Background
Toth was born in a small Hungarian town to a Roman Catholic family.
Toth was born in a small Hungarian town to a Roman Catholic family.
Toth was not charged with any criminal offence after the incident. He was hospitalized in Italy for two years. On his release, he was immediately deported to Australia.
After graduating in geology, in 1965 he moved to Australia.
As his English was poor and his geology diploma was not recognized, Toth initially worked at a soap factory. In June 1971 he moved to Rome, Italy, knowing no Italian, and aiming to become recognized as Christ.
He sent letters to Pope Paul VI and unsuccessfully attempted to meet him. On 21 May 1972, at 33 years of age (Jesus"s traditional age at death), during the Pentecost, Toth, wielding a geologist"s hammer and shouting, "I am Jesus Christ — risen from the dead", attacked the Michelangelo"s Pietà statue in Saint Peter"s Basilica, Vatican City.
With fifteen blows he removed Mary"s arm at the elbow, knocked off a chunk of her nose, and chipped one of her eyelids.
Toth was subdued by bystanders, including American sculptor Bob Cassilly, who was the first person to pull him away from the Pietà. In view of his apparent insanity Toth was never charged with the crime. On 29 January 1973, he was committed to an Italian psychiatric hospital.
He was released on 9 February 1975, and was immediately deported to Australia where he had studied prior to the attack.
Australian authorities did not detain him. Toth is the eponymous inspiration for books of letters by Don Novello.
Comic book artist Steve Ditko used Toth"s actions as the central metaphor in his 1992 examination of issues concerning creation and destruction, "Lazlo"s Hammer" (corrected to "Laszlo"s Hammer" in subsequent reprints and revisions). Oz character, Guillaume Tarrant is in part inspired by Toth.
Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig published two Christmas cartoons in the "Nation Review" in 1975 under the nom-de-plume Laszlo Toth.