The excerpts of the interview were provided by WrestlingInc.com. It wasn't long before she caught the eyes of the wrestlers. After the one hour meeting in the district attorneys law library, there are no records of Jimmy Snuka ever being questioned by police again. 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.. The medical evidence showed that he was not getting better, and in fact, hes getting worse.". Jimmy Snuka, Argentino's boyfriend at the time, was investigated in the death but not charged or arrested until 2015. 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. Its been an exceptionally busymonth for McMahon and his company. I dont know what happened. Snuka does mention in his autobiography that the details are hazy but that he went with Vince McMahon to a court or a law office, and that Vince had a suitcase. 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. Nancy Argentino died soon after that and despite evidence of a struggle, no one was ever charged. It became clear pretty soon that [Platt] had no intention of presenting the evidence that I amassed. Foreman Grill: A $200m Mistake for Hulk Hogan! Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (third from left) arrives with his wife Carole (right) for day four of his competency hearing at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown on June 1, 2016. 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, Speculation has long swirled around McMahons involvement in the murder investigation, specifically his presence during Snukas last police interview, the contents of which unlike every other interview summary in the Whitehall file are notoriously not described in the report at all (a fact that then-Chief Frederic Conjour wrote off as nothing in the, documentary). I got one handcuff on the hand he had the female by the hair with[,] which was his right hand[,] and after several seconds of struggling with him[,] he released his grasp on the female, explained Bronstad in his affidavit. Hours later, paramedics responded to their motel room where Argentino was found unresponsive. 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. Look, Im in the garbage business, McMahon purportedly said. So why did they buy his constantly evolving story? Current contact information for Platt couldnt be located, while the Lehigh County District Attorneys Office didnt respond to an email about the discovery, beyond saying that they were forwarding it to current DA Jim Martin. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Snuka seemed to faintly recall how his knight dressed in a tailored suit saved the day while he was in a perpetual daze. Picture made on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Died? 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. 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. Thats to say nothing of any potential reputational harm to the organization. My mother thought she was on the way.. By. 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. At one point, I went with Vince McMahon Jr. to either a court or law office, I dont remember which because I was still in shock. But its a touchy subject. In a televised speech, he firmly denied it was alcohol-fueled. The stakes were high. Her daughter was dead. I just look at the whole thing as a shame because theres a loss of human life there.. At first, it seemed as though Argentino was willing to pursue charges against Snuka. The 1983 death of Nancy Argentino has become one the most infamous chapters in pro wrestling history. 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. This again was, according to Argentinos oldest sister. Nancy Argentino, in happier times. June 1st, 2016: Almost six months after being tried for third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, Judge Kelly L. Banach determined that Jimmy Snuka was not mentally fit to assist his defense. The date was May 11, 1983, . I think we stopped drinking after thatshe did at least, according to Snuka. Other doctors in 2010 said they also noticed developing signs of dementia. He mentioned that this was a far cry from the Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles. But it appears Snukas big mouth or fuzzy memory caught up to him. Images. "I would only say there wasn't anything significantly said or done and that's why there's no record of it,"Frederick Conjour, the former police of police with the Whitehall Township,told the docuseries. 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. Her sisters, Louise Argentino and Lorraine Salome, tell me that they believe that this was the first time Snuka had gotten violent, meaning that Argentinos resolve wouldnt necessarily be worn down yet. ), A year after Argentino was killed, with her family having retained lawyers from Schonwald, Schaffzin & Mullman, one of the lawyers on the case travelled to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to meet with Lehigh County District Attorney William Platt. 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. The Lehigh County jury will . Can we still appreciate the mans huge contributions to wrestling, knowing that it is possible that he had a hand in Nancy Argentinos death? Snuka, a cliff diver and bodybuilder with a vertical leap as impressive as his physique, was the WWFs newly minted top good guy. Snukas fall from grace was as low as his peaks of fame were high. 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. 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. And despite the caked on foundation applied by the ambitious mortician on this day the grim sight haunted her pro wrestling beau to the core. Ill say that much. Menu. Investigating the mysterious story of Jimmy Snuka, whose girlfriend Nancy Argentino died in . Does [Snuka] understand whats going on? He was suffering from stomach cancer and other ailments. In 1983, Nancy Argentinos family hired Richard Cushing, a New York attorney who had spent most of his career defending criminals, to take a second look. 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. And in the ring Snuka remained true to his native island roots by swearing off wrestlings regalia of boots, opting to go barefoot instead; as well as donning a distinct headband and leopard-printed garb as odes to his on-screen idol Tarzan. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. If you missed it, the immediate things you need to know are that Argentino died of complications from a skull fracture; that Snuka initially told a variety of stories that involved pushing her, only to change his tune claiming she slipped and fell at the side of the road after 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. A follow-up interview with Snuka was conducted by investigatorson June 1. [Photo: WWE Network]In 1999, with internet usage still somewhat in its infancy, when writer Irvin Muchnick first published the story of Snuka and Argentino online, it circulated and gained steam amongst fans and underground newsletters. Shawn Michaels And Diesel Good Friends, Better Enemies, Monday Night SmackDown! He doesnt remember if money was given to the family of Nancy Argentino, but he knows for sure that he did not hurt her. . And the way its in the book is the way it was told to me.. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2017 after his death, which actually contradicts those reports. The George Washington Motor Lodge as seen on April 6, 1993. 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. 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