This certainly is a dark tale. Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka was a high flying star for the WWF back in the early 1980s.
Although married he was on the road with his 23 year old girlfriend, Nancy Argentino. They had a volatile relationship and in 1983. She was found dead in a hotel room with brain injuries.
Snuka knew she was unwell but left her alone in the hotel room and went off to wrestle. After he returned she had died and he called for an ambulance.
Snuka was investigated but was not charged. His story was that she had slipped and hurt her head when they had a bathroom stop while driving to the next event.
In 1985 Snuka faced a wrongful death lawsuit. There was a $500,000 default judgment against him. He never paid it.
The event did not seem to have hurt his career much. He left the WWF mainly because he was unreliable due to substance abuse. He returned to them in the late 1980s.
More than 30 years later, the case was reopened in 2015 due to a journalist taking an interest in the case. They examined the open evidence in the wrongful death lawsuit.
Snuka was charged with the murder but was deemed unfit to stand trial. He had dementia and was suffering from stomach cancer. He died in 2017.
Given the events took place almost 40 years ago. There were very few wrestlers who were associated with Snuka who were willing to talk on camera. There was some speculation in the program.
Those that were might have an axe to grind or might be regarded as unreliable. Wrestlers are known for embellishment and conveniently forgetting things. Interestingly Snuka's widow participated.
No official from WWF was available. It was intimated that the WWF might have smoothed things over with law enforcement personnel. The Argentino family even had an offer of a payoff.
The events surrounding Nancy Argentino's death is certainly murky. I can sympathise with the frustration that Nancy's family have suffered.
Although married he was on the road with his 23 year old girlfriend, Nancy Argentino. They had a volatile relationship and in 1983. She was found dead in a hotel room with brain injuries.
Snuka knew she was unwell but left her alone in the hotel room and went off to wrestle. After he returned she had died and he called for an ambulance.
Snuka was investigated but was not charged. His story was that she had slipped and hurt her head when they had a bathroom stop while driving to the next event.
In 1985 Snuka faced a wrongful death lawsuit. There was a $500,000 default judgment against him. He never paid it.
The event did not seem to have hurt his career much. He left the WWF mainly because he was unreliable due to substance abuse. He returned to them in the late 1980s.
More than 30 years later, the case was reopened in 2015 due to a journalist taking an interest in the case. They examined the open evidence in the wrongful death lawsuit.
Snuka was charged with the murder but was deemed unfit to stand trial. He had dementia and was suffering from stomach cancer. He died in 2017.
Given the events took place almost 40 years ago. There were very few wrestlers who were associated with Snuka who were willing to talk on camera. There was some speculation in the program.
Those that were might have an axe to grind or might be regarded as unreliable. Wrestlers are known for embellishment and conveniently forgetting things. Interestingly Snuka's widow participated.
No official from WWF was available. It was intimated that the WWF might have smoothed things over with law enforcement personnel. The Argentino family even had an offer of a payoff.
The events surrounding Nancy Argentino's death is certainly murky. I can sympathise with the frustration that Nancy's family have suffered.
