Jimmy Hoffa

The Controversial Life and Disappearance of the Godfather of the Teamsters

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: David Zarbock

A century ago, if one were to come across a manual laborer from the early 20th century or the Roaring Twenties and relayed to them the possibility of one day sticking it to the man, one would probably be laughed out of the century. However, this was exactly what one man with solid-gold aspirations and audacity set out to achieve. Jimmy Hoffa, once described by Bobby Kennedy as the second most powerful man in America, was a union boss who evoked both respect and fear, and he continues to be a legendary figure who often crops up in conversation and the media over 40 years after his disappearance. While it was an open secret that Hoffa had shady connections, the success of his leadership allowed supporters to overlook them. As Sloane put it, "More apparent to Teamster members than any moral lapses were the tangible gains that had been steadily realized under Hoffa since his advent to power."

Charles Brandt once wrote, "From 1955 until 1965 Jimmy Hoffa was as famous as Elvis Presley. From 1965 until 1975 Jimmy Hoffa was as famous as the Beatles." But as famous as he was in life, it was Jimmy Hoffa's demise that continues to fascinate the country. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa drove to an important meeting at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant, but he was never seen or heard from again. To this day, authorities are still searching for him (or presumably his remains), having been overloaded with false and dead-end leads throughout the decades. By championing the hearts and loyalty of America's trucking industry and arousing fear in the public for his rumored mob connections, earning a couple of enemies along the way was inevitable for Hoffa, but the mystery remains. Naturally, people have put forward ridiculous theories to explain his disappearance, but either way, it's fair to say that the legendary life and times of the controversial and still-missing Teamster leader have produced one of the world's most baffling ongoing mysteries for good reason.

©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors