 goal as of time of publication.
The couple welcomed their daughter five months before Erin was killed, and Monday, August 31, marked her first day back at work following her maternity leave.
As Us previously reported, Erin was fatally stabbed by Pamela Cisneros in Times Square on August 31 during a random attack. Cisneros, 49, also stabbed a 68-year-old man who survived the attack.
Police initially used tasers on Cisneros and eventually opened fire. After Cisneros was shot, she was taken to a local hospital and later died from her injuries.
Police said that they were familiar with Cisneros before the incident and that she had a “documented mental health history.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also addressed the stabbings during a news conference, and acknowledged the families of the victims.
“We know that those families’ lives have been shattered by what took place today, and we will continue to hold them close as the hours and days and weeks continue from this moment,” Mamdani said.
