History of Jimmy Hoffa in Timeline
Jimmy Hoffa was a prominent American labor union leader, most notably serving as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 to 1971. His career was consistently shadowed by allegations of connections to organized crime. Hoffa vanished in 1975 under mysterious circumstances, becoming one of the most famous missing persons in American history. His disappearance has fueled countless theories and remains unsolved, solidifying his controversial legacy.
1903: Founding of The Teamsters
In 1903, The Teamsters was founded, had 75,000 members in 1933.
1907: Daniel J. Tobin President
In 1907, Daniel J. Tobin was president of IBT.
February 14, 1913: James Riddle Hoffa Born
James Riddle Hoffa was born on February 14, 1913. He would later become the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
1920: Death of Hoffa's Father
In 1920, Hoffa's father died from lung disease when Hoffa was seven years old.
1924: Family Moves to Detroit
In 1924, Hoffa's family moved to Detroit, where he was raised and lived for the rest of his life.
1932: Leaves Grocery Chain
By 1932, after refusing to work for an abusive shift foreman, Hoffa left the grocery chain, partly because of his union activities.
1933: Organizer with Local 299
Between 1933 and 1935, Hoffa actively worked to recruit new members to the union; his favored tactic being to pull up on the road alongside sleeping truck drivers, wake them up, and give them his sales pitch.
1935: Organizer with Local 299
Between 1933 and 1935, Hoffa actively worked to recruit new members to the union; his favored tactic being to pull up on the road alongside sleeping truck drivers, wake them up, and give them his sales pitch.
September 25, 1936: Marriage to Josephine Poszywak
On September 25, 1936, Jimmy Hoffa married Josephine Poszywak in Bowling Green, Ohio. They met six months earlier during a laundry workers' strike.
1936: Membership Grew
As a result of Hoffa's work with other union leaders, he consolidated local union trucker groups into regional sections and then into a national body, which Hoffa ultimately completed over two decades; membership grew to 170,000 members by 1936.
1939: Family Home in Detroit
In 1939, The Hoffas paid $6,800 for a modest home in northwestern Detroit.
December 1946: President of Local 299
In December 1946, Hoffa became president of Local 299, despite never having worked as a truck driver.
1951: Membership grew to a million
As a result of Hoffa's work with other union leaders, he consolidated local union trucker groups into regional sections and then into a national body; membership grew to eventually top a million members by 1951.
1952: Selected as National Vice-President
At the 1952 IBT convention in Los Angeles, Hoffa was selected as national vice-president by incoming president Dave Beck.
1952: Vice-President Appointment
Following his 1952 election as vice-president, Hoffa began spending more of his time away from Detroit, either in Washington or traveling around the country for his expanded responsibilities.
1952: Becomes National Vice-President of the IBT
In 1952, Hoffa was the national vice-president of the IBT.
1952: Marvin Elkind Assigned as Chauffeur
In 1952, Marvin Elkind, a petty criminal living in New York, was assigned by gangster Anthony Salerno to work as Hoffa's chauffeur.
1955: IBT Headquarters Moved
In 1955, the IBT moved its headquarters from Indianapolis to Washington, DC.
March 14, 1957: Arrest for Alleged Bribery
On March 14, 1957, Jimmy Hoffa was arrested for allegedly trying to bribe an aide to the Select Committee.
March 1957: Beck Appears Before Senate Committee
In March 1957, Hoffa's predecessor, Beck, appeared before the John L. McClellan-led US Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in Labor or Management Field and took the Fifth Amendment 140 times.
1957: Hoffa Becomes President of IBT
In 1957, Jimmy Hoffa became the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).
1957: Expulsion of IBT from AFL-CIO
In 1957, union members voted nearly five to one to expel the IBT from the AFL-CIO due to charges of Hoffa's corrupt leadership.
August 3, 1958: Death of Frank Kierdorf
On the night of August 3, 1958, one of Hoffa's associates, Frank Kierdorf, accidentally set himself on fire while torching a cleaning and dyeing establishment and died.
1960: IBT endorsement of Nixon
In 1960, the IBT switched its support from the Democratic nominees and endorsed Republican Richard Nixon for president.
1960: Election of John F. Kennedy
When John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960, he appointed his younger brother Robert as Attorney General.
1961: Re-election as President
Following his re-election as president in 1961, Hoffa worked to expand the union.
1961: Robert Kennedy as Attorney General
In 1961, Robert Kennedy became Attorney General and pursued a strong attack on organized crime and carried on with a so-called "Get Hoffa" squad of prosecutors and investigators.
December 5, 1962: Attack by Warren Swanson
During a court hearing on December 5, 1962, a former mental patient, Warren Swanson, fired several pellets at Hoffa. Hoffa punched Swanson and knocked him down.
1962: Conspiracy Trial in Nashville
In May 1963, Hoffa was indicted for jury tampering in Tennessee, charged with the attempted bribery of a grand juror during his 1962 conspiracy trial in Nashville.
May 1963: Indicted for Jury Tampering
In May 1963, Hoffa was indicted for jury tampering in Tennessee, charged with the attempted bribery of a grand juror during his 1962 conspiracy trial in Nashville.
March 4, 1964: Convicted of Jury Tampering
On March 4, 1964, Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering and sentenced to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
July 26, 1964: Convicted of Conspiracy and Fraud
On July 26, 1964, while on bail, Hoffa was convicted in Chicago on one count of conspiracy and three counts of mail and wire fraud for improper use of the Teamsters' pension fund, and sentenced to five years in prison.
1964: Unsuccessful Appeals
Hoffa spent the next three years unsuccessfully appealing his 1964 convictions.
1964: National Master Freight Agreement
In 1964, Hoffa succeeded in bringing virtually all over-the-road truck drivers in North America under a single National Master Freight Agreement.
1964: Convicted of Jury Tampering, Bribery, and Fraud
In 1964, Jimmy Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering, attempted bribery, conspiracy, along with mail and wire fraud in two separate trials.
1966: Re-elected IBT President
In 1966, Hoffa was re-elected without opposition to a third five-year term as president of the IBT, despite having been convicted of jury tampering and mail fraud.
March 7, 1967: Begins Prison Sentence
On March 7, 1967, Jimmy Hoffa began serving his aggregate prison sentence of 13 years at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.
1967: Imprisonment
In 1967, Jimmy Hoffa was imprisoned and sentenced to 13 years.
1967: Fitzsimmons Named Acting President
When Hoffa entered prison in 1967, Frank Fitzsimmons was named acting president of the union.
1970: Publication of The Trials of Jimmy Hoffa
In 1970, Jimmy Hoffa published a book titled "The Trials of Jimmy Hoffa".
June 19, 1971: Resignation as Teamsters President
While still in prison, on June 19, 1971, Jimmy Hoffa resigned as Teamsters president.
July 9, 1971: Fitzsimmons Elected President
On July 9, 1971, Frank Fitzsimmons was elected Teamsters president.
December 23, 1971: Hoffa released from prison
On December 23, 1971, Jimmy Hoffa was released from prison after US President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence to time served, less than five years into his 13-year sentence. Hoffa was also awarded a $1.75 million termination benefit by the Teamsters Retirement and Family Protection Plan.
1971: End of Presidency
In 1971, Hoffa's term as the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ended.
1971: Drafting of the clause restricting Hoffa's labor involvement
In 1971, John Dean drafted the clause restricting Hoffa's labor involvement at Nixon's request.
1971: Resignation and Release
In mid-1971, Jimmy Hoffa resigned as president of the union as part of a commutation agreement with U.S. president Richard Nixon and was released later that year, but he was barred from union activities until 1980.
1972: IBT endorsement of Nixon for re-election
In 1972, following Hoffa's release and resignation, the IBT endorsed Republican Richard Nixon in his presidential re-election bid.
1973: Hoffa plans to seize the presidency of the Teamsters again
By 1973, Jimmy Hoffa was planning to seize the presidency of the Teamsters again, despite restrictions placed on him by his commutation.
1973: Dean becomes a government witness in the Watergate scandal
By mid-1973, John Dean, former White House counsel to Nixon, had become famous as a government witness in prosecutions arising from the Watergate scandal.
1973: Provenzano refuses to support Hoffa
In 1973, Hoffa asked Provenzano for his support to regain his former position, but Provenzano refused.
1974: Reported threat from Provenzano to Hoffa
In 1974, Anthony Provenzano reportedly threatened Jimmy Hoffa when Hoffa asked for his support to regain his former position.
1974: Court proceedings regarding restriction on Hoffa's power
In 1974, court proceedings were held where John Dean was called upon for depositions regarding Hoffa's lawsuit to invalidate the restriction that prevented him from reasserting his power over the Teamsters. Ultimately, Hoffa lost the court battle.
July 30, 1975: Disappearance of Hoffa
On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared under mysterious circumstances, amid allegations of ties to organized crime.
October 1975: Search for Hoffa's remains in Waterford Township
In October 1975, Michigan Attorney General Frank J. Kelley supervised an expedition in Waterford Township to locate and exhume Hoffa's remains based on a tip. The search was unsuccessful.
December 4, 1975: Testimony regarding Hoffa's abduction and murder
On December 4, 1975, a federal investigator in Detroit testified in court that a witness had identified three New Jersey men as having participated "in the abduction and murder of James R. Hoffa". The three men were close associates of Provenzano: Thomas Andretta, Salvatore Briguglio, and his brother Gabriel Briguglio.
1975: Hoffa working on autobiography
In 1975, Jimmy Hoffa was working on his autobiography, "Hoffa: The Real Story", which was published a few months after his disappearance.
1975: Maroon Mercury Marquis Brougham identified
In 1975, a maroon 1975 Mercury Marquis Brougham belonging to Anthony Giacalone's son Joseph was identified as a key piece of evidence in the investigation into Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance. On August 21, police dogs identified Hoffa's scent in the car.
1975: Giacalone's Mercury used for Hoffa's disappearance
In 1975, according to the "Hoffex Memo", Chuckie O'Brien was driving Joseph Giacalone's maroon 1975 Mercury on the day of Hoffa's disappearance, with Hoffa in the right rear seat. Police dogs located Hoffa's scent in the car.
1975: Witnessed burial around time of disappearance
In 1975, around the time of Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance, a person reported having witnessed the burial of a body under a suburban Detroit driveway.
January 1976: FBI briefing on the Hoffa case
In January 1976, the FBI held a briefing at their headquarters in Washington on the Hoffa case. The report prepared for this briefing, the "Hoffex Memo", recorded a belief that Hoffa was murdered at the behest of organized crime figures.
1976: Hoffex Memo focuses on Mafia opposition to Hoffa
In 1976, the Hoffex Memo focused on Mafia opposition to Hoffa's plans to regain the Teamsters' leadership and the threat Hoffa posed to the Mafia's control over the union's pension fund as potential motives.
1978: Release of the film F.I.S.T.
In 1978, the film F.I.S.T. was released, in which Sylvester Stallone plays Johnny Kovak, a character based on Jimmy Hoffa.
March 6, 1980: Restriction on Hoffa's labor involvement
Jimmy Hoffa's commutation from Nixon included a restriction preventing him from engaging in the direct or indirect management of any labor organization until March 6, 1980.
September 12, 1980: Death of Josephine Hoffa
On September 12, 1980, Jimmy Hoffa's wife, Josephine, passed away and was interred at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.
1980: Barred from Union Activities Until 1980
In 1971, Hoffa resigned as president of the union as part of a commutation agreement with U.S. president Richard Nixon and was released later that year, but he was barred from union activities until 1980.
July 30, 1982: Hoffa Declared Dead
On July 30, 1982, Jimmy Hoffa was officially declared dead, years after his mysterious disappearance in 1975.
December 9, 1982: Hoffa declared legally dead
On December 9, 1982, Jimmy Hoffa was declared legally dead as of July 30, 1982, by Oakland County, Michigan Probate Judge Norman R. Barnard.
1982: Declared Legally Dead
In 1982, Jimmy Hoffa was declared legally dead, years after his disappearance in 1975.
1984: Release of the film Once Upon a Time in America
In 1984, the Sergio Leone film Once Upon a Time in America was released, featuring Treat Williams' character, syndicalist James Conway O'Donnell, who was inspired by Jimmy Hoffa.
1989: FBI agent claims knowledge of Hoffa's killer
In 1989, Kenneth Walton, the agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit office, stated that he knew who killed Jimmy Hoffa but a prosecution would never occur to protect informants.
1991: Arthur Sloane publishes a book on Hoffa's life
In 1991, Arthur Sloane wrote a book on Jimmy Hoffa's life and stated that people were polarized over whether Hoffa was like "a kind of latter-day Al Capone" or was "hugely successful in improving working conditions for [his truck-driver constituents]".
1991: Sloane's book on Hoffa
In his 1991 book "Hoffa", Arthur A. Sloane discussed the most common theory of FBI investigators, that Russell Bufalino ordered the murder of Jimmy Hoffa.
1994: Release of parody film Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
In 1994, in the parody film Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, a file folder labeled "Location of Jimmy Hoffa's body" is prominently displayed in a cabinet during the sperm bank and fertility clinic scene.
1995: American Tabloid published
In 1995, Author James Ellroy features a fictional historical version of Hoffa in the Underworld USA Trilogy novels as an important secondary character, most prominently in the novels American Tabloid.
1995: Hoffa's memorial service
In 1995, a memorial service for Jimmy Hoffa was conducted by his family.
2000: Death of Stephen Andretta
In 2000, Stephen Andretta, a suspect in the Hoffa case, reportedly died of cancer. He was a New Jersey Teamster and reputed Genovese crime family mob associate.
2001: The Cold Six Thousand published
In 2001, Author James Ellroy features a fictional historical version of Hoffa in the Underworld USA Trilogy novels as an important secondary character, most prominently in the novels The Cold Six Thousand.
2001: DNA match from Hoffa's hair found in Giacalone's car
In 2001, the FBI matched DNA from Jimmy Hoffa's hair, taken from a brush, with a strand of hair found in Joseph Giacalone's car.
2003: The film Bruce Almighty released
In 2003, the film Bruce Almighty was released, where the titular character uses powers to manifest Jimmy Hoffa's body to reclaim his career in the news industry.
2004: Publication of I Heard You Paint Houses
In 2004, Charles Brandt published "I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran and the Closing of the Case on Jimmy Hoffa", in which Frank Sheeran claimed to have killed Jimmy Hoffa.
2004: MythBusters episode on Hoffa's body
In 2004, an episode of the Discovery Channel show MythBusters, "The Hunt for Hoffa", scanned locations in Giants Stadium rumored to contain Jimmy Hoffa's body, but no trace of human remains was found.
June 16, 2006: Publication of the Hoffex Memo
On June 16, 2006, the Detroit Free Press published the entire "Hoffex Memo", a 56-page report prepared by the FBI for a January 1976 briefing on the case.
2006: Kuklinski's jailhouse confession
In 2006, in a biography released after his death, Richard Kuklinski claimed that he was part of a four-man team that kidnapped and murdered Jimmy Hoffa. This claim was dismissed as a hoax by former FBI agent Robert Garrity.
2008: Elkind Interview
In a 2008 interview, Elkind described his four years working as Hoffa's chauffeur.
2010: Demolition of Giants Stadium
In 2010, Giants Stadium was demolished, and no human remains were found, further debunking the theory that Hoffa's body was buried there.
2012: Roseville police investigate possible burial site
In 2012, Roseville, Michigan, police took samples from the ground under a suburban Detroit driveway after a person reported having witnessed the burial of a body there around the time of Hoffa's disappearance in 1975. Tests found no evidence of human remains.
January 2013: Zerilli implies Hoffa was buried in shallow grave
In January 2013, Tony Zerilli implied that Jimmy Hoffa was originally buried in a shallow grave, with plans to move his remains later to a second location, and that his remains lay in a field in northern Oakland County, Michigan.
June 17, 2013: FBI investigates property in Oakland Township
On June 17, 2013, the FBI, investigating the Zerilli information, was led to a property in Oakland Township, owned by Detroit mob boss Jack Tocco. After three days, the FBI called off the dig, finding no human remains.
2017: Buccellato suggests murder location
In 2017, James Buccellato, a professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northern Arizona University, suggested that Jimmy Hoffa was murdered at the house of Carlo Licata, a mile away from the restaurant where he was last seen.
2018: Michael Franzese claims to have a recorded tape of Hoffa's disappearance
In 2018, Michael Franzese claimed in an interview with Value Entertainment that Hoffa's body location was "wet" and "deep". He also stated that he had a recorded tape that "spells everything out" regarding Hoffa's disappearance and might release it later.
April 2019: Michael Franzese claims knowledge of Hoffa's disappearance
In April 2019, Michael Franzese, a former Colombo crime family capo, stated in an interview with DJ Vlad that Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance was mob-related. Franzese claimed to know the location of Hoffa's body and the identity of the shooter, possessing tapes with details. He suggested Hoffa's body location was "wet" and that the shooter was still alive and in prison.
2019: Death of Thomas Andretta
In 2019, Thomas Andretta, named by the FBI as a suspect involved in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, died. He was a New Jersey Teamster and reputed Genovese crime family mob associate.
2019: Burnstein argues Provenzano's role in Hoffa case
In 2019, crime historian and journalist Scott Burnstein argued that Anthony Provenzano's only role in the Jimmy Hoffa case was to act as a lure.
October 2021: FBI obtains warrant to survey landfill site
In October 2021, the FBI obtained a warrant and completed a site survey of a landfill beneath the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City, New Jersey, based on a deathbed statement from a landfill worker who claimed to have buried Hoffa's body in a steel drum 15 feet below the surface.
2021: Continued searches for Hoffa's body
As of 2021, digs were still periodically conducted in the Detroit area in search of Jimmy Hoffa's body, though a common theory is that the body was cremated.
July 2022: FBI announces survey results
In July 2022, the FBI announced that "nothing of evidentiary value was discovered" from the site survey of the landfill beneath the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City, New Jersey, where Hoffa's body was rumored to be buried.
2023: Historical marker erected for Hoffa in Indiana
In 2023, a historical marker was erected in Jimmy Hoffa's home state of Indiana by the Indiana Historical Bureau, Clay County Historical Society, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
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