Jimmy Snuka and the Death of Nancy Argentino: Directed by Jason Eisener. At this point, he began to yell that if she wants to leave[,] go ahead. January 3rd, 2017: Judge Banach dismisses homicide charges against Jimmy Snuka. An ambulance was called and not two hours later at the hospital did Argentino die. I want the whole story. It was never one of those deals where We must put this in,' Chattman recalled. Javier Ojst is an old-school wrestling enthusiast currently residing in El Salvador. Nancy Argentino, seen in a family photo, was a 23-year-old from Brooklyn, N . 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. 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. [Photo: Patriotpost.us]As told to The Daily Beast, Muchnick, while researching the incident, says that Detective Procanyn never told him that they didnt have enough evidence to indict Snuka. I dont know if he gave Nancys family money or anything., Procanyns single line about McMahon while recounting the interview about the New York investigation, though, is the first time evidence of McMahons presence in the New York case has been offered in the public domain. Dr. Mihalikis did not find any bruises, lacerations or other indications of a beating or prior injuries. There was enough to take it before a grand jury in 1983. They definitely do not want any tickets reserved for them for the April 7th wrestling match and would not attend. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports. Snuka was previously ruled incompetent to stand trial in. Snuka, a cliff diver and bodybuilder with a vertical leap as impressive as his physique, was the WWFs newly minted top good guy. 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. 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 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. He was suffering from stomach cancer and other ailments. 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. But her family thought they were more an item. George The Animal Steele His Double Life and Turnbuckle Fetish. The donation, though, was often conflated with the sentence as if they were related, and none of the articles contained actual details of what happened in the courtroom beyond the disposition. (It would not be the first time that outrageous rumors have swirled aboutwrestling mogul McMahon.). An illustration of a heart shape Donate. In a contemporaneous memo, addressed from a lawyer identified as DNZ to colleague SRW (Steven R. Waxman, according to filings from the civil case), the lawyer recounts what he learned from his discussions with Platt while going over the prosecutors file, which he wasnt allowed to copy. It also questions thecontroversial meeting between McMahon and authorities back in 1983, saying perhapsArgentino's death wasn't investigated properly because Snuka was an asset to the company. Whats more, the 12-24 hour delay for Snuka to call for help contributed to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate Argentino. I could not understand why the district attorney could not see it., 30 years later, the case was still unsolved, but an opportunity for the case to be re-opened presented itself. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka wrestles on September 4, 1995 in New Hampshire. In the article, he compares Nancy Argentino to Mary Jo Kopechne. ", Deputy Lehigh County coroner Wayne Snyder later said, Upon viewing the body and speaking to the pathologist, I immediately suspected foul play and so notified the district attorney.. Finally, I just kept looking at her and trying to talk to her and she didnt even respond like when I left. He writes in his book, Sharon and I fought all the time. If he does, hes responsible., On the matter, Jim Cornette lamented, "The word started getting around. [Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express- News]Seasoned wrestling journalist Mike Mooneyham offered, "While Snuka will remain forever tied to Nancy Argentinos death, it must be noted that he was never convicted. The episode shineda renewed light about the mysterious death. 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. I think Vince Jr. picked me up from the hotel and took me there. I will never forget what happened to her." Can we still appreciate the mans huge contributions to wrestling, knowing that it is possible that he had a hand in Nancy Argentinos death? Then there were Snukas shifting renditions of what led to Argentinos demise. I dont know if he gave Nancys family money or anything. According to the complaint, the nurse described the hulkish beau as a tall man with a Hawaiian skirt who refused to go to the waiting room. Frank M. Dattilio was a forensic psychologist hired by the defense. Me, personallyif you ask me, Do you think Jimmy did it? No. The cops just didnt give me the chance to explain. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. All Ill say is I think his legacy is intact. My mother thought she was on the way.. In 1985, Nancy Argentino's 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. It is believed that Snuka delaying 12-24 hours in calling for medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her. But it appears Snukas big mouth or fuzzy memory caught up to him. Its been an exceptionally busymonth for McMahon and his company. On that date, Nancy Argentino, girlfriend of Jimmy Snuka, was declared dead in a Lehigh Valley Hospital. It was 1983 and only days after Nancy Argentino was found barely breathing, oozing yellow fluid from her mouth and nose while laying almost lifeless, while holed up in Room 427 at the George Washington Motor Lodge in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her defiled face was on display in an open casket during a wake at a funeral parlor in her hometown of Flatbush, Brooklyn. 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. According to The Morning Call based out of Allentown, Pennsylvania, "She was rushed out of Snukas George Washington Motor Lodge motel room now the site of Home Depot along MacArthur Road and Route 22 on May 10, 1983. Ultimately, it took eight deputy sheriffs and K-9s to bring Snuka under arrest. He has also been published on Slam Wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine. On top of being the top WWF star, Snuka, according to his then on-screen manager/real-life babysitter Buddy Rogers, also had a massive cocaine problem. This was to prove that he was lucid. In real time, though, all her sisters knew was that she went from calling late at night in a panic, saying Snuka was chasing her, to saying the next morning that nothing had happened beyond a misunderstanding. A follow-up interview with Snuka was conducted by investigatorson June 1. However, the file for the investigation of her murder from Pennsylvanias Whitehall Township Bureau of Police which I obtained from the same lawsuit appendix that included the New York file points to one possible reason. . Some outlets inexplicably found humor in it: The Associated Press wire story, for example, glosses over the underlying domestic violence, choosing to frame Snuka violently resisting arrest in joking terms like a pro wrestling match, using phrases such as the match was on and a nine-deputy tag-team. Local media wasnt much better, with a short Syracuse Post-Standard item running with the headline, Police, Dogs Win Round.. A recent episode of an ongoing docuseries dedicated to the dark underbellyof professional wrestling tackles a mysterious death and asks,was a young woman's death anaccident or was she killed by a professional wrestling superstar? On January 28th, 2014: Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announces that the Nancy Argentino case will go to a grand jury. Nancy Argentino died soon after that and despite evidence of a struggle, no one was ever charged. Snuka also didnt help matters, with his memoir pointedly mentioning McMahons briefcase and dropping hints: Shortly after Nancys death, I was questioned by police and let go. ", 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. Investigating the mysterious story of Jimmy Snuka, whose girlfriend Nancy Argentino died in their motel room in 1983, and revealing her family's 30-year struggle for justice. Most of the information was gathered from articles by The Morning Call, who, with several different writers, covered the Jimmy Snuka and Nancy Argentino case from when it was revived in 2013 to his hearings and until his passing in 2017. He was 73. Picture made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka found Nancy Argentino gasping for air inside a motel room here in May 1983. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). He even remembered telling her, Ill see you later, honey. I think we stopped drinking after thatshe did at least, according to Snuka. He came there in shorts and didnt say anything to my mother. Ive never heard of anything like it before.. And the way its in the book is the way it was told to me.. When I got back to the hotel, I remember being very surprised that she was still in bed. big money for everything he had planned. Friday, May 10, is the 30th anniversary of the controversial but little-discussed death of Nancy Argentino, Jimmy Snuka's girlfriend at the time. A follow-up interview with Snuka was conducted by investigatorson June 1. I want to make clear that I only pushed her away to keep her from hitting me. Adding to the controversy was that Snuka was married to another woman whom he had children with at the time of his relationship with Argentino. Three weeks after The Morning Call published the story recalling the death of Nancy Argentino and revealing an autopsy report and police interviews never seen by the public, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin asked Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles Gallagher and Detective Gerry Procanyn "if theres anything to be gained by opening a grand jury investigation." She had a headache but no blood. He didnt say anything to me. In 1985: The Argentino family won a $500,000 wrongful-death civil lawsuit against Snuka but never received their money. 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. But according to newly uncovered police records, Vince McMahon himself may have played a larger role in the events that led to Argentinos later death. (According to a letter in the Onondaga County file, he left the sentence up to Justice Herman Harding.). Oh, and hed donate $1,500 his alleged purse for his return to Syracuse that same day to Sheriff John Dillons favorite charity, the Ronald McDonald House. If you bring up pro wrestling to someone from the Northeast whose fandom peaked around this time, theyll inevitably: 1) gush about Superfly being their favorite; and 2) reminisce about imitating him by jumping off their bed or dresser. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! New information has surfaced regarding the death of Nancy Argentino. The countys investigative grand jury found that Jimmy Snuka assaulted Nancy Argentino on May 10, 1983, then left her in a Whitehall Township motel room to die. 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. Accident is accident brudda., To the responding police officer, according to the complaint, Snuka said they were fooling around outside [sic] room door when he pushed her and she fell striking her head. That same night Snuka told a paramedic that the couple got carried away in horseplay. However, their dream relationship quickly turned to horror. Eerily, Salome recalled feeling restless that night. However, he accepted a plea deal that dropped all of those charges. Snuka definitely says he saw Argentino hit the ground. Four months before Nancy Argentino died, Snuka was charged with assaulting her in a New York Howard Johnson motel. The District Attorneys office is arguably a different story. Smell of alcohol., To the hospitals chaplain, he said Argentino may have hit her head on the side of the chair or the bed.. He continued, "Where is the line between dementia and normal? 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. Specifically, those other incidents of domestic abuse were that of Snuka hospitalizing his then-wife Sharon in September 1983 (no charges filed, but testified to by both Sharon and then-neighbor Debbie Rogers); and Snukas January 18, 1983 arrest for beating Argentino. 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. without a live audience. It is a deterioration of brain tissue and function and was discovered in 2004 at the Allegheny County medical examiners office after performing an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steelers player, Iron Mike Webster. 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. Per Donovans statement in the Onondaga County file, the guests in the adjacent room called the front desk because their neighbors were raising hell and a male was beating up a female in there., He called the room to no answer, walked over and heard the man inside say, Im sorry I hit you. Being a 61-year-old man in 1983, he then left and thought the problem was over. But after he heard some yelling, he looked outside to see Argentino wrapped in a bed sheet, saw her return to the room, heard more screaming and then looked outside his office again. It adds, Given the uncertainty of the situation, the Company also identified headcount reductions and made the decision to furlough a portion of its workforce effective immediately.. In another version, Snuka claims he called the authorities as soon as they got to the hotel room. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! In October 1983, Debbie Rogers, the wife of Snukas manager, Buddy, took photos and notes of injuries to Sharon as a result of her beating by Snuka and her hospitalization, according to a criminal complaint. If Snuka wanted to donate some money to a local charity they would not be a part of it. When Argentino was killed, the WWF had been bringing its TV tapings to Allentown which borders Whitehall every three weeks for several years, making the company key to the local economy. Also, to reinforce the aforementioned, Dr. Manish Fozdar, a Raleigh, North Carolina expert in Neuropsychiatry and forensic psychiatry, said, "There are no cause-effect relationships as Snukas defense attorney argued. By. 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