Irvin Muchnick
Amazon Digital Services, 2013
Ebook
Irvin Muchnick has been one of professional wrestling's foremost critics since the late 1980s. This book is a short collection of his writings dating back to 1992 regarding the death of Nancy Argentino in 1983. Argentino - the girlfriend of WWF Star (and later Hall of Famer) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - died after suffering a severe head injury while touring with Snuka. While some claim it was an accidental fall, others have speculated that Argentino was the victim of abuse at the hands of Snuka and that the grappler was directly responsible for her death. Muchnick's works include: Pro Wrestling Babylon: Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death and Scandal (2007), Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling's Cocktail of Death (2009) and Concussion Inc: The End of Football As We Know It (2015.) Muchnick operates the website http://concussioninc.net/
Irvin Muchnick has never been one to mince words regarding the professional wrestling industry. The nephew of long time St. Louis Promoter and National Wrestling Alliance President Sam Muchnick is as far removed from the "family business" as one can expect. While many of the industry's detractors have denounced it for being unsuitable for family viewing or too phoney, Muchnick has a knack for sinking his teeth into a very dark under belly of an industry that has been (arguably no more or less than many others) plagued by near unspeakable demons.
In Justice Denied, Muchnick presents a number of factors that suggest that the death of Nancy Argentino, a 23 year old dental assistant, was "at minimum (an) unindicted involuntary manslaughter" due to severe ineptitude and/or a cover up by local authorities. Muchnick details a number of inconsistencies in statements made by Snuka and others involved in the case, as well as a history of erratic and violent behaviour by Snuka prior to the death of Argentino. He presents a case against Snuka concerning the death of Ms. Argentino and does make one wonder why the incident was not further investigated and/or how it remained virtually hidden from the public for many years.
The book is divided into five sections. The first is a reprint of his 1992 article (originally intended for publication in the Village Voice) on the subject. Secondly, he reviews passages from Snuka's auto-biography concerning the incident and compares them with previous (and later) comments by the writer. Thirdly, Muchnick gives a very brief biography of Argentino. Fourthly, there is a section devoted to some information that the author has become aware of since 1992. Finally, there is an appendix featuring some copies of primary documents related to the case. Though brief - some would argue too brief, especially the biography of Argentino - the book is well laid out and it is packed with information. Muchnick should also be applauded for donating the proceeds from the book to My Sister's Place, a New York home and resource centre for battered women.
Other than the brevity, the major issue concerning the book is Muchnick's overt contempt for the wrestling business. He takes a shot at Mick Foley, a long time admirer of Snuka's work, who has worked with the anti-sexual assault group RAINN, and Roddy Piper for contributing to Snuka's auto-biography. He also denounces the wrestling media, namely Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, for down playing the Snuka-Argentino issue in their coverage of pro wrestling. The book features too few comments from those directly - or even indirectly - related to the investigation and/or contemporaries of Jimmy Snuka. Muchnick refers to a few potential sources who were unable, unwilling to comment on the issue. While it is not surprising to hear that he met with resistance from individuals within the wrestling industry and/or applicable investigating bodies, it is unfortunate that he presents so few comments from people who could have shared further light on the situation.
A reader's enjoyment of this book will depend on what he or she is looking for. Readers who like detailed true crime, court house confessions and loose endings to be all tied up in pretty little bows (none of which is promised by the author) will not be overtly satisfied with the book. For readers who are interested in learning some of the facts (and perhaps some of the unprovable lore) they will likely find the book a good read. Available only in Ebook format, the book is typically available for under $5.
Reviewer's Note: I originally posted this review on a now defunct message board in 2014. I have edited the original text slightly and reposted it due to charges being filed in the case earlier today. As much as possible I wanted to concentrate on the book from the stand-point of it being a work of literature and not as a case for the prosecution. I have very little knowledge of the Pennsylvania legal system and I considered the author's comments and arguments with the same degree of scrutiny I would any author of any book. (i.e. An author can refer to comments made by third-parties and sway the opinion of reader, whereas they might not be admissible in a court.) While the author does bring forth a valid question as to why the case, up to the point of writing, had not gone to trial, it does not necessarily mean that Snuka was guilty of murder.
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