2025-08-24T23:03:58Z

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Imagine biting into your favorite chicken wrap only to discover something utterly shocking: a human fingertip! This isn't a horror movie plot; it's the bizarre reality for one woman in New York City. Mary Elizabeth Smith is making headlines after filing a lawsuit against a restaurant in Astoria, Queens, claiming she encountered a severed fingertip in her meal.

The incident dates back to November 2023 when Smith ordered the wrap from Create, a local eatery. As she took a bite, she claims she felt something strange—a human body part, to be precise. Her allegations have stirred up quite a commotion, especially as she describes the trauma of this grotesque discovery, stating it caused her “severe, catastrophic, and permanent injuries.”

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Smith's attorney, Robert Menna, took the alleged fingertip to a lab for testing, which confirmed it was indeed human tissue from a female. However, the restaurant's owner, Teddy Karagianni, contests this claim, asserting that none of his female employees were present in the kitchen that day. He argues that for a fingertip to end up in a wrap, it would have to bypass multiple layers of food processing and preparation without anyone noticing.

Karagianni, who operates two locations in Astoria, described the lawsuit as “ridiculous,” expressing disbelief over the situation and suggesting it might be a quick cash grab. He has expressed intentions to pursue legal action for slander against Smith, who claims the responsibility ultimately lies with the restaurant regardless of where the human tissue originated.

Menna counters that even if the fingertip didn't come from an employee, the restaurant must ensure their food is safe and free from such horrifying surprises. He has also dismissed the need for Smith to undergo a DNA test, suggesting that the restaurant could easily deflect blame onto third-party suppliers.

This shocking case raises troubling questions about food safety standards in restaurants. How can we trust that our meals are free of such nightmarish contaminants? As this story evolves, one thing is clear: Smith is fighting not just for her own peace of mind but potentially for changes in food safety practices that could affect us all.