A routine Monday afternoon in Midtown Manhattan turned horrific when 32-year-old bank executive Erin Piacenti was killed in a sudden knife attack. She was walking near Seventh Avenue, just a short distance from her office, when an armed stranger targeted her out of nowhere.
Erin grew up in New Jersey and built a life filled with ambition and close friendships. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history. On campus, she stood out as an active member of the Alpha Phi sorority and sang in the Dischord A Cappella group, frequently belting out solos from Tina Turner to Sia while helping write musical arrangements for her peers.
Her loyalty to Penn continued long after graduation day. She spent years serving as an alumni admissions interviewer, giving her time to talk with prospective students. She later enrolled at Fordham University School of Law, where she earned her law degree and set the stage for her career in legal and financial work.
Erin worked hard to build her professional life, eventually becoming a vice president at Bank of America. But those who knew her best knew her main focus was her growing family. She was married to Frank Piacenti, and the couple had recently welcomed their 5-month-old baby girl, Madison, into the world.
News of her death hit her former campus and colleagues hard. Mark Trodden, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn, expressed deep sorrow over her sudden loss and sent condolences to her family and friends. Representatives from Alpha Phi’s Penn chapter also shared their heartbreak, stating that losing a sorority sister under such terrible circumstances hits close to home.
Speaking through a family representative, the Piacenti and Guiltinan families asked for privacy as they grieve. They thanked community members and friends for the overwhelming wave of kindness and support they received after the news broke.
The violence occurred on August 31 in the middle of Times Square. Erin was stabbed in the stomach during the random assault. A 68-year-old man was also stabbed during the incident and remained in the hospital. Police identified the attacker as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, who was shot and killed by responding officers at the scene.
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