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.^[2][3] Some viewers and media outlets described Toscano's departure as one of the most shocking eliminations in American Idol history.^[4][5]