Erin Piacenti, killed in Times Square stabbing, was a 'superstar' at Bank of America known for mentoring junior teammates

When Erin Piacenti walked into Bank of America connected Monday aft 5 months connected maternity leave, she recovered pinkish daisies sitting connected her desk. Welcome signs were strung astir the agency she shared pinch a fewer teammates. Piacenti showed them photos of Madison, her newborn daughter, earlier settling successful to publication lawsuit law.

That afternoon, Piacenti was fatally stabbed successful Times Square successful what constabulary described arsenic an unprovoked attack. She was 32.

Though Piacenti only started arsenic a vice president successful the firm's Americas Business Selection and Conflicts group astir 18 months ago, she'd already made an effect connected the mini team. Hallie Ziesmer, the caput of the astir 20-person group, described Piacenti arsenic a "superstar" successful conversations pinch elder guidance earlier her death, and remembers interviewing Piacenti astatine the extremity of 2024.

"It was astir apt 1 of the shortest interviews, because I deliberation wrong 3 minutes I wanted to prosecute her," Ziesmer, who was Piacenti's nonstop boss, said connected Friday. "She was evidently very intelligent, very capable. She was polished but down-to-earth."

Piacenti was attacked by Pamela Cisneros, 49, who besides injured different unfortunate earlier officers changeable her and killed her astatine the scene.

There's been a activity of support connected and beyond Wall Street since the event, and a GoFundMe to help her girl has raised much than $800,000. Many Bank of America labor person contributed, a spokesperson for the slope said.

Before joining Bank of America, Piacenti worked astatine the rule patient Davis Polk for much than 3 years, focusing connected mergers and acquisitions for portion of that time. She started her profession arsenic a purchaser astatine Bloomingdale's and graduated magna cum laude from Fordham Law. Piacenti had a niche attraction astatine the bank, helping finance bankers hole disclosure documents for companies gearing up for an M&A transaction and clients navigate a thicket of regulations. A workfellow remembers her arsenic resourceful, ever uncovering imaginative solutions connected her own.

Piacenti would mentor much inferior teammates who didn't person the aforesaid ineligible expertise, Ziesmer said. Many of them person spent clip successful Ziesmer's agency this week, remembering really elaborate and caring Piacenti was pinch her help. One inferior worker who sat crossed from Piacenti said successful an email that she reviewed overmuch of their work, and had offered individual proposal connected apical of master tips during their occasional coffees.

"She could have, connected immoderate days, near the agency to beryllium home, but she would walk clip pinch juniors. She wanted them to understand and stock a passion for what she was doing. She really enjoyed it," Ziesmer said.

Piacenti would often talk astir visiting her 4 younger siblings, aliases books, aliases Disney. When the squad attended a cooking people past year, the aforesaid workfellow who admired Piacenti's resourcefulness said she made the champion crockery (and helped prevention them, an inadequate chef). When different workfellow ran into her connected the Q train 1 morning, she was thrilled to present them to her husband, Frank, whom she talked astir each the time.

Around the holidays, Piacenti brought dozens of cookies into the agency aft she and Frank hosted the family's Christmas cooky statement astatine their caller location successful New Jersey.

Ziesmer says the squad now plans to bring successful cookies each year.