Professional wrestling Icon Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka has been charged in the 1983 death of his girlfriend.
The 72-year-old was arrested Tuesday morning at his home in New Jersey. He has been charged with third-degree murder as well as involuntary manslaughter.
Nancy Argentino was killed 32 years ago at an Allentown hotel.
Argentino, of Brooklyn died of traumatic brain injury and an autopsy revealed she had dozens of cuts and bruises.
Snuka, at the time, gave conflicting stories to police but was never charged.
From The Morning Call: Snuka had been at a WWF taping at the Allentown Fairgrounds on May 10, 1983 and returned to his Whitehall Township motel room to find Argentino, 23, of Brooklyn, gasping for air and oozing yellow fluid from her mouth and nose, records show.
Argentino was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital the next day. An autopsy determined she died of traumatic brain injuries and she suffered more than two dozen cuts and bruises — a possible sign of “mate abuse” — on her head, ear, chin, arms, hands, back, buttocks, legs and feet.
The autopsy also determined her injuries were consistent with being hit with a stationary object. In an autopsy report, forensic pathologist Isidore Mihalakis wrote that the case should be investigated as a homicide until proven otherwise.
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Snuka originally told at least five people, including the responding police officer, he shoved Argentino earlier that day, causing her to fall and hit her head, according to police interviews obtained by The Morning Call. He later told police those five people misunderstood him, and said Argentino slipped and hit her head when they stopped along the highway to urinate.
James Reiher Snuka better known by the ring name Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, is a Fijian semi-retired professional wrestler and actor. He is signed with WWE, working in their Legends program. Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s.
