Jimmy Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa (born February 14, 1913, Brazil, Indiana, U.S.—disappeared July 30, 1975, Bloomfield Hills, near Detroit, Michigan) was an American labor leader who served as president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 to 1971 and was one of the most controversial labor organizers of his time. Hoffa’s disappearance in 1975 became one of the most enduring unsolved cases in the United States.

Early life

The son of an Indiana coal miner who died when Hoffa was seven, Hoffa moved with his family to Detroit in 1924. He left school at age 14, worked as a stock boy and warehouseman for several years, and began his union-organizing activities in the 1930s. Initially the business agent for Local 299 in Detroit, Hoffa by 1940 had become chairman of the Central States Drivers Council and by 1942 president of the Michigan Conference of Teamsters.

Teamsters and legal issues

In 1952 Hoffa was elected an international vice president of the Teamsters, and five years later he succeeded Dave Beck as international president. Known throughout the trucking industry as a tough and knowledgeable bargainer, Hoffa successfully centralized administration and bargaining in the international office of the union. He also played a key role in the creation of the first national freight-hauling agreement. His efforts helped make the Teamsters the largest labor union in the United States.

More From Britannica

9 Mysterious Disappearances of People Other Than Amelia Earhart: Jimmy Hoffa

Known to have long associated with organized crime figures, Hoffa nevertheless survived a series of governmental prosecutions until 1967, when he entered the federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to begin a 13-year sentence for jury tampering, fraud, and conspiracy. Hoffa refused to resign as president of the Teamsters while in prison and kept his position until 1971. U.S. Pres. Richard M. Nixon commuted Hoffa’s sentence in December 1971, stipulating that he could not engage in any union activity until 1980. Hoffa, however, fought the restriction in court and was widely believed to have covertly continued his efforts to reestablish a union position.

Disappearance

On July 30, 1975, Hoffa was last seen in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance have never been fully determined. He was said to have had an appointment at the restaurant with Anthony Provenzano, a New Jersey Teamsters official and former Mafia figure, and Anthony Giacalone, a Detroit mobster; both later denied having encountered Hoffa. He was legally declared “presumed dead” in 1982.

In the ensuing years, numerous theories were put forth about his death and the location of his body. While it is widely accepted that Hoffa was murdered by members of the Mafia, it is unknown with certainty who was involved. As to the motive, many believe that there was opposition to Hoffa’s efforts to regain the presidency of the Teamsters. A key issue was control of the Teamsters’ pension fund, which had been established by Hoffa and, according to the FBI, was “the most abused, misused pension fund in America.”

Speculation also surrounds the location of Hoffa’s body. Several sites in Michigan have been suggested, and there were rumors that he was buried in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. However, when the stadium was demolished in 2010, no body was discovered. Other proposed locations include a baseball stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Access for the whole family!

Bundle Britannica Premium and Kids for the ultimate resource destination.

Subscribe

Movies

Several films were made that featured Hoffa. Notably, Jack Nicholson played the labor leader in Hoffa (1992), a drama directed by Danny DeVito and written by David Mamet. Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman (2019) centers on Frank Sheeran, a mob hit man who claimed to be involved in the murder of Hoffa (played by Al Pacino).

Personal life

In 1936 Hoffa married Josephine Poszywak. The couple had two children: Barbara Ann and James P. Hoffa. The latter was sworn in as general president of the Teamsters on May 1, 1999, after a bitter election campaign culminated in his defeat of Ron Carey, a longtime critic of Jimmy Hoffa. James Hoffa held the post until 2022.