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Because Vince McMahon walked into the police station with a briefcase and just like that, the charges went away.
R.I.P Jimmy Snuka
- Thread starter Alexander The Great
- Start date
Because Vince McMahon walked into the police station with a briefcase and just like that, the charges went away.
Vinny Lupton
Superstar
[Buddy] Rogers and Snuka, who were next door neighbors at one point, also had a falling out when Snuka’s wife at the time, confided in Rogers’ wife that Snuka had been beating her.
Later Snuka was arrested in Syracuse, NY, after going crazy in a hotel room and fighting off the police, when calls were made that he had attacked a 23-year-old mistress, Nancy Argentino.
Months later, Argentino, who traveled the circuit with him, was found dead in Allentown, PA. The coroner described the injuries as consistent with domestic violence.
Still, no charges were ever filed and the Allentown police dropped the case within about two weeks, although technically kept it open largely meaning much of the evidence remained sealed.
Argentino’s family was haunted by this, and never accepted what the Allentown authorities had told them.
They hired an investigator and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Snuka in 1985. They won a $500,000 default judgment against Snuka, but Snuka never paid, claiming he was destitute, even though he remained a major star in wrestling for the next several years.
In Allentown, the Argentino case was one of those local town internal and often unspoken stories. Police officers, workers in the hospital the night Argentino was brought in and pronounced dead, and others had almost surprisingly strong recalls of events decades earlier, but it was almost a town secret.
Reporter Irv Muchnick, in 1992, went to Allentown to investigate the story. Their conclusion was that it was well-known in town that there was a cover-up. In those days, and long before, it was hardly uncommon for wrestlers to get into trouble. Usually it was street fights, sleeping with underage women, drugs, child support issues, not paying bills or DUIs. It was just part of being a promoter to take care of those problems. Dead mistresses were not common, but in 1983, Snuka was the biggest drawing card in the WWF, and one of the biggest in wrestling.
Indeed, the McMahons even considered putting the WWF title on him, but ended up not putting either major title on him. The feeling was that Backlund would never embarrass the company, while with Snuka, they weren’t so sure.
Later Snuka was arrested in Syracuse, NY, after going crazy in a hotel room and fighting off the police, when calls were made that he had attacked a 23-year-old mistress, Nancy Argentino.
Months later, Argentino, who traveled the circuit with him, was found dead in Allentown, PA. The coroner described the injuries as consistent with domestic violence.
Still, no charges were ever filed and the Allentown police dropped the case within about two weeks, although technically kept it open largely meaning much of the evidence remained sealed.
Argentino’s family was haunted by this, and never accepted what the Allentown authorities had told them.
They hired an investigator and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Snuka in 1985. They won a $500,000 default judgment against Snuka, but Snuka never paid, claiming he was destitute, even though he remained a major star in wrestling for the next several years.
In Allentown, the Argentino case was one of those local town internal and often unspoken stories. Police officers, workers in the hospital the night Argentino was brought in and pronounced dead, and others had almost surprisingly strong recalls of events decades earlier, but it was almost a town secret.
Reporter Irv Muchnick, in 1992, went to Allentown to investigate the story. Their conclusion was that it was well-known in town that there was a cover-up. In those days, and long before, it was hardly uncommon for wrestlers to get into trouble. Usually it was street fights, sleeping with underage women, drugs, child support issues, not paying bills or DUIs. It was just part of being a promoter to take care of those problems. Dead mistresses were not common, but in 1983, Snuka was the biggest drawing card in the WWF, and one of the biggest in wrestling.
Indeed, the McMahons even considered putting the WWF title on him, but ended up not putting either major title on him. The feeling was that Backlund would never embarrass the company, while with Snuka, they weren’t so sure.
Vinny Lupton
Superstar
On the 30th anniversary of the death of Argentino in 2013, the Allentown Morning Call did a story on the city’s long-time secret. Included in the piece was the forensic pathologist’s report which stated that the injuries were consistent with domestic violence and that his recommendation is that this should be investigated as a homicide. It was noted that the story of Argentino slipping and hitting her head on a rock wasn’t the case, as there were no particles of gravel in her scalp.
This led to city officials, attempting to save face, reopening the case. After interviewing people still alive and getting their testimony, largely those at the hospital where she died and the police officers, as well as others who knew Snuka, a Grand Jury indicted Snuka in 2015 on third degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. No case in the history of Lehigh County ever had an indictment more than 32 years after the incident in question took place.
At a hearing this past May, Snuka’s attorney, Robert Kirwan, argued that Snuka’s mental state had deteriorated to the point he could no longer understand what was going on and argued he could not stand trial. Judge Banach spoke with Snuka on 6/1 and came to the same conclusion. She didn’t dismiss charges, with the idea that perhaps his mental acuity could return. But on 1/3, she believed that would not be the case, and all charges were thrown out.
This led to city officials, attempting to save face, reopening the case. After interviewing people still alive and getting their testimony, largely those at the hospital where she died and the police officers, as well as others who knew Snuka, a Grand Jury indicted Snuka in 2015 on third degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. No case in the history of Lehigh County ever had an indictment more than 32 years after the incident in question took place.
At a hearing this past May, Snuka’s attorney, Robert Kirwan, argued that Snuka’s mental state had deteriorated to the point he could no longer understand what was going on and argued he could not stand trial. Judge Banach spoke with Snuka on 6/1 and came to the same conclusion. She didn’t dismiss charges, with the idea that perhaps his mental acuity could return. But on 1/3, she believed that would not be the case, and all charges were thrown out.