ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Tony and Frances Toto are celebrating a big milestone.

“I mean, it doesn’t feel like 60 years,” said Frances.

It’s a milestone they almost didn’t make.

“We have been blessed to make it all these years,” Tony said. “There was that one time when we had some rough time.”

That’s putting it mildly.

The year was 1983. Tony ran a pizza shop in Allentown, while Frances stayed home with their four kids.

Tony strayed from their marriage, and Frances found out.

What happened next was the subject of the 1990 Hollywood hit, “I Love You to Death.”

The film featured Kevin Kline as Tony and Tracy Ulman as Frances. The movie was a dark comedy.

But in real life, Frances hired two teenagers who tried to kill Tony five times.

The attempts included trying to blow up his car, attacking him with a baseball bat, drugging him with pills, and shooting him.

“One in the back of my head and one, another bullet, went through the chest,” Tony said. The one in his head is still there.

Frances and the teenage hit men were arrested.

As soon as Tony got out of the hospital, he bailed her out and asked the judge in the case to have mercy on his wife.

Frances spent four years in prison. He was waiting for her when she was released.

“We both cried, and we say to each other, ‘From now on let’s talk, let’s communicate better,’” said Tony.

The Toto’s say they went through extensive counseling that helped them make their marriage last.

“We make sure that we communicate really good now, something that we never done before. And you know, respect, respect is everything,” said Tony.

Today, the only reminder of their infamy is this gallery filled with magazine articles, posters and pictures of movie premieres from all over the world.

“There’s so many,” Tony said. “‘Oprah’, I have been there three times.”

But it’s the personal ephemera, like 60 years of Valentines, wedding photos of when their love story began, and their growing family that keeps them on course — reminding them that love conquers all.

“When you have a problem in marriage, you could fix it,” Tony said. “It could be done. Just sit down and talk.”

What happened with the Toto’s is a unique situation that happened more than four decades ago.

If you or a loved one is being abused, or if you’re afraid for your safety, help is available.

You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. That’s 1-800-799-7233.

You can also chat with someone anonymously at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.