Pia Toscano (born October 14, 1988) is an American singer from
Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the
tenth season of
American Idol. She was considered a frontrunner in the competition, and her elimination shocked judges
Randy Jackson,
Jennifer Lopez, and
Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly and vocally upset. Some viewers and media outlets described Toscano's departure as one of the most shocking eliminations in
American Idol history.