Real Estate Executive Left Traumatized After Finding Human Fingertip in Chicken Wrap

A chief of New York City real estate claims she was permanently traumatized after biting into a chicken wrap that contained a human fingertip, complete with nail. The incident occurred on November 17, 2023, at a restaurant in Astoria, leading to a lawsuit against the establishment.

Mary Elizabeth Smith, 43, a Managing Partner at the Corcoran Group and resident of Chelsea, alleges that the restaurant, Create, operated by Ditmars Bake LLC, should have been aware of the potential dangers of its food products. She clarified that she did not swallow the fingertip but recognized the abnormality while eating, spit it out, and was horrified by the experience.

Smith required extensive antiretroviral treatment to guard against infections from exposure to the severed fingertip. She expressed her renewed caution about food, noting she previously ate at Create multiple times weekly. After the discovery, she visited a walk-in clinic with the piece of flesh, which forensic testing confirmed to be human tissue from a woman.

Smith mentioned her emotional toll, saying it took her significant time to regain confidence in eating chicken. She reflected that she never imagined such an incident could happen to her. Despite the shock, she is trying to move forward, although she acknowledges the incident has left her more cautious.

The restaurant’s insurer, Liberty Mutual, denied the allegations, stating they have evidence—including photos of the fingertip and forensic reports—that the tissue came from a woman. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Robert Menna, noted the restaurant claims there were no female employees working that day, although Smith recalls seeing women at the establishment.

Smith expressed her wish that this ordeal had never happened, emphasizing her discomfort with the situation. Efforts to contact the restaurant management for comment have been unsuccessful.