Laszlo Toth

On 21 May 1972, Michelangelo's Pietà statue, located in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, was attacked by Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian geologist who believed he was Jesus Christ. With fifteen blows, he removed Mary's arm at the elbow, knocked off a chunk of her nose, and chipped one of her eyelids. He was subdued by bystanders, including American sculptor Bob Cassilly, who struck Toth several times before pulling him away from the statue. Another man, firefighter Marco Ottaggio, grabbed Toth by the hair to keep him out of reach.