Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Half a Century Later: The Mystery of Former Detroit Union Leader Hoffa Still Captivates
  • Local news

Half a Century Later: The Mystery of Former Detroit Union Leader Hoffa Still Captivates

    Hoffa legend endures 50 years after ex-Detroit union leader’s disappearance
    Up next
    Man threatened to kill Trump, 'blow his brains out': Feds
    Immigrants Sue Over Trump’s New Policy Denying Bail
    Published on 30 July 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • After,
    • Business,
    • disappearance,
    • endures,
    • exDetroit,
    • hoffa,
    • Jimmy Hoffa,
    • leaders,
    • legend,
    • Mike Ilitch,
    • richard nixon,
    • U.S. news,
    • Union,
    • years
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    DETROIT – It was September 2012 and dozens of residents looked on as police cordoned off the area around a shed just northeast of Detroit.

    Muted conversations speculating about the target of the officers’ search shifted to lively discussions as the name Jimmy Hoffa echoed down the typically tranquil street.

    By that time, the name had become sort of mythical in and around Detroit.

    This Wednesday signifies half a century since the strong-willed ex-Teamsters union leader vanished from a diner about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of the city. Though presumed dead long before his legal declaration of death in 1982, Hoffa’s body was not discovered underneath the concrete shed floor in Roseville in 2012.

    His remains evaded discovery eight years prior, beneath floorboards of a Detroit home, nor were they located in 2013 on a horse farm several miles northwest of the city.

    In 2013, excavation equipment predominantly unearthed soil as officials dug into a field in Oakland Township, roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Detroit. Additionally, in 2022, no evidence of Hoffa emerged during a land search beneath New Jersey’s Pulaski Skyway.

    Who was Jimmy Hoffa?

    Hoffa, the child of a coal miner who passed away when Hoffa was 7, was born in Brazil, Indiana, but later relocated to Detroit with his mother during his childhood. He dropped out of school at 14 and began working, securing a position at a grocery warehouse loading dock.

    In 1932, Hoffa spearheaded a workers’ strike in response to unsatisfactory labor conditions and unjust treatment of employees by the store, as detailed in a post on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters website.

    He joined the union a year later and became a business agent for Local 299 in Detroit, the website said.

    Hoffa was elected the local’s president in 1937 and would become a union organizer. He often found himself on the other end of the law. In 1937, he was convicted of assault and battery. In 1940, he pleaded no contest to charges of conspiring with unionized waste-paper companies to prevent non-union competitors from selling their products. Seven years later, he was arrested for attempted extortion. Each time, Hoffa only received fines.

    He continued to rise in the union’s ranks. From 1957 to 1971, he served as the Teamsters general president.

    Hoffa had a history of associating with organized crime. In the late 1960s, he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and jury tampering. He was sent to federal prison in 1967. President Richard Nixon commuted Hoffa’s 13-year sentence in 1971.

    On July 30, 1975, Hoffa, now 62, was to meet reputed Detroit mob enforcer Anthony “Tony Jack” Giacalone and alleged New Jersey mob figure Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano at the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Oakland County’s Bloomfield Township.

    Hoffa called his wife, Josephine, about 2:15 p.m. from a pay phone to tell her no one showed up for the meeting. He has not been seen or heard from since despite scores of tips and multiple searches spanning several states.

    A grand jury later was convened in Detroit, but no one ever has been directly charged in Hoffa’s disappearance or death.

    The FBI’s Detroit office on Wednesday said the Hoffa case “remains one of the most well-known missing person investigations in FBI history.”

    “Regardless of the age of the case, the FBI Detroit Field Office remains committed to following all credible leads and is seeking information to assist in moving this case forward,” the agency said in a release. “The Hoffa investigation remains active, and our office continues to urge anyone with information to come forward.”

    From missing to legendary

    Whomever is responsible went to great lengths to keep such information hidden, even after five decades.

    “I think it confirms in my mind … somebody did a pretty good hit job on him,” Wayne State University educator Marick Masters said of Hoffa.

    Masters, professor emeritus at the university’s Mike Ilitch School of Business in Detroit, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Hoffa was considering getting back into Teamsters’ leadership at the time of his disappearance.

    “He still, obviously, was very much passionately involved in the union and he wanted to find a way of moving forward in it,” Masters said. “Whatever the circumstances were, he was tragically prevented from doing that.”

    Hoffa was inducted into Labor’s International Hall of Fame in 1999, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which refers to Hoffa on its website as “a worker’s hero.”

    “He was viewed as a very passionate champion of the Teamsters,” Masters said. “On the other hand, he had problematic associations which besmirched the image of organized labor. He was a very controversial figure. He was capable of accomplishing things and also capable of having associations that raised questions about his integrity.”

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    5 shot near Howard University during homecoming week; 2 people in custody
    • Local news

    Shooting Near Howard University Homecoming: 5 Wounded, Suspects Arrested

    WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — On Friday night, a shooting near Howard…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Illinois opens state-based insurance marketplace 'Get Covered Illinois'
    • Local news

    Illinois Launches State-Based Insurance Marketplace ‘Get Covered Illinois

    ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Residents of Illinois who rely on Affordable Care Act…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Rincon voters to decide on proposed liquor law changes
    • Local news

    Rincon Residents to Vote on Potential Changes to Liquor Regulations

    Residents of Effingham County, Georgia, will soon cast their votes on a…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025

    Tennessee Governor Lee Alerts Residents to Anticipate Delays in SNAP Benefits Distribution

    In a recent announcement from Nashville, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has advised…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Woman accused of stealing $30K from Texas dealership, spending money on TikTok
    • Local news

    Texas Woman Allegedly Embezzles $30K from Car Dealership for TikTok Shopping Spree

    In Lubbock, Texas, Mashell Badley, aged 55, was taken into custody on…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025

    North Carolina Court Grants Postponement in Sean Williams Trials, Impacting Case Timeline

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WJHL) — In a recent decision, Federal Judge W. Carleton…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Photos of Melodee Buzzard 'look like her': Aunt
    • Local news

    Aunt Remarks on the Striking Resemblance in Photos of Melodee Buzzard

    An aunt of the missing 9-year-old, Melodee Buzzard, has expressed her belief…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    🌇 Cities with the most expensive homes in Florida
    • Local news

    Discover Florida’s Cities with the Priciest Real Estate

    Florida’s bustling metros are topping the charts with the most cities ranked…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Dems bash administration for withholding SNAP funds: ‘Disgusting dereliction of duty’
    • Local news

    Democrats Condemn Administration’s Withholding of SNAP Funds: A ‘Disgusting Dereliction of Duty

    Late Friday, leading Democrats in the House criticized the Trump administration for…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    US is sending an aircraft carrier to Latin America in major escalation of military firepower
    • Local news

    US Ramps Up Military Presence: Aircraft Carrier Deployed to Latin America Amid Rising Tensions

    In a significant military development, the Pentagon revealed Friday that the U.S.…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    5 shot near Howard University during homecoming week; 2 people in custody
    • Local news

    Shooting Near Howard University During Homecoming Week Leaves 5 Injured; Authorities Detain 2 Suspects

    WASHINGTON — A shooting near Howard University on Friday night led to…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Man arrested following hours-long standoff after allegedly breaking into Teutopolis apartment
    • Local news

    Tragic Two-Vehicle Collision Claims Life of Woman in Maroa, Illinois

    MAROA, Ill. (WCIA) — A tragic two-vehicle collision in Maroa claimed the…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Serbian foreign minister proposes hosting Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations amid ongoing conflict
    • US

    Serbia Offers Neutral Ground for Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks: A Diplomatic Step Towards Resolution

    EXCLUSIVE: Marko Djuric, the Foreign Minister of Serbia, revealed to Fox News…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Fans are split over World Series national anthem performance
    • World News

    World Series Anthem Sparks Debate: Fans Divided Over Memorable Performance

    Fans experienced mixed emotions after an unconventional version of the national anthem…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Trump gives update on White House ballroom after name was 'leaked'
    • News

    Trump Addresses White House Ballroom Name Leak with Latest Update

    In a recent statement, President Donald Trump made it clear that he…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Walmart is changing how hourly store workers earn raises
    • Local news

    Walmart Revamps Wage Increase System for Hourly Store Employees

    Walmart is revamping its strategy for awarding raises to its hourly employees…
    • Internewscast
    • October 25, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.