She moved away as he strode toward her. After all, in his 1980s prime Jimmy Superfly Snuka was a masterful wrestling specimen tipping the scales in mass popularity and forcing all comers to instantly tap out. Though the records check from the Sheriffs Office matched the four known charges, the Certificate of Conviction from the court says he pled guilty to Assault 3rd while being sentenced to his one-year conditional discharge. If Snuka wanted to donate some money to a local charity they would not be a part of it. My mother thought she was on the way.. pointedly mentioning McMahons briefcase and dropping hints: Procanyn, meanwhile, was no longer available at a phone number that he had been giving out last year; neither the Lehigh Valley DAs office (where he worked more recently) nor the reporter, According to the contemporaneous newspaper reports, Snuka who gave an exclusive, ramblingly vague account of what happened to, The hotel manager just got a little excited. The excerpts of the interview were provided by WrestlingInc.com. This whole time Jimmy Snuka had claimed innocence and wrote in his autobiography, "Many terrible things have been written about me hurting Nancy and being responsible for her death, but they are not true. After he comforted Argentino by bringing some chow and later setting wet towel compresses on her head, her status turned critical. The Argentinos have provided high-resolution copies of all four pages to me: It contains some information that wasnt reported in the 1980s, but its importance becomes more clear in light of the paragraph that discusses Argentinos autopsy. Snukas wife, Carole Snuka, told the producers of Dark Side of the Ring that her husband told her that McMahon came into town with his briefcase and told him it was done., Her family claimed that WWE offered them $25K following her death. In a single sentence summary from the same phone interview between Bronstad and Romanenko referenced above, Procanyn wrote, , Vince McMahon tried to talk her out of making the complaint against Snuka. In 1985, they won a $500K wrongful death lawsuit against Snuka but he contended he was broke and never paid it, the Morning Call reported. Track back 30 years to the documented interview with Detective Gerald Procanyn of the Whitehall Police Department at the hotel. I love the smell of the ladies. His widow, Carol, claims that he died of CTE, not cancer. She said, "Justice suffers after 30 years because everything decays.". Still, Judge Robert Steinberg, an assistant district attorney at the time, was there and remembered that McMahon did all the talking but was cooperative. The autopsy report has never been transcribed, wrote the lawyer. The Lehigh County jury will . Cushing spent weeks in Allentown, Pennsylvania, visiting scenes, studying the case records, and interviewing witnesses. I think Vince Jr. picked me up from the hotel and took me there. The memo was first published in Justice Denied, an ebook that Argentinos sisters collaborated on with Irvin Muchnick, who had been doing the seminal reporting on the case since 1992, as a benefit for a battered womens shelter. (Former ADA Plochocki hasnt responded to my requests for an interview as of this writing, while his then-boss, DA Richard Hennessy, is deceased, as is Justice Harding.). The Hall of Famer was arrested on Tuesday in connection with Nancy Argentino's death in 1983. Again, speculation has long run rampant about whether or not McMahon swooped in after her death with his briefcase to finagle Snuka out of trouble (which has never been proven, and McMahon has denied doing so through. He communicated to her that Snuka was now a free man. Nancy Argentino died soon after that and despite evidence of a struggle, no one was ever charged. Look of fear in them. "You have a look and an attitude, I think,. Picture made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. According to the experts, there is no proof that people who suffer from CTE are also legally incompetent. Argentino fell down on her own when they made a bathroom roadside pitstop on their way into Allentown. Eerily, Salome recalled feeling restless that night. Movies. If that was The Superfly Splash, it was the geriatric version, Kirwan said. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Yeah, there was some excitement. The findings showed that she had more than two dozen cuts and bruises a possible sign of mate abuse on her head, ear, chin, arms, hands, back, buttocks, legs, and feet. After the one hour meeting in the district attorneys law library, there are no records of Jimmy Snuka ever being questioned by police again. I think Vince Jr. picked me up from the hotel and took me there. The case remains open to this day. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. In. Twenty-three year old Nancy Argentino had left her life in Brooklyn behind to hit the road with her new boyfriend, wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. In the article, he compares Nancy Argentino to Mary Jo Kopechne. All royalties from Irvin Muchnicks 1992 book JUSTICE DENIED: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentinos Death in Jimmy Superfly Snukas Motel Room are donated to organizations fighting domestic violence. PHOTO GALLERY: The strange story of Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Nancy Argentino. In the end, I paid a fine and the charges were dropped., It was after that party that Argentinos family tried to convince her to kick Snuka to the curb. The episode shineda renewed light about the mysterious death. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka visits "The Opie & Anthony Show" at SiriusXM studios on January 9, 2013 in New York City. Muchnick considers that to be "a blatant lie." Jimmy Snuka was at or near the height of his professional popularity in 1983, as his matches typically drew better responses from fans than anyone else on the roster at the time, including then WWF Champion Bob Backlund. I never wanted to harm her. Homicide charges against Snuka in the 1983 death of his girlfriend Nancy Argentino, 23, in a Whitehall Township motel, have been dismissed after Snuka was ruled incompetent to stand trial. He was very protective, a showman, Steinberg said. So I thought, my God, I better try to call a doctor right away I called the front desk and told my girl is having a hard time breathing, just seems like she cant breathe at all, whatever you do, please hurry up.. The WWE issued a statement after Snukas autobiography was published and the story about McMahon showing up with a briefcase to solve the Snuka situation when it happened in 1983, "The insinuation that a group of medical examiners, detectives, and prosecutors including two who became judges could have their integrity compromised and participate in an improper activity during the course of a meeting is absurd, categorically false and insulting to all parties. Check out his weekly wrestling history podcast, Between The Sheets, on all major podcast platforms, and subscribe to his Substack at BabyfacevHeel.com. President Donald Trump, to an advisory group dedicated to reopening the country during the coronavirus pandemic, allwhile WWE has continued running its weekly live wrestling, Florida has deemed WWE an essential business. Dementia is defined legally as being unable to understand whats going on. They definitely do not want any tickets reserved for them for the April 7th wrestling match and would not attend. What else could I possibly say.. I woke her up, but she could hardly breathe.. WWE has not responded to Oxygen.coms request for comment. That might change as prosecutors announced on Tuesday that a grand jury will review the case which has long cast suspicion on Snuka. What the f***?". Many critics, however, would argue that justice delayed was justice denied.". Bronstad, describing a shorter, older man wearing a hat, remembers being pissed off and quoting the manager a figure of $25,000 for Snukas bail, which would actually turn out to be just $5,000. Due to COVID-19 and current government mandated impacts on WWE and the media business generally, the Company went through an extensive evaluation of its operations over the past several weeks, a statement from the company reads. At around 4 a.m. trucks were approaching Argentino, who had found a bush to squat and pee. I didnt see it happen, but I remember she told me she was jumping over a little stream that was there and she slipped.. He was 73. On top of that, according to her sisters, Nancy also had her own specific value to McMahon: With Snuka being illiterate and without a drivers license, McMahon needed a driver to get him to and from shows, but with his increasingly problematic drug use and erratic behavior, other wrestlers now refused to chauffeur him around. And yet the pro wrestler was never charged. In the wake of Argentinos death, one of Snukas confidants came to his aid. I dont know if he gave Nancys family money or anything. The Salina City Court and several others in the surrounding area have been merged into a single district court location for the, pandemic, making it impossible to check the original court records, if they still exist. Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, and Scandal, JUSTICE DENIED: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentinos Death in Jimmy Superfly Snukas Motel Room, Dino Bravo | His Shocking Death and Why He Was Murdered by the Mob, Bruiser Bedlam The Insane Crime Life of Wrestlings Ion Croitoru, Ludvig Borga The Surreal, Shocking Life of Tony Halme, https://popcultureretrorama.wordpress.com/author/javierojst/, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. How did she die? her distraught mom said. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka arrives for day four of his competency hearing at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown on June 1, 2016. He filed for bankruptcy, and the family never got any restitution. Nancy Argentino, seen in a family photo, was a 23-year-old from Brooklyn, N . Javier Ojst is an old-school wrestling enthusiast currently residing in El Salvador. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. He continued, "Where is the line between dementia and normal? However, it is known that Argentino died . In the same letter, Zemenz appears to imply that Sparkes was attempting to get the charges dropped extrajudicially, as he added that the officers felt that if any plea bargain, etc., was done[,] it more properly should come from the District Attorneys Office or the Courts. More pointedly, he stipulated, It was generally felt that this is turning into a publicity gimmick to benefit only Snuka, of which they want no part, citing the media coverage. (It would not be the first time that outrageous rumors have swirled aboutwrestling mogul McMahon.). If this is correct on their part, I do not know. He did not express his apologies or sympathies.". , obtained from U.S. Based on the forensic evidence, it was curious that police investigators had so quickly ruled out foul play. Shortly after Snukas arrest in 2015, Judge Banach had issued a gag order (to not talk about the case in public) to all the attorneys involved and to Snukas and Argentinos families. On September 1st, 2015: After a grand jurys recommendation, Martin proceeds to charge Snuka with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Picture made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In 1985, they won a $500K, wrongful death lawsuit against Snuka but he contended he was broke and never paid it, the, report obtained by Morning Call journalists at that time showed that the medical examiner wrote that they believe that the case should be investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise, the. This again was, according to Argentinos oldest sister. Ill be right back as soon as I get done, as he kissed her, according to the 30-page criminal complaint. A follow-up interview with Snuka was conducted by investigatorson June 1. Reality is seemingly more complicated: Sparkes, Snukas lawyer, had suggested not just a deal based on the donation and a public apology, but a public apology at the next local WWF event, at the Onondaga County War Memorial on April 7th, where he would leave tickets for the officers involved. "He came there in shorts and didnt say anything to my mother. Argentino was dating World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling star James Reiher Snuka known professionally as Jimmy Superfly Snuka when she died under suspicious circumstances in 1983. And in his book Snuka, besides fearing needles (even though the word fear, he vows, is not part of my vocabulary) boasts his respect of women. Can we still appreciate the mans huge contributions to wrestling, knowing that it is possible that he had a hand in Nancy Argentinos death? As those in the center of the true crime/wrestling fan Venn diagram will likely be aware, VICE TVs pro wrestling documentary series, death of Nancy Argentino, the then-girlfriend of then-top WWF (now WWE) star, . . They are not against the donation, only that it shouldnt be tied in with the case or the Department.. She was staying in a motel room with Jimmy Snuka in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. I enjoy them. Kirwin, speaking about the prosecution publicly for the first time, also added, "Their case was doomed from the start. In 1985, Nancy Argentinos family won a $500,000 judgment against the Superfly in a federal wrongful-death civil lawsuit; but after filing for bankruptcy the retired wrestler reportedly failed to fork over any restitution. ", Snukas defense attorney Robert Kirwin, who had motioned for the case to be closed once it had been determined in June 2016 that Snuka was mentally unfit to assist his defense, said, "It was time for there to be closure. According to the contemporaneous newspaper reports, Snuka who gave an exclusive, ramblingly vague account of what happened to the Toronto Star (The hotel manager just got a little excited. By. The 1983 death of Nancy Argentino has become one the most infamous chapters in pro wrestling history. The Argentinos have provided high-resolution copies of all four pages to me: It contains some information that wasnt reported in the 1980s, but its importance becomes more clear in light of the paragraph that discusses Argentinos autopsy. The WWE has also furloughed manyworkers amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There is nothing in the historical record to suggest that the autopsy report had never been committed to paper before the May 1984 visit with Platt. Snuka was previously ruled incompetent to stand trial in. As the episode showed, Snukas drug use had escalated so much by 1983 that his 22-year-old mistress, Argentino, also became his pseudo-manager as nobody else wanted to deal with his alleged reckless behavior. Though the records check from the Sheriffs Office matched the four known charges, the Certificate of Conviction from the court says he pled guilty to Assault 3rd while being sentenced to his one-year conditional discharge. The cops just didnt give me the chance to explain. But Snuka will have few chances to steal many easy winks now that he is facing 20 to 40 years in the big house if hes convicted of third-degree murder. , was failed by an editor who gave it the headline, Judging by Bare Facts It Was Quite a Match. Worse, it was accompanied by a cartoon mocking the ordeal. Vice's "Dark Side of the Ring" took on the death of Nancy Argentino in a new episode, which aired April 12. 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