As noted, authorities have re-opened the case of the death of Nancy Argentino, which has resulted in WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka being charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the 1983 death of his girlfriend.
Since news of Snuka being charged broke yesterday, WWE has issued an official statement on the matter and noted Snuka’s current WWE Legends contract is under review.
When the initial investigation took place in 1983, Vince McMahon reportedly played a role in the case, and the following is an excerpt from a 2013 feature published by The Morning Call:
By all accounts in police records and recent interviews with those involved in the case, McMahon and the WWF were fully cooperative with the police investigation. On May 27, 1983, The Morning Call reported that District Attorney William Platt, now a Pennsylvania Senior Superior Court judge, said the investigation into Nancy’s death was nearly complete. “It’s just a matter of getting everybody together,” Platt was quoted as saying, referring to the investigators and attorneys involved in the case, according to the article.
Five days later, on June 1, 1983, Snuka and McMahon met with Platt, then-Assistant District Attorney Robert Steinberg and Mihalakis, the medical examiner, in the DA’s office law library. Whitehall Police Detectives Gerry Procanyn, Al Fritzinger and Vincent Geiger were also at the meeting, according to police records. There’s no official record of what was said and Snuka doesn’t remember much of what happened, according to his book. “All I remember is [McMahon] had a briefcase with him,” Snuka wrote in his autobiography. “I don’t know what happened. …The only thing I know for sure is I didn’t hurt Nancy.”
Steinberg, now a Lehigh County judge, said Snuka didn’t say much and McMahon “did all the talking.” “I remember Vince McMahon being what Vince McMahon has always been — very effusive. He was very protective, a showman,” Steinberg said, noting he couldn’t recall specifics of the conversation. “He was the mouthpiece, trying to direct the conversation.”
Procanyn said McMahon gave authorities the phone numbers of wrestlers and managers they wanted to speak with. Fritzinger could not be reached for comment and Geiger died in 1984. Platt wouldn’t comment when asked if Whitehall police pushed for charges to be filed.
Because McMahon was reportedly so vocal during the meeting described above, it’s very possible McMahon could be called to testify at some point in the upcoming Snuka trial.
Update: WWE has responded to the above by issuing the following statement:
“The insinuation that a group of medical examiners, detectives and prosecutors – including two who became judges – could have their integrity compromised and participate in improper activity during the course of a meeting is absurd, categorically false and insulting to all parties.
We are hopeful that justice will prevail.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
