They beat me with their batons I never laid my hands on anyone, and I didnt see any naked women, aside from the one in my room., Snuka copped a guilty plea just to get it over with and adds, I did not assault Nancyshe was fine. All was swept under the wrestling mat in fact. 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. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka found Nancy Argentino gasping for air inside a motel room here in May 1983. It should also be noted that Snuka allegedly regularly abused his wife Sharon physically and sent her to the hospital five months after Argentinos death. I enjoy them. Photo credits to The Morning Call. At the funeral, I told her mother and father how sorry I was about her death. Argentino fell down on her own when they made a bathroom roadside pitstop on their way into Allentown. Look of fear in them. She moved away as he strode toward her. Snuka, having lost his physical green card in 2007, began the process to get a new one, which included a new criminal background check. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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 who covered his retirement had updated contacts. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! If this is correct on their part, I do not know. Snuka was previously ruled incompetent to stand trial in. Obviously, there was enough there to arouse my suspicion but not enough to take it to trial., Mihalakis would later say, Just because she was beaten doesnt mean she was beaten to death.. On May 10, Concussion Inc. published JUSTICE DENIED: The Untold Story of Nancy Argentino's Death in Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's Motel Room.This short ebook sells for $2.99, with 100 percent of the royalties being donated by the Argentino family, in Nancy's memory, to the White Plains, New York-based My Sister's Place women's shelter and resource center. He called the video of a May 2015 wrestling match the prosecution had shown from a Rhode Island gymnasium fake, pointing out how slowly and carefully Snuka climbed the ropes before falling onto the other wrestlers chest. The DAs office and the media certainly failed to do their jobs following Snukas first horrific assault. The latter made national headlines not so much because a married celebrity had been arrested for beating his girlfriend in a. , motel room, but rather because Snuka fought off a cadre of deputies and police dogs from the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office in the process. I want the whole story. It was never one of those deals where We must put this in,' Chattman recalled. 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. After pulling over on the side of the road Snuka claims he sat in the car sipping something potent and somehow his girlfriend complained about her head. The male was forcing the female back towards room #1 while the female was yelling for help., After seeing this, Donovan finally called the Sheriffs Department. The manager would quickly reply that the much larger figure one which amounts to almost $66,000 with inflation wasnt an issue. Mick Foley spoke about Snuka, a man who inspired him to pursue a career in wrestling. Eyes blood shot. Snuka also didnt help matters, with. Complicating matters is Snukas alien file, obtained from U.S. Dr. Mihalikis did not find any evidence of recent sexual contact. She was staying in a motel room with Jimmy Snuka in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. It became clear pretty soon that [Platt] had no intention of presenting the evidence that I amassed. 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. WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network on January 8, 2014. Snuka does not understand whats going on in court and does not even remember his attorneys name. The Onondaga County Sheriffs Office file doesnt contain any trace of an explanation as to why Argentino changed her mind. 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 stru. But if he did this, this should have been settled a long time ago.". 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. I just look at the whole thing as a shame because theres a loss of human life there.. He didnt say anything to me. Argentino swore in a deposition after the alleged assault that Snuka never hit her or intentionally harmed her. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka leaves Lehigh County Court through the back garage after a hearing relating to the 1983 murder of his girlfriend in a Whitehall Township motel. If you think Im going to be hurt by the revelation that one of my wrestlers is really a violent individual, youre mistaken., Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, The Unexpectedly Sweet Story Behind Those Viral Semi-Truck Pregnancy Photos, I Wore Magnetic Underwear for a Week to See If It Would Give Me a Boner of Steel, A Highly Questionable Cultural History of Richard Geres Ass Gerbil. The case went cold for 30 years. Lorraine reveals that Nancy's childhood friend Ellen was engaged to Johnny Rodz, a legendary journeyman wrestler and trainer, and this was how she was introduced to the world of wrestling. From excessive horseplay amongst them to a lovers quarrel where accidents happen, to her simply slipping and falling. Its possible like Snuka concedes that Argentino was fine with the philandering. 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. Documentary. 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.. Ultimately, it took eight deputy sheriffs and K-9s to bring Snuka under arrest. He testified that Snuka is a shell of a man whose brain is damaged beyond repair from years of wrestling and who was suffering from dementia that is worsening by the month.. Snuka, a cliff diver and bodybuilder with a vertical leap as impressive as his physique, was the WWFs newly minted top good guy. On top of being, according to his then on-screen manager/real-life babysitter Buddy Rogers, Snuka was big money, and with McMahon in the process of plotting a national expansion for his regional promotion their initial trip to California was several weeks away McMahon. ", After Snuka was charged with third-degree murder, Jim Cornette questioned, "Why doesnt someone really start investigating more about why nothing got done for 30 years when there was all of this evidence and conflicting stories? 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. According to police interviews obtained by The Morning Call, Snuka originally told at least five people, including the responding police officer, he shoved Argentino, causing her to fall and hit her head. And of course, as noted earlier, Mihalikis ruled the death a homicide, not an accident. The former was from Dr. Isidore Mihalakis autopsy report in 1983, which also urged, "this case should be investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise. To this day, nearly four decades later, the death of Nancy Argentino remains unsolved. Kirwin, speaking about the prosecution publicly for the first time, also added, "Their case was doomed from the start. It was obvious. 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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. I was devastated., Snuka continues, "That night ruined my life. It was attended by WWE CEO Vince McMahon, the, reported in 2013. Perhaps in an effort to rewrite history, Snuka attempts to once again clear his name in his book about how the fatal bump on the head happened. Then, he along with his (since deceased) handler Buddy Rogers, beelined it to the exit vowing Ill come back for the church [service]., He never showed, Argentinos oldest sister Lorraine Salome told The Daily Beast. If Snuka wanted to donate some money to a local charity they would not be a part of it. Something went on, and something got covered up. Thirty years later, Nancy Argentino's death remains unsolved. Nancy Argentino, in happier times. Chattman said that while the criminal charges left a blemish on Snukas legacy, he does not think they should define 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. For the part of the retired members of the Onondaga County Sheriffs Department, Romanenko died last year, and Bronstad, who wasnt at the hospital, doesnt remember hearing about McMahon involving himself. 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. Nancy Argentino, in happier times. Per Donovans statement in the, 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., The Onondaga County Sheriffs Office file doesnt contain any trace of an explanation as to why Argentino changed her mind. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. 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. Its been an exceptionally busymonth for McMahon and his company. The Lehigh County jury will . 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., It stated that the furlough of some employees is expected to be temporary in nature.. Ill say that much. ", "I dont know how to reconcile this mans heroic feats inside our world, with the tragedy he likely played a role in outside of it, but I have always found wisdom and comfort in these simple words from Bruce Springsteen: Trust the art, not the artist." So why did they buy his constantly evolving story? I think Vince Jr. picked me up from the hotel and took me there. One event was a 2012 poker game in New York in which Snuka won $100,000 for charity, Scheetz said. 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. 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. However, as of this publication, you can find images and videos of him restored on wwe.com. I dont know what happened. Some additional context is needed here to truly understand where both Snuka and McMahon stood at the time. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Its impossible to discern causality, too whether the explanation is simply innocent, lazy reporting, or something more sinister. Finally, Dr. Mihalikis did not find any unusual amounts of dirt, gravel or other substances on Ms. Argentinos clothing. Dr. Mihalikis did not find any bruises, lacerations or other indications of a beating or prior injuries. The WWE has also furloughed manyworkers amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They definitely do not want any tickets reserved for them for the April 7th wrestling match and would not attend. For over two decades investigative reporter and author Irvin Muchnick has been namechecking the former Leheigh County District Attorney William Platt (now a state judge) and the lead detective on Argentinos case for the Whitehall PD, Gerald Procanyn (who became a DAs investigator), as purposely bungling the case. Nancy Argentino in an undated photo. This speculation, though, is now overshadowed by evidence that McMahon may have helped facilitate the cycle of abuse that kept Nancy Argentino in Jimmy Snukas company, and potentially gave Superfly the opportunity to kill her. It was attended by WWE CEO Vince McMahon, the Allentown Morning Call reported in 2013. A definitive diagnosis can only be performed during an autopsy by analyzing a persons brain under a microscope after death. He did not express his apologies or sympathies., Snuka remembers it differently. (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.). Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! That was a blatant lie, said Muchnick. However, I was orally advised that Dr. Mihalikis concluded that death was consistent with a single fall whereby the victim struck her head on a hard substance, such as pavement. Police say he also battled with responding police. In another version, Snuka claims he called the authorities as soon as they got to the hotel room. How did she die? her distraught mom said. He mentioned that this was a far cry from the Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles. , 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. He writes, At one point, I went with Vince McMahon Jr. to either a court or a law office, I dont remember which because I was still in shock. This was to prove that he was lucid. referring to a $500,000 wrongful death suit nancy's family won in 1985. Talk moves to Nancy Argentino the person, with Lorraine talking about despite living in a big city that she led a sheltered life and was a very hard worker. All in all, there were at least a few entities that failed Nancy Argentino in 1983: The motel clerk who let things escalate in January by not calling the police earlier; the majority of the media coverage of her initial beating at Snukas hands, which minimized her suffering to present a somehow breezier narrative of a wrestler fighting off police dogs; and the district attorneys office who, in spite of having multiple strong witnesses confirming the abuse even after Argentino recanted, basically waved Snukas actions aside to avoid risk to his green card. 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