Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti’s family breaks silence after her Times Square killing

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The family of Bank of America executive Erin Piacenti is remembering her as a loving wife and new mother after she was killed in a stabbing near Times Square. Piacenti, 32, was on her first day back at work after maternity leave when she was fatally attacked Monday, Aug 31.

In a heartbreaking statement shared through a fundraiser for her 5-month-old daughter, Madison, relatives said they were “devastated” and asked for privacy. They also focused on the life Piacenti had been building with her husband, Frank.

Erin Piacenti was killed on first day back after maternity leave

“Becoming a mother was Erin’s lifelong ambition, and Madison gave her the greatest possible joy,” the fundraiser states. 

The family said Piacenti’s life should be remembered for how she lived, rather than how it ended. “Erin’s life was defined not by the circumstances of her death, but instead by the way she lived,” the page reads. “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.”

Piacenti and Frank married on August 10, 2024, after attending Fordham University School of Law together. They had recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary and had just returned from a family road trip before her death.

“Erin and Frank celebrated their second wedding anniversary this summer, had just returned from a family road trip upon her passing, and were preparing to build a life together with their new daughter,” the fundraiser states. “That life changed incomprehensibly in an instant.”

Erin Piacenti was building a home and career

The couple had also bought a four-bedroom, five-bathroom modern home in Chester, New Jersey, in September 2025.

A local employee remembered seeing Erin and Frank at a paint and window treatment store while they worked on their new home. “She was here with her husband for paint for their new house,” Carla, a longtime Chester resident, said.

“So sad. That they were married two years ago. The baby. When we heard we looked it up in our system and we were like, yep he’s a customer,” she added.

Piacenti was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham University School of Law. She had worked at Bank of America for 18 months as a vice president on the business-selection-and-conflicts team.

Her colleagues were left grieving after learning of her death. “She was a beautiful young lady, very sharp,” one woman who worked on Piacenti’s floor said. “It’s very sad, very sad, we are grieving. We all have our heads down – everybody.”

Erin Piacenti’s family raises money for baby Madison

The fundraiser created for Madison’s future had collected more than $180,000 toward a $250,000 goal as of Wednesday evening.

The family described Piacenti not simply through her professional achievements, but through her role within the family. “Erin’s career accomplishments... speak to only a small portion of who she was,” they said.

“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.”

The killing has also shaken people in Chester and New York. Amy M, a 37-year-old Pilates instructor who lives in Chester, said her husband walks through Times Square twice a day.

“It’s terrifying. You get used to crazy people yelling on the street. You tense up and walk a little faster but you kind of get used to it,” she said. 

Beth, a 71-year-old local business owner, described the attacks as “terrible.” “It’s a nightmare,” she said. “It seems like every day someone’s getting shot or stabbed in Times Square now.”