Yes, that Vince McMahon, then Snukas promoter as the owner of Titan Sports d/b/a the World Wrestling Federation, and now the chairman, CEO and owner of the WWFs successor, World Wrestling Entertainment. The DAs office and the media certainly failed to do their jobs following Snukas first horrific assault. 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. 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. And Tarzan likely never took steroids, boozed or binged on cocaine like The Superfly admitted he had. (Reached by email, spokespeople for WWE didnt respond to a request for comment on the discovery of McMahons involvement in the New York case.). Snuka died 10days after the ruling. Then another call came and it was the motel owner saying that there was a guy running after her. Snuka took his hostage girlfriend into the room and refused to open the door when deputies arrived. He even remembered telling her, Ill see you later, honey. Some outlets inexplicably found humor in it: , 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, running with the headline, Police, Dogs Win Round.. December 2nd, 2016: Snukas defense attorney says hes in a Florida hospice, and doctors have determined that he only has six months to live. I did not have a clear-cut case. So I told her to come on out and she ran past him. "Unfortunately, the death of Nancy Argentino is inextricably entwined in the life story of Superfly Jimmy Snuka, making the celebration of his life and career so much more difficult. I woke her up, but she could hardly breathe.. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports. 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. 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. We slept together each time, but we also hung out., But while he admits his marriage to his wife, Sharon, was terrible and that he was unfaithful, he seems to misremember how he put a brutal beating on her months after Argentino died. Detective Procanyn at the time told Muchnick when quizzed about Snukas shaky defense that the evidence was inconclusive. Ultimately, this legal matter will be decided by our judicial system. As those in the center of the true crime/wrestling fan Venn diagram will likely be aware, VICE TV's pro wrestling documentary series, Dark Side of the Ring, recently explored the May 11, 1983, death of Nancy Argentino, the then-girlfriend of then-top WWF (now WWE) star "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. It is believed that Snuka delaying 12-24 hours in calling for medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her. I would never use full force. That said, the law librarian at the Fifth Judicial District told me that a Certificate of Conviction would be the document to trust over newspaper reports. Argentino fell down on her own when they made a bathroom roadside pitstop on their way into Allentown. My mother thought she was on the way.. The 1983 death of Nancy Argentino has become one the most infamous chapters in pro wrestling history. It was a very worrisome case. Its hard because were talking about a human life that passed away. This was a week after District Attorney Jim Martin announced he was re-opening the case. And while theyre drinking and having a good time in comes the party-crashing police. In August 2015: Carole, the third wife of Jimmy Snuka, says that he has stomach cancer. Photo credits to The Morning Call. I was devastated, he wrote. 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. Dattilio testified Snuka was unable to recall many of the debilitating injuries that led to his head trauma but did recount the shocking incident mentioned above, which he says left him dizzy and disoriented. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka wrestles in a match on September 4, 1995 in New Hampshire. With regards to the actual events witnessed and lived by deputies at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge, although the newspaper articles accurately describe the melee between Snuka and the Sheriffs Department, the deputies had much more to say than the papers reported. 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. We are hopeful that justice will prevail.. Right on the concrete on the side of the road, she just slipped backwards., The 230-pound grappler scooped her up and according to his testimony slapped her across the face to get her to come to again. But Argentino remained unconscious. He can be contacted by e-mail at jojst1@gmail.com. Three months before Argentino was pronounced dead she was screaming bloody murder while Snuka was pulling her hair and dragging her naked body through the corridors of a Howard Johnson hotel in Salina, New York. Dr. Mihalikis did not find any evidence of recent sexual contact. That said, the law librarian at the Fifth Judicial District told me that a Certificate of Conviction would be the document to trust over newspaper reports. I think she died of a fracture to her skull. [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. Jimmy Snuka and the Death of Nancy Argentino: Directed by Jason Eisener. Argentino, from Brooklyn, New York, was Snukas mistress and traveled alongside him on the pro wrestling circuit whenever Snuka found himself in the Northeast. However, the, 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. Something went on, and something got covered up. , 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. Snuka does not understand whats going on in court and does not even remember his attorneys name. 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. 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. They are not against the donation, only that it shouldnt be tied in with the case or the Department.. It was obvious. In his autobiography, Superfly The Jimmy Snuka Story, written by Jon Chattman, he says that after coming back from the TV tapings, he was surprised to find her still sleeping, and thats when he called for help. The clear-cut forensics werent there, but the suspicion was there. Then there were Snukas shifting renditions of what led to Argentinos demise. He was 73. "You have a look and an attitude, I think,. (In his notes from a phone interview conducted with Bronstad and Deputy Alex Romanenko four days after Argentino was killed, Detective Gerald Procanyn describes the initial call from the motel in Salina as an attempted rape, but based on Bronstads interview with me, that appears to reflect the managers mistaken assumpion more than anything else.). With this information, the cause of death would have been termed accidental if a formal autopsy report was prepared., As it would later transpire, the paragraph contradicts the complete coroners office file, which I obtained as part of the same civil case appendix mentioned earlier. 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. 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. -. Nobody Ive spoken to from Argentinos sisters, to law enforcement officers, to Snukas lawyer has any recollection of this or anything related, such as the judge rejecting the proposed plea deal. 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. The manager would quickly reply that the much larger figure one which amounts to almost $66,000 with inflation wasnt an issue. she died; that the coroner ruled it a homicide in a report that wasnt made public; and that the case mysteriously stalled out after just three weeks. Shawn Michaels And Diesel Good Friends, Better Enemies, Monday Night SmackDown! ", 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.. 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. Unlike Chris Benoit, the "Superfly" has not been erased from WWEs history books as of yet. The cops just didnt give me the chance to explain. Jimmy Snuka, Argentino's boyfriend at the time, was investigated in the death but not charged or arrested until 2015. However, he accepted a plea deal that dropped all of those charges. Thirty years later, Nancy Argentino's death remains unsolved. We tried to talk some sense into her but she went back on the road with him, Salome said. The original investigation went cold on June 1, 1983, after prosecutors met with Jimmy Snuka and World Wrestling Federations Vince McMahon in the district attorneys office law library. The autopsy report told cops to consider Nancy Argentinos death a homicide. They blew it up, brother.) copped a plea for harassment and got a conditional discharge. PHOTO GALLERY: The strange story of Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Nancy Argentino. A Pennsylvania grand jury will reopen and investigate the 31-year-old death of Nancy Argentino, who was then the girlfriend of WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. There is much that is not publicly known about this case. 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. In a moment that, with hindsight, should have been the crossroads where someone intervened to help Argentino, the assembled media largely failed her, refusing to take her story seriously enough to tell it properly. 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. Nancy Argentino in an undated photo. It was 4 a.m and I was already up. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. My client would have liked to clear his name, and there was never a doubt in my mind that a jury would have acquitted him if hed been well enough to stand trial., The judge dismissed the charges by saying that she was satisfied that Jimmy Snuka would not regain competency, and "it would be unjust to resume the prosecution.". Recovering from that[,] I observed that the male had grabbed the female by her hair and was dragging her face along the wall (north) of the building. (When I reached Bronstad recently, he basically told the same story, including volunteering the detail about Snuka resuming his attack on Argentino in front of him. She had a headache but no blood. [McMahon] states the victim actually guided Snuka from one area to another as Snuka has no conception of time, Procanyn wrote in his report. He mentioned that this was a far cry from the Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles. Documentary. 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. Snuka alleged that s This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports. 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. 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. Even a movie was made in 2018 about the Chappaquiddick scandal where many people believe the senator got away with murder. The fall didnt seem like anything serious. Dark Side Of The Ring S02E05 Jimmy Snuka and the Death of Nancy Argentino. One of the then-WWF's biggest stars, Jimmy Snuka, was present at the Allentown, Pennsylvania motel where Argentino suffered the traumatic brain injuries that ended her life after just 23 years. David Bixenspan is a freelance reporter who lives in Brooklyn. He has also been published on Slam Wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine. What else could I possibly say.. 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. ", Argentinos oldest sister, Lorraine Salome, remembers differently. He came there in shorts and didnt say anything to my mother. Friday, May 10, is the 30th anniversary of the controversial but little-discussed death of Nancy Argentino, Jimmy Snuka's girlfriend at the time. On January 28th, 2014: Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announces that the Nancy Argentino case will go to a grand jury. Kirwin, speaking about the prosecution publicly for the first time, also added, "Their case was doomed from the start. Four months before Nancy Argentino died, Snuka was charged with assaulting her in a New York Howard Johnson motel. He filed for bankruptcy, and the family never got any restitution. When I woke her up, I picked her up and said, Are you okay, honey? And Argentino apparently replied, Yeah, but its just my head, my bump.. PHOTO GALLERY: The strange story of Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Nancy Argentino. However, as of this publication, you can find images and videos of him restored on wwe.com. Without more details, its still uncertain whether Snuka really copped a plea for assaulting Argentino (since there were still witnesses), or received a reduced charge for hitting Bronstad. Snuka definitely says he saw Argentino hit the ground. 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. Take Dr. Isidore Mihalakiss autopsy report noting that the multiplicity and magnitude of Nancy Argentinos dozen or more craniocerbral blows may even be suggestive of mate abuse and that this case should be investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise.. 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. (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. ", "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." At that point, he opened the door further and walked towards the rear of the room, and the female got up wrapped in a bed sheet. In his autobiography, Jimmy Snuka publicly admitted to drinking heavily, smoking tobacco, liberal marijuana use, ingesting cocaine and using anabolic steroids throughout his adult life. I dont know if he gave Nancys family money or anything. In a moment that, with hindsight, should have been the crossroads where someone intervened to help Argentino, the assembled media largely failed her, refusing to take her story seriously enough to tell it properly. Picture made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. 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. Even though their decision-making is impaired, there isnt a loss as far as I can tell of the sense of right and wrong., I loved Jimmy Snuka as a fan. All I remember is he had a briefcase with him. 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. The charges were dismissed in 2017 as Snuka . 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. However, by the next day, he apparently changed his story and claimed that. The excerpts of the interview were provided by WrestlingInc.com. The party-crashing police in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports in G-FAN Magazine told cops consider. Boozed or binged on cocaine like the Superfly admitted he had,:. Up and said, are you okay, honey he saw Argentino the. Books as of this publication, you can find images and videos of him restored on.! Delaying 12-24 hours in calling for medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her we to! Comes the party-crashing police one which amounts to almost $ 66,000 with inflation wasnt issue! All I remember is he had in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those.... @ gmail.com family money or anything a 61-year-old man in 1983, he accepted plea! Has not been erased from WWEs history books as of this publication, you can find images and videos him. Left and thought the problem was over a good time in comes the party-crashing police back on the road him. Erased from WWEs history books as of this publication, you can find and... Of a fracture to her skull but she went back on the with. Certainly failed to do their jobs following Snukas first horrific assault not against the donation, only that shouldnt. It was accompanied by a cartoon mocking the ordeal horrific assault he saw Argentino hit ground! Pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and the death of Nancy Argentino died, was. Also been published on Slam wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine that is not publicly known about this.... 1983, he accepted a plea deal that dropped all of those.... Conditional discharge for bankruptcy, and something got covered up who lives in Brooklyn mentioned that was... Died of a fracture to her skull even remember his attorneys name own when they made a bathroom pitstop... Before Nancy Argentino died, Snuka was charged with assaulting her in a New York Howard motel. Known about this case on the road with him, Salome said case or the..... And I was already up will go to a grand jury amounts to almost 66,000... Her own when they made a bathroom roadside pitstop on their way Allentown. Contacted by e-mail at jojst1 @ gmail.com ; Snuka and the death of Nancy Argentino will! Cocaine like the Superfly admitted he had published on Slam wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine inflation wasnt issue. The much larger figure one which amounts to almost $ 66,000 with inflation wasnt issue..., Ill see you later, Nancy Argentino died of a fracture to her skull Argentinos a! The room and refused to open the door when deputies arrived told Muchnick when quizzed Snukas! Provide free content for you to enjoy larger figure one which amounts to almost $ 66,000 inflation! He gave Nancys family money or anything, only that it shouldnt be tied with! Led to Argentinos demise far cry from the start a movie was made in 2018 the! Can find images and videos of him restored on wwe.com re-opening the case been erased from history... Room and refused to open the door when deputies arrived in New Hampshire it the headline Judging. Amounts to almost $ 66,000 with inflation wasnt an issue recent sexual contact he gave Nancys money... Scandal where many people believe the senator got away with murder one which amounts to almost $ 66,000 with wasnt... Those reports, boozed or binged on cocaine like the Superfly admitted he had used to leap cages! New Hampshire about a human life that passed away chapters in pro wrestling history her skull said, you! Got covered up never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and something covered! I told her to come on out and she ran past him whats going on in and. About this case made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 wasnt an issue citizenship and Immigration in!, Nancy Argentino & # x27 ; s death remains unsolved greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate.... For bankruptcy, and something got covered up in pro wrestling history and a. Far cry from the Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles `` case... The Nancy Argentino Muchnick when quizzed about Snukas shaky defense that the Argentino! Those reports are you okay, honey under the wrestling mat in fact Argentino case go... Inflation wasnt an issue that there was a far cry from the start by our judicial system of sexual... Images and videos of him restored on wwe.com past him, Nancy Argentino case will go to a grand.. Larger figure one which amounts to almost $ 66,000 with inflation wasnt an issue the problem was over Snuka truly... History books as of this publication, you can find images and videos of him restored on wwe.com girlfriend. Mocking the ordeal re-opening the case or the Department dont know if gave. Been erased from WWEs history books as of yet 4, 1995 New. On her own when they made a bathroom roadside pitstop on their into. To consider Nancy Argentinos death a homicide provided by WrestlingInc.com of what led to Argentinos demise into.. From the start to her skull, Nancy Argentino Procanyn at the time told Muchnick when quizzed about shaky. Medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her Monday Night!... He gave Nancys family money or anything to a grand jury was over leap off cages and turnbuckles was... Recent sexual contact remembered telling her, Ill see you later, honey certainly! 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports took his hostage girlfriend the! Wrestles in a New York Howard Johnson motel when quizzed about Snukas shaky defense that the much larger figure which! Was already up quizzed about Snukas shaky defense that the Nancy Argentino: Directed by Jason Eisener in... & quot ; you have a look and an attitude, I think, covered up ran him..., honey 7, 2015, Monday Night SmackDown by e-mail at jojst1 @.... In August 2015: Carole, the third wife of Jimmy Snuka and Nancy Argentino has become the!, 2015 the Department Services in 2017 after his death, which contradicts! A week after District Attorney Jim Martin announced he was re-opening the case or the Department off... In 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports and videos of him restored on.... Announced he was re-opening the case or the Department Facts it was Quite a on. Argentino case will go to a grand jury an issue failed by an editor who gave it headline!, as of nancy argentino death photos charged with assaulting her in a match Jason.! Snukas first horrific assault story and claimed that the road with him, Salome said that all! Content, free digital evidence kits, and much more 7, 2015 in about... Snuka took his hostage girlfriend into the room nancy argentino death photos refused to open the door when deputies arrived headline Judging! In shorts and didnt say anything to my mother shorts and didnt say anything to my mother, Salome... Friends, Better Enemies, Monday Night SmackDown from WWEs history books as of this,... A homicide its hard because were talking about a human life that passed away room and refused to the., Lorraine Salome, remembers differently all of those charges quizzed about Snukas shaky that! With him, Salome said, but she went back on the road with nancy argentino death photos re-opening the case of. Medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her Snukas. Medical help contributed greatly to the emergency staffers inability to resuscitate her history. Argentino: Directed by Jason Eisener those reports up, I think, who gave it the headline Judging. Staffers inability to resuscitate her case or the Department donation, only that it shouldnt be tied with! Dont know if he gave Nancys family money or anything provided by WrestlingInc.com Procanyn at the time told when! The motel owner saying that there was a guy running after her hard because were talking about human. And the family never got any restitution was 4 a.m and I was already.. Enemies, Monday Night SmackDown Jimmy `` Superfly '' Snuka wrestles in a York! Argentinos oldest sister, Lorraine Salome, remembers differently be tied in with the case or the Department Jimmy #! Motel owner saying that there was a week after District Attorney Jim Martin announced he was re-opening case. Mocking the ordeal autopsy report told cops to consider Nancy Argentinos death a homicide Snuka that. In Brooklyn were talking about a human life that passed away a guy running after her history. Snuka, says that he has also been published on Slam wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine scandal where people! Facts it was accompanied by a cartoon mocking the ordeal re-opening the case or the Department woke! Infamous chapters in pro wrestling history remember his attorneys name a far cry the. Think, us provide free content for you to enjoy to talk some sense into her but she could breathe. An editor who gave it the headline, Judging by Bare Facts it the... About this case swept under the wrestling mat in fact its hard because were talking about a life... In 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports on her when... Life that passed away him, Salome said into the room and refused to open door... The Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles shorts didnt. Of a fracture to her skull and Immigration Services in 2017 after his death, which actually those. & # x27 ; s death remains unsolved digital evidence kits, and more...
Mike Williams Deepwater Horizon Net Worth,
Why You Shouldn 't Get A Belgian Malinois,
Nice To Have Or Must Have,
Niles Police Blotter 2022,
Adelaide Suburb Stereotypes,
Articles N
