Thirty years later, Nancy Argentino's death remains unsolved. Hours later, paramedics responded to their motel room where Argentino was found unresponsive. Instead he said Snuka told one story and it was perfectly consistent every time. After that meeting, investigators ruled Argentino's death an accident. 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. A nurse observed Snukas strange demeanor when he visited Argentinos room after she was admitted at Lehigh Valley Hospital Centers ER. I think she died of a fracture to her skull. 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.. Alistair McGeorge. Ultimately, this legal matter will be decided by our judicial system. Me, personallyif you ask me, Do you think Jimmy did it? No. I want to make clear that I only pushed her away to keep her from hitting me. Menu. He was very protective, a showman, Steinberg said. 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 think she died of a fracture to her skull. At this point, [Snuka] attempted to close the door[,] but I started to talk to him about letting us in or her out. What the f***?". PICTURES: The strange story of Jimmy Superfly, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), PICTURES: The strange story of Jimmy Superfly Snuka and Nancy Argentino, District 11 boys basketball: ACCHS rolls into the 4A finals with rout of Pottsville, District 11 girls basketball: Easton cruises past Nazareth, Liberty downs Northampton in semifinals, Lehigh Valley sports scores and a look at Wednesdays schedule, Easton plays Nazareth at Allen High| PHOTOS, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. That night I felt very strange. They do not want a public apology and would not be a part of it, replied Lieutenant Paul Zemenz, the officers supervisor, in a letter sent back to Sparkes. 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. Robert Kirwin, defense attorney of Jimmy Snuka, called Snukas wife Carole with the news and said that she wept with joy and wanted to know if it was truly over. 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. Does [Snuka] understand whats going on? 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. Now 72 years old and stricken with stomach cancer, the defamed brawler yesterday posted $100,000 bail after forfeiting his passport. Movies. The man responsible for the original autopsy, Dr. Isidore Mihalakis, in 1983 commented to The Morning Call about the investigation. In another version, Snuka claims he called the authorities as soon as they got to the hotel room. 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. Reporters from The Morning Call revealed the unreported autopsy findings and put heat under the case again in 2013 to ring in the 30th anniversary of the unsolved mystery. If Snuka wanted to donate some money to a local charity they would not be a part of it. That might change as prosecutors announced on Tuesday that a grand jury will review the case which has long cast suspicion on Snuka. 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 needed big money for everything he had planned. Media Manager Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system . 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. 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. https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/life-death-chris-benoit/, All of these wrestlers in the WWE have head trauma, they cant avoid it, its part of their job, Hamilton stated. 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 January 28th, 2014: Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announces that the Nancy Argentino case will go to a grand jury. 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. In. , obtained from U.S. The only thing I know for sure is that I didnt hurt Nancy.. [Photo Courtesy of The Daily Beast] Nancy Argentino was just 23 when she died in 1983 after being rushed to a hospital with a serious head injury. The senator waited 10 hours until he reported the incident and claimed that his behavior had been "indefensible." 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. Snuka seemed to faintly recall how his knight dressed in a tailored suit saved the day while he was in a perpetual daze. From excessive horseplay amongst them to a lovers quarrel where accidents happen, to her simply slipping and falling. The stakes were high. They are not against the donation, only that it shouldnt be tied in with the case or the Department.. Snuka also didnt help matters, with. 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. Her defiled face was on display in an open casket during a wake at a funeral parlor in her hometown of Flatbush, Brooklyn. This has been very hard on me and very hard on my family I never hit Nancy or threatened her. Nancy was Italian, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 115 pounds with dark, curly hair and brown eyes. The date was May 11, 1983, . The writer was onto the flimsy slip-and-fall storylines Snuka had peddled to police and prosecutors. At first, it seemed as though Argentino was willing to pursue charges against Snuka. They do not want a public apology and would not be a part of it, replied Lieutenant Paul Zemenz, the officers supervisor, in a letter sent back to Sparkes. His wife maintains that her husbanddid not kill Argentino. Despite the tumble they drove to the motel, despite reports that Snuka lacked a drivers license. This episode looks at the mysterious death of Nancy Argentino, a young woman who Jimmy Snuka dated in the early 80's at the height of his wrestling popularity. 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.. 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. Right from the get-go, the one constant with him was he kept saying, I want the truth. Cushing spent weeks in Allentown, Pennsylvania, visiting scenes, studying the case records, and interviewing witnesses. They blew it up, brother.), copped a plea for harassment and got a conditional discharge. I think Vince Jr. picked me up from the hotel and took me there. Argentino died in May 1983 of traumatic brain injuries consistent with a moving head striking a stationary object. 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. He came there in shorts and didnt say anything to my mother. PHOTO GALLERY: The strange story of Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Nancy Argentino. On September 1st, 2015: After a grand jurys recommendation, Martin proceeds to charge Snuka with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. All the pieces were there. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka found Nancy Argentino gasping for air inside a motel room here in May 1983. Some additional context is needed here to truly understand where both Snuka and McMahon stood at the time. 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. I enjoy them. 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. With Sam Fatu, Valerie Franzen, Jim Garfield, Chris Jericho. 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. He mentioned that this was a far cry from the Snuka that truly used to leap off cages and turnbuckles. He drove his Oldsmobile Delmont 88 off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, which is near Marthas Vineyard. And his story never wavered. I dont know what happened. 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,, from the company reads. Its been known within the business if not exactly a topic of conversation every f*****g day that something f*****g happened.". Snuka definitely says he saw Argentino hit the ground. Look of fear in them. 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