Lauren Pazienza sentenced to over 8 years in prison for fatal shove of elderly voice coach

There were tears but only for herself. Long Island cesspool scion Lauren Pazienza on Friday denied calling a beloved vocal coach a bitch before shoving her to the ground then wept as she was sentenced to 8 years in prison for the heartless, random assault on a Manhattan street.

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There were tears — but only for herself.

Long Island cesspool scion Lauren Pazienza on Friday denied calling a beloved vocal coach a “bitch” before shoving her to the ground — then wept as she was sentenced to 8 ½ years in prison for the heartless, random assault on a Manhattan street.

The 28-year-old former events coordinator for a high-end French furniture company was expected to serve only 8 years.

But Justice Felicia Mennin tacked on an additional six months — blasting Pazienza for her “inability to take responsibility for her actions.”

Pazienza had given a probation officer inconsistent accounts about her responsibility for killing 87-year-old Barbara Gustern, whom Pazienza called a “bitch” before shoving her to the ground in an unprovoked attack in Chelsea on March 10, 2022, prosecutors say.

But Pazienza sang a different tune in court Friday – denying she called Gustern a “bitch” when questioned by by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Justin McNabney.

The fiery redhead had pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter last month but had her sentence changed by Justice Mennin in Manhattan Supreme Court after claiming to a probation officer before sentencing that she simply “ran into” the victim.

“I am really concerned by your apparent inability to take responsibility for your actions,” the judge said.

Lauren Pazienza was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison on Friday. Steven Hirsch

Before the judge’s ruling, Pazienza, wearing a baggy tan prison jacket, needed to apologize twice to the court because her first attempt — which lasted a mere 10 seconds — only addressed how sorry she felt for what happened on the night of the fatal shove.

Her second apology came after her lawyer, Arthur Aidala, nudged her to say more.

“I never should have pushed anybody, and I’m so sorry,” Pazienza said in her second try through tears. “I wish I could take it back but God doesn’t turn back the clocks. I’m just so sorry.”

AJ Maier Gustern aid after court that he felt Pazienza’s apology wasn’t sincere. Steven Hirsch

Gustern’s grandson, AJ Maier Gustern, said after court that he felt Pazienza’s apology wasn’t sincere — and that she only said it to make herself look good.

“She’s squirm and squirm and squirm,” Gustern said. “She just doesn’t seem like she is even maybe capable of accepting responsibility.”

During Pazienza’s speech, a grieving Gustern sat frozen like a statue.

In his victim impact statement, he cursed Pazienza and said she ruined several pleasures in his life, such as voice lessons from his grandma — and that New York City will never be the same for him.

“My baba felt safe in this city — even late at night — and you’ve ruined that,” he said.

Pazienza only started to cry when she finally said sorry at the end of her speech to the court at her sentencing. Steven Hirsch

Pazienza was out celebrating her upcoming nuptials with her fiancé at West 28th Street when the pair were tossed out of Chelsea Park because the green space was closing, prosecutors have said.

The drunk and irate 5-foot-7 Pazienza then had a hissy fit — tossing her food at her beau before defiantly crossing the street.

That’s when she aggressively shoved Gustern, a 4-foot-11, 100-pound elderly woman. She then callously walked away like nothing happened as the grandma bled from her head, according to the DA’s office.

Surveillance caught Lauren Pazienza leaving the scene of after fatally shoving Barbara Gustern in 2022.
Barbara Gustern worked as a vocal coach. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post

Following the attack, Pazienza took the subway back to her Astoria home. She only confessed to her fiancé that she had shoved someone hours later.

After seeing an article in The Post about Gustern’s death, Pazienza became “really scared and nervous” and attempted to hide by deleting all social media accounts, removing her wedding website, and fleeing to Long Island to stay with her family, prosecutors have said.

Gustern was a renowned vocal coach whose clients included Blondie’s Debbie Harry.

Barbara Bleier, a friend and student of Gustern’s, identified herself after the sentencing as the friend that Gustern ran into in her last moments of consciousness after the attack

“What [Pazienza] said is the usual cop out for an apology. She said ‘I’m sorry it happened.’ It didn’t happen; she happened.”

Meanwhile, Pazienza’s parents — who were dressed for a funeral — were herded out of the courtroom by Aidala, neither stopping for a moment to take questions.

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