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97-410: Hoffa may refer to: Film [ edit ] Hoffa (film) , a 1992 biographical film about labor leader Jimmy Hoffa People [ edit ] Rafael Araújo (basketball) , Brazilian NBA basketball player, nicknamed Hoffa Albert Hoffa (1859–1907), German orthopaedic surgeon James P. Hoffa (born 1941), son of Jimmy Hoffa, former leader of

194-637: A Razzie nomination for Worst Actor . DeVito also received a Razzie nomination for Worst Director . The film was also nominated for the Golden Bear at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival . The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Detroit Partnership The Detroit Partnership (also known as the Detroit crime family , the Detroit Combination ,

291-635: A $ 50 million budget for the film by forgoing his salary and signing as co-guarantor for the film. Production was originally set to begin in Washington D.C. in January 1992 but was delayed because of Nicholson and DeVito's commitments to other films. It would ultimately last between February and June 1992 in Pittsburgh , Detroit , Chicago , and soundstages in Los Angeles . Carnegie Mellon University , Cobo Arena ,

388-588: A Gianola gang gunman whose youth and ambition attracted younger members of the gang, rose to some prominence at the age of 20. Manzello's rise was met with opposition by the Renda/Mirabile family, who were the last remaining resistance within the old Gianola gang to the younger, more liberal members. The Renda/Mirabile family were more conservative and had more in common with Vitale and his faction. On August 10, 1920, while Joe Manzello stood curbside talking to his close associates Angelo Meli, 23 and Angelo Polizzi, 21,

485-401: A business card, on which he has written: "Give this man whatever he needs". A few days later, Ciaro reports to work to find Hoffa attempting to persuade his fellow drivers to unionize. Hoffa blurts out that he already spoke to Ciaro, getting him fired. He later accosts Hoffa with a knife, but Hoffa's longtime bodyguard Billy Flynn forces him to drop it at gunpoint. Ciaro assists Hoffa and Flynn in

582-434: A car sped by and showered the three men with bullets. Manzello was hit by eight bullets, Polizzi by seven. Meli escaped injury but Manzello and Polizzi were rushed to hospital. Polizzi eventually recovered; Manzello died days after the shooting as a result of his injuries. Manzello's followers demanded revenge on John Vitale who they felt had ordered the shooting. Salvatore Catalanotte , known to his friends as "Singing Sam",

679-409: A commission member Zerilli acted as a senior L.C.N. leader alongside the five New York City bosses and other top Mafia bosses from around the country at the time that included Stefano Magaddino of Buffalo, Sam Giancana of Chicago , Angelo Bruno of Philadelphia , Santo Trafficante Jr. of Tampa , Carlos Marcello of New Orleans and Raymond Patriarca Sr. of New England . Joe Zerilli remained

776-504: A disagreement over proceeds from their bakery business. Animosities over the Bosco killing grew and eventually conflict arose between the Gianola brothers and Vitale. In late 1918, Vitale broke away from the Gianola gang and established himself independently, aligning himself with the remnants of the Bosco group. What became known as the "Gianola-Vitale War" emerged as one of the bloodiest battles in

873-548: A feared force within the Italian underworld. Between 1912 and 1913, the Gianola brothers took over the Wyandotte area rackets gang starting a feud with Wyandotte Mafia boss Vito Adamo . The brothers felt they had secured victory after a series of attacks on the Adamo gang, which left several members dead. Adamo moved to Detroit and aligned himself with Mafia leader Pietro Mirabile , while

970-475: A message to D'Allesandro that unless Fitzsimmons is dealt with, Hoffa will go to the press. D'Allesandro replies that he will meet with Hoffa at a nearby diner the next day to work out a plan. Hoffa and Ciaro spend several hours waiting in the diner's parking lot, but D'Allesandro does not come. A union driver has been waiting for hours in the dining room, allegedly for a part for his truck. He and Ciaro start talking, and Ciaro lets him take some coffee to Hoffa, who

1067-548: A negative reputation from illegal liquor trading. The Detroit Mafia as a unified organization can be traced to the early 20th century "Motor City" mafiosi who came together to begin what was known by the early 1930s as the Detroit crime family or Detroit Partnership. Gaspar Milazzo was born in 1887 in Castellammare del Golfo , Sicily. Milazzo, known as "The Peacemaker", and Stefano Magaddino , known as "The Undertaker", were two of

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1164-613: A presidential pardon. Hoffa is pardoned by the Nixon administration but learns that one of the conditions of his release is that he cannot have any involvement with the Teamsters for at least ten years. Hoffa becomes furious and meets with D'Allesandro, asking him to have Fitzsimmons killed, resulting in a failed attempt to assassinate him with a car bomb. D'Allesandro believes that Hoffa has become "too hot" with his public antics and declines to help him any further. In response, Hoffa has Ciaro deliver

1261-479: A reputation as a tough enforcer who led a group of killers, and Gaetano remained the adviser of the group. The Gianola brothers had aligned themselves with mobster John Vitale , who had entered the liquor business with associates Sam Cipriano, Peter Bosco and Joseph Stefano. The Gianola-Vitale alliance and their "liquor combine" were the main competitors to the Adamo brothers. While the Gianolas had fought directly with

1358-407: A script consultant. The screenplay was later retitled Hoffa and filming was originally projected to commence in the spring of 1984, but no progress occurred. In 1989 Joe Isgro , Edward R. Pressman , and Chaldecot Chubb purchased the rights to Moore's screenplay and hired David Mamet to rewrite it for $ 1 million. Pressman considered Barry Levinson , Oliver Stone , and John McTiernan to direct

1455-530: A suitable successor could be chosen. Anthony Giacalone gained national fame in the 1970s with the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa . Prior to then, there had been growing tension between Hoffa and several Mafia members, who opposed his plans to return to prominence in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters . The latter included Giacalone, Anthony Provenzano and Giacalone's brother Vito . On July 30, 1975, Hoffa disappeared after he had gone out to

1552-524: Is an original work of fiction, based on fact, conceived with imagination and a consistent point of view." Canby notes that the film has "a bitterly skeptical edge that is rare in American movies. It forces viewers to make up their own minds, something that can be immensely disorienting as well as rewarding." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "It is a laconic, enigmatic piece of work, displaying

1649-418: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hoffa (film) The film received predominantly mixed reviews and grossed just $ 29 million against its $ 35 million budget, with critics being polarized over Nicholson's performance and criticizing the film's story. On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa and his longtime friend Bobby Ciaro are impatiently waiting in

1746-415: Is elected President in 1960 and Bobby becomes Attorney General . During a hunting trip, D'Allesandro and Hoffa discuss an embezzlement scheme involving the Teamsters pension fund . Having no paper with them, the plans are sketched on the back of a hunting license. Hoffa is then betrayed by Teamsters official Peter Connelly, who not only testifies at Hoffa's trial for labor racketeering but also provides

1843-450: Is soon formed between the Teamsters and the Mafia, and Hoffa makes several illegal loans to the mob using union funds. At a Congressional hearing, Hoffa is questioned by Robert F. Kennedy over allegations that the Teamsters are controlled by organized crime. When Hoffa becomes president of the Teamsters in 1957, Kennedy and Hoffa engage in a loud and bitter feud, especially after John F. Kennedy

1940-488: Is waiting in the car. The "driver" pulls out a silenced pistol and kills Hoffa and Ciaro. He is immediately driven off in a car that pulls up; at the same time, men emerge from the truck, drive Hoffa's car with both bodies into it, and drive off. In 1982, George Barrie hired Robin Moore to write a screenplay for a biopic called The Jimmy Hoffa Story for GB Pictures International, with Hoffa's attorney Frank Ragnaro serving as

2037-814: The Aladdin in Las Vegas, and the Edgewater in Laughlin . Other pivotal operations of the organization included horse race betting and illegal sports betting. After decades of avoiding major prosecutions by law enforcement, in part due to its secretive nature, the Partnership was weakened when the organization's leaders were indicted under the RICO Act as part of the FBI 's Operation Gametax in 1996. Despite numerous convictions which resulted from

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2134-582: The Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel found public support as Detroiters became upset with the apparent lack of infrastructure. By the time the Bridge and Tunnel were built in 1929 and 1930, respectively, the liquor trade was under the purview of the state and provincial governments. The city of Windsor and Detroit-Tunnel were consequently nicknamed "Windsor the Wicked" and "Detroit-Windsor Funnel" due to

2231-748: The Detroit Mafia , the Zerilli crime family ( Italian pronunciation: [dzeˈrilli] ), and the Tocco–Zerilli crime family ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Detroit , Michigan . The family mainly operates in Detroit and the Greater Detroit area, as well as in other locations including Windsor, Ontario ; Toledo, Ohio ; and Las Vegas . Italian organized crime in Detroit originated in Black Hand extortion rings, which preyed upon

2328-647: The Detroit–Windsor region throughout the 1940s and 1950s. The organization's membership peaked at approximately 100 " made men " in the 1960s. Utilizing its close links with the Sicilian Mafia , the Partnership became a major distributor of heroin in North America after World War II. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Detroit family infiltrated the casino industry in Nevada, " skimming " profits from The Frontier and

2425-598: The Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on December 11, 1992. It received a wider release on Christmas Day 1992, in 1,066 theaters. It debuted at no. 5 at the US box office. making $ 6.4 million in its opening weekend. In its second weekend, it dropped at #6 and grossed $ 4.8 million. It went on to gross $ 24.2 million in the U.S. and $ 5 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $ 29.3 million. Jack Nicholson blamed

2522-495: The " Castellammarese Mafia " to organize their own crime families. The relocation of Milazzo and Magaddino and their establishment of powerful East coast Mafia families played a role in the eventual unification of the American Mafia, known to its members as La Cosa Nostra or "This Thing of Ours". Milazzo established himself as a powerful mobster within the Detroit underworld. Detroit had a large Sicilian immigrant population and

2619-745: The 24 original Mafia crime families that comprised La Cosa Nostra in America and began its dominance within the Michigan underworld. The first official or "sitting boss" of the Detroit Partnership was William Tocco , born Guglielmo Vito Tocco in Terrasina, Sicily, in 1897 and known as "Black Bill" Tocco. Tocco had been one of the top leaders of the Eastside gang, along with Joseph Zerilli and Angelo Meli who became underboss and consigliere to Tocco. Tocco's reign as

2716-471: The Adamos, Vitale and his associates had continued to run the affairs of their liquor business. With the elimination of the Adamo brothers, the Gianola gang's ascension gave Vitale the opportunity to expand his liquor business. Vitale became one of the gang's most trusted and influential lieutenants, along with Cipriano and Bosco. This relationship continued until Bosco was murdered on the orders of Tony Gianola after

2813-508: The Badalamenti murder participated in the murder of Joe Vitale, the 17-year-old son of John Vitale. The killing may have been accidental with the true target was the senior Vitale, as gunmen directed a volley of bullets towards Vitale, his son and wife while they were leaving their home. Vitale was struck by 18 bullets fired from two moving cars at 3:00 am on September 28, 1920. No one was ever charged with his murder. The death of Vitale marked

2910-674: The Canadian border and neighboring city of Windsor, Ontario , with the province not having a ban on the production and exportation of alcohol. Until the late 1920s, goods and civilians crossed the Detroit-Windsor border via ferry, as there was no bridge. The automotive industry within Detroit encouraged immigrants from Canada to seek work in the United States, which in turn invited bootleggers to shuffle their illicit goods through large crowds of immigrants. Initial plans and blueprints to build

3007-546: The Crosstown Mafia War. Meli immediately swore to avenge the deaths of his two representatives. Between May 31 and July 23, 1930, at least 14 men were murdered by gangland guns. The killings stopped abruptly with the murder of WNBC radio commentator Gerald Buckley on July 23, who was shot in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel on the same night that the vote to recall Detroit Mayor Charles Bowles took place. In response to

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3104-754: The Detroit Produce Terminal, the Detroit Public Library , the Detroit News staff room, the Ambassador Hotel , and the Spiegel Office Building were used as shooting locations. The film sparked controversy before its release, when DeVito made a statement that he saw Hoffa as a hero. The film was made without the Hoffa's family permission. Hoffa's son, James P. Hoffa , despite praising

3201-594: The Detroit crime family or Detroit Partnership as it became known within the American underworld. At the same time Detroit's Mafia factions were in opposition of each other once more throughout 1931, the Castellammarese War raged on within New York's Italian underworld pitting the city's two most powerful, old world Sicilian bosses and their supporters against each other. The assassination of New York Mafia "boss of bosses", Joe Masseria on April 15, 1931, effectively ended

3298-574: The Detroit underworld and his influential status within the Detroit Partnership. While living in semi-retirement in Miami , Bill Tocco remained a senior adviser to boss Joe Zerilli and his fellow mafiosi in Detroit and was considered a respected Mafia leader by his peers across the country until his death of natural causes on May 28, 1972, at the age of 75. After a 1956 Commission meeting, the crime families of Philadelphia , headed by Angelo Bruno , and Detroit, headed by Zerilli, were added to The Commission. As

3395-581: The Gametax investigation, the Detroit family continues to operate in the 21st century. As of 2011, the Partnership consists of an estimated 40 or 50 "made" members. As a result of an edict issued in 1931 by William Tocco and Joseph Zerilli, that members of the organization must marry the daughters, sisters, nieces or cousins of other members, in a measure to ensure loyalty, the Detroit Partnership has been affected significantly less by defections, law enforcement infiltration and infighting than other Mafia families in

3492-561: The Gianolas sought to take over the illicit beer trade. The Adamos were able to fend off the Gianolas' first attempts by giving away free ice with their deliveries. The Adamo gang killed two Gianola gang members, William Catalano and John Jervaso, in April 1913. A string of killings and arrests on both sides followed. Adamo and two associates were put on trial for the August 1913 murder of Tony Gianola's top aide Carlo Callego. Shortly thereafter an attempt

3589-474: The Ruling Panel' of the Detroit Partnership. Some Detroit underworld historians and mob watchers believe that Black Bill Tocco served as the number two man or underboss for his brother-in-law Joe Zerilli from the time of his imprisonment until his semi-retirement in the mid-1960s. Upon his release from prison in the mid-1940s Tocco moved to Florida , but without question maintained a great deal of power within

3686-531: The Teamsters Union Jimmy Hoffa (1913–1975), former leader of the Teamsters Union and author Portland Hoffa (1905–1990), American comedian, actor, and dancer Reese Hoffa (born 1977), American shot-putter Other uses [ edit ] Hoffa fracture See also [ edit ] Hofer (disambiguation) Höfer , a surname Hoffer , a surname Topics referred to by

3783-682: The United States from Ontario and controlled most of the bootlegging market in Southeast Michigan . The Detroit Mafia also formed close links with Toledo, a major hub for bootlegged whiskey. Following another period of internecine warfare in the Detroit Mafia known as the Crosstown Mob Wars in 1930 and 1931, the modern Detroit Partnership was formed, led by Angelo Meli , Joseph Zerilli , William "Black Bill" Tocco , John Priziola and Peter Licavoli . The Partnership consolidated power in

3880-399: The United States. Only one "made" member of the Partnership has ever testified against the organization. The crime reporter Scott Burnstein has called the Detroit family "the picture of success, stability, functionality and diversification". Three brothers originally from Terrasini , Gaetano Gianola , Antonio "Tony" and Salvatore "Sam", were grocers and fruit peddlers. They first came to

3977-835: The Westside Mob. The remaining Manzella group members were opposed to the Vitale leadership and on August 11, 1920, the group retaliated and struck back at Vitale by murdering Antonio Badalamenti, a leading Vitale gang member and the boss's nephew. The attack on Badalamenti in front of his grocery store was allegedly led by Joe Zerilli, the roommate and close associate of Manzella and Polizzi. Along with Zerilli, six other Manzella group members were arrested, including Zerilli's cousin Bill Tocco, Manzella's cousin Carlo Manzella, Leo Cellura, John Mangone, Vito Paraino, Joseph Delmonico and James Barraco. All

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4074-455: The advent of Prohibition , tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits were at stake in control of the new liquor import and bootlegging trade. In early October 1919, weeks before the passing of the Volstead Act, Sam Gianola was hit by a barrage of bullets originating from a car parked in front of a bank. Gianola was hit 28 times, staggered back into the bank, collapsed and died. John Vitale,

4171-429: The affluent Detroit, Michigan suburb of Bloomfield Hills , where he had arranged a meeting with Tony Provenzano and Tony Giacalone . The location of the murder is unknown, but any violence in the parking lot would have attracted attention from potential witnesses and left evidence that could have been used by police. Hoffa's car was also found abandoned at the restaurant after his disappearance. The film premiered at

4268-600: The allied leaders within New York's Five Families came the establishment of The Commission , the ruling committee of the American Mafia. Under the New York Mafia's new regime, which included bosses Charlie Lucky Luciano, Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno , Vince Mangano , Thomas Gagliano and Joseph Profaci , the Detroit Partnership was officially recognized within the Italian-American underworld's new organizational structure. The powerful mid-west crime family became one of

4365-492: The arson of a laundry whose owner refuses to cooperate with the Teamsters. Flynn accidentally sets himself on fire and dies of his injuries. Ciaro then becomes Hoffa's new bodyguard and assistant. During a Teamsters strike that quickly turns into a street brawl with non-union workers, Hoffa is taken to see Detroit Mafia's top boss, Carl D'Allesandro, with the Italian-American Ciaro acting as interpreter. A partnership

4462-420: The attention of authorities in late 1911 when their grocery store was raided and police confiscated $ 2,000 worth of stolen olive oil. Weeks later the mutilated corpse of a former Gianola associate, Sam Beundo, was found charred and left in a field. Beundo had allegedly tipped off law enforcement to stolen merchandise found in the basement of the Gianola store. The murder of Beundo established the Gianola brothers as

4559-538: The better part of five decades due to the untimely imprisonment of his son and successor in 1974. With the imprisonment of the younger Zerilli and one of his closest associates, Michael Santo Polizzi, known as "Big Mike" because they had concealed their ownership of the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas , the old man was basically forced out of retirement to lead the crime family at the highest levels once more until

4656-503: The charges were dropped against them two days later. The elimination of Joe Manzella left Sam Catalanotte as the dominant member of the old Gianola gang and as a sign of friendship he appointed Angelo Meli the leader of the Manzella group. Bill Tocco and Joe Zerilli were named as Meli's right-hand men. Meli reorganized the group under the "Eastside Mob" flag. On August 18, 1920, police believed that several of those freed from being charged in

4753-476: The city's Mafia factions into a loosely organized and cohesive unit that controlled bootlegging, gambling, narcotics, prostitution and other rackets within the city and surrounding areas. Catalanotte had brokered an uneasy peace under the "Pascuzzi Combine" around 1920. Milazzo assisted Catalanotte with the continued unification and leadership and after Catalanotte's death in February 1930, Milazzo continued to oversee

4850-561: The earliest Castellammarese Clan leaders to settle in the Brooklyn area. Their crew faced opposition from Buccellato clan who had also settled there and were involved within the Italian underworld. Continued violence between the two groups caused Milazzo and Magaddino to flee New York City in 1921 after they were sought for questioning in connection with the murder of a Buccellato clan member. Magaddino fled to Buffalo, New York , and Milazzo to Detroit, where both used their high level positions within

4947-439: The end in the series of feuds. Relative peace reigned following his death and the ascension of Sam Catalanotte as the head of Detroit's Sicilian Mafia. Catalanotte organized the remaining Mafia factions under a liquor combine that became known as the "Pascuzzi Combine". The combine was a liquor smuggling and bootlegging syndicate that gave each group and its leaders their own specific territory to operate, while working together for

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5044-574: The fact that something eventually would." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film 3.5/4 stars and said, "In the more ambitious Hoffa , Nicholson plays the Detroit street fighter who rose from the ranks of trucker and labor organizer to build the Teamsters into the nation's most powerful union. The boldness of director Danny DeVito's violent epic is matched by Nicholson's astonishing physical and vocal transformation into Jimmy Hoffa. The changeover might constrict another actor. Not Nicholson." Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: " Hoffa

5141-600: The fall of 1923, Michigan Governor Alex Groesbeck ordered detachments of the Michigan State Police into Hamtramck to take control of the city government. This operation resulted in the arrest and eventual conviction of 31 men, including Hamtramck Mayor Peter C. Jezewski, for Prohibition law violations. LaMare was sentenced to a year in federal prison, but the judge increased his original fines and gave him probation on LaMare's promise to "go straight". In early February 1930, Sam Catalanotte died from pneumonia. The situation

5238-436: The film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5/4 stars and wrote, "Here is a movie that finds the right look and tone for its material. Not many directors would have been confident enough to simply show us Jimmy Hoffa instead of telling us all about him. This is a movie that makes its points between the lines, in what is not said. It's not so much about what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, as about

5335-456: The film for its heroic portrayal of his father, was critical of his portrayal as "an angry bear." The film's portrayal of Hoffa's disappearance bears little resemblance to the actual events of July 30, 1975. Rather than traveling to an isolated diner with a bodyguard as shown in the movie, Hoffa's last known sighting was at the Machus Red Fox , an upscale restaurant next to a shopping center in

5432-450: The film holds an approval rating of 52% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 5.46/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Jack Nicholson embodies Hoffa with malevolent relish, but a dearth of meaningful insight knocks this crime epic off the mark by a nose." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave

5529-447: The film was terribly neglected, since Nicholson portrayed one of his best screen characters, someone who is "snarly, dumb, smart, noble, rascally—all the parts of 'Jack'". Hoffa earned two Oscar nominations for Cinematography and Makeup , losing to A River Runs Through It and Bram Stoker's Dracula . Nicholson's performance sharply divided critics, with the actor receiving both a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and

5626-508: The film's poor performance on Columbia Pictures 's decision to move his other film A Few Good Men to the same release date. The film received mixed reviews, with criticism being directed at for historical inaccuracies and its depiction of Hoffa in a heroic, even sympathetic light. Sean Wilentz, writing in the New Republic, accused the film of having been conceived, originated, and outlined by organized crime figures. On Rotten Tomatoes ,

5723-507: The film. Levinson was the frontrunner but chose to decline after Mamet refused to make script changes. Pressman hired Danny DeVito to direct in April 1990. Jack Nicholson was hired to play Hoffa after Kevin Spacey , Al Pacino , and Robert De Niro also auditioned. Both Pacino and De Niro would star in the 2019 Martin Scorsese film The Irishman , with the former playing Hoffa. DeVito secured

5820-421: The flow of illegal liquor from Canada to Detroit. The bootleggers who did this were referred to as rum runners . These bootleggers also owned the majority of the speed boats in the river. Detroit had a dedicated fleet of patrol boats to prevent the transportation of liquor across the border. However, this system was ineffective because federal officers were caught taking bribes. Towards the end of Prohibition,

5917-592: The gangs began upgrading to larger boats able to manage heavy seas and carry more liquor, and added larger motors to enable higher workload and maintain their schedule. Detroit continued to add more of a police presence but the rum runners were able to go around the checkpoints. In the late 1920s, following the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution , the Detroit Partnership capitalized on new transportation mediums in order to conduct their illicit activities. They were aided by Detroit's proximity to

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6014-493: The grace with spoken language that marked Glengarry Glen Ross but troublesome in terms of structure and character development." Alex von Tunzelmann of The Guardian gave the film a grade of C−, saying: "The film attempts a cautious middle route between celebrating Hoffa as a working-class hero and condemning him as a gangster. But despite a watchable performance from Nicholson, after more than two hours of screentime, Jimmy Hoffa remains an enigma." David Thomson states that

6111-400: The history of the Detroit Mafia. It left many dead on both sides as they vied for absolute control over Detroit's Italian underworld. Several of Detroit's future Mafia leaders became top Gianola gunmen during this time, including Giuseppe Manzello, Angelo Meli, Bill Tocco, Joe Zerilli, Leo Cellura and Angelo Polizzi. The Vitale gang struck the first major blow to their rivals when Tony Gianola

6208-539: The killing, The Detroit police enacted severe measures to restrict undesirable and illegal crime, as they tried to find persons of interest after Buckley's murder. The Detroit Police put a grand jury into place immediately to investigate the crimes that were happening. Most mob leaders went into hiding, while gangs maintained a much lower profile as the war continued. The police and the Eastside Mob were looking everywhere for Meli. Police speculated that Meli told Joe Amico and

6305-482: The large scale Mafia war based in New York. The next round of events in New York's Italian underworld would influence not only Detroit's underworld future, but basically that of the American underworld. Soon after the death of Joe Masseria his main rival and successor, Salvatore Maranzano was murdered on September 10, 1931, by a rising faction of young Mafia leaders within the New York Mafia. These young, modern Mafia leaders had helped Maranzano eliminate Masseria, but all

6402-409: The local bootlegging rackets and various underworld activities with each other. Milazzo had been recognized as one of the Detroit Mafia's top bosses since the early 1920s and relative stability had reigned within the local underworld throughout this time, but by 1930 continuing Mafia rivalries based in New York and Chicago concerning his Castellammarese allies directly involved Milazzo. At the heart of

6499-482: The most lucrative rackets within Detroit's Italian underworld. Top members of the gang who would go on to lead the Detroit Mafia and rule the local underworld included John Vitale, Salvatore Catalanotte , Angelo Meli , William Tocco , Joseph Zerilli , Leonardo "Black Leo" Cellura, and Angelo Polizzi. Tony Gianola remained the leader of the gang running operations from the base in Wyandotte. His younger brother Sam secured

6596-465: The murder, as she was driving one of her husband's associates back to his home in Detroit. Some theorized that Mrs. La Mare was informed of or even involved in her husband's murder, given the unique circumstances of her absence that night. Eventually, these rumors dissipated. Betrayed by his own men in his home, La Mare and his authority were swiftly put to an end. The death of La Mare in early 1931 and other Mafia leaders later on, such as Joe Tocco, led to

6693-544: The now head of the Westside Mob, sometimes referred to as the Catalanotte Gang in Detroit. LaMare was born in Ripacandida, Italy on January 6, 1887, to two parents of Italian descent. LaMare later established himself as a naturalized U.S. citizen and in 1917, proclaimed his occupation to be a self-employed fruit merchant in Detroit. LaMare's parents were allegedly of Castellammarese descent and some Mafia historians claim he

6790-414: The old Sam Catalanotte gang, a downriver gang headed by William Tocco's brother, Joseph Tocco, and Benny Vitagliano (Benny the Baker). There had been an ongoing rivalry between the Eastside and Westside gangs formed as LaMare forced his way into the Eastside gang's rackets. LaMare's aggressive ventures into the Eastside gang had almost brought about open warfare in the Detroit Italian underworld. LaMare used

6887-411: The other assassins from the fish market that they needed to put their boss, LaMare, "on the spot," soon or they would end up dead. On February 6, 1931, LaMare arrived at his home with his bodyguard, Joe Girardi. LaMare asked his wife to drive Girardi home. Two men entered the house, who was later identified by fingerprints as Joe Amico and Elmer Macklinand, shot LaMare twice in the side of his head. Chester

6984-532: The overall expansion of Detroit Mafia power and influence. The Pascuzzi Combine created a unified and cohesive criminal organization that controlled liquor smuggling, bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, narcotics and other rackets and was the forerunner of the Detroit Partnership under the future Zerilli-Tocco regime. Throughout the Prohibition era, from 1920 to 1933, the Detroit River was utilized to facilitate

7081-458: The parking lot of a roadhouse diner. Moving in vignettes from when he was an International Brotherhood of Teamsters union organizer working the various trucking firms and laundries around Detroit , Hoffa's life over the four preceding decades gradually unfolds. In 1935, Hoffa boards a parked truck where he meets driver Bobby Ciaro. Hoffa pitches the benefits of joining the Teamsters and gives Ciaro

7178-612: The peace between the local Mafia factions. Milazzo was then recognized as the senior Mafia leader in the area and the boss of the local Mafia for a short time. Milazzo was a close associate of the East Side Gang, led by Angelo Meli , William Tocco and Joseph Zerilli . Milazzo's Mafia group and the Eastside Gang maintained alliances with other mob factions, including the River Gang, led by brothers Thomas and Peter Licavoli who shared

7275-401: The potential warfare as an excuse to set up an assassination attempt disguised as a peace meeting. LaMare scheduled a meeting between the two divisions of Detroit at a Vernor Highway fish market, where he planned for three gunman to assassinate Eastside mob bosses. The Fish Market Murders developed into the major gang conflict between the Eastside and Westside Mobs, which would later be known as

7372-502: The prime suspect in the murder, was meeting with his attorney at the time of the incident discussing the strategy for his upcoming trial. With the death of Gianola, his gang split into two independent factions, both still opposed to John Vitale. At the start of 1920, Vitale had emerged as the top Mafia boss in Detroit. Although the Gianola gang had fractured, two dominant figures within the Gianola organization emerged to take control of splinter factions of young mafiosi. Giuseppe Manzello,

7469-432: The prosecution with a crucial piece of evidence: the license. Hoffa surrenders to federal officials and receives a long sentence while Connelly's uncle, Frank Fitzsimmons , assumes control of the Teamsters. Ciaro is also convicted but on lesser charges, and quickly obtains early release from prison. D'Allesandro advises him to have the Teamsters endorse Richard M. Nixon for president in 1968 in exchange for Hoffa receiving

7566-407: The remaining Detroit Mafia leaders uniting under one group and leadership: that of the reigning Eastside gang leaders, Angelo Meli, "Black" Bill Tocco and Joe Uno Zerilli. Alongside Meli, Tocco and Zerilli were their allies John Priziola and Peter Licavoli who become part of the Detroit Partnership's "Ruling Council", the crime family's top leadership committee. This was basically the formation of

7663-461: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Hoffa . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hoffa&oldid=1081543274 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description

7760-532: The same time the Castellammarese War in New York had officially begun. During this time in Detroit Chester La Mare, with the support of powerful New York boss Joe Masseria was recognized as the new Detroit Mafia boss. La Mare went into hiding while more than a dozen Mafia members were killed in Detroit during the Eastside gang/Westside gang war that lasted roughly a year. In February 1931, La Mare

7857-412: The southern Italian and Sicilian immigrant communities in the city. After a series of gang wars between various Mafia factions for control of Italian lottery and extortion rackets during the early 20th century, a period of stability followed under the control of Salvatore Catalanotte . During the Prohibition era, a gang of Detroit Mafiosi known as the River Gang smuggled Canadian beer and liquor into

7954-532: The supreme ruler of the Detroit Mafia lasted roughly five years as he was indicted on tax evasion charges in March 1936. Even though the financial portion of the case was settled in 1937 Tocco stepped down as boss soon after his indictment due to the publicity, something that early, traditional American Mafia bosses shunned. Tocco was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison and was replaced by his trusted underboss and brother-in-law, Joseph Zerilli , who then headed

8051-435: The top boss of the Detroit Mafia until his death of natural causes on October 30, 1977, at the age of 79. Anthony Joseph Zerilli had taken over as acting boss of the Detroit Partnership around 1970 when the elder Zerilli went into semi-retirement, but it was short-lived, as "the old man", as he was known to his peers in his later years, was called out of retirement until his death to lead the crime family he helped build over

8148-540: The two factions, could seek a peaceful solution. Detroit underworld legend claims that an agreeable arrangement was achieved and that a "peace pact" was drawn and written in blood by the two feuding Mafia chieftains. Some understanding was reached regarding the liquor rackets and the other criminal activities. However, with the passing of the Volstead Act in October 1919, new motivation for the mobsters presented itself. With

8245-723: The volatile situation within New York City's Mafia lay Milazzo's fellow Castellammarese mafiosi who found themselves being opposed by powerful boss Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria . The ongoing feud had reached a boiling point and supporters on both sides in New York, as well as Chicago were preparing for war. Gaspar Milazzo and his longtime ally, Buffalo Mafia boss Stefano Magaddino had secretly, but willingly supported their allies in New York and Chicago as they opposed Joe Masseria and his supporters. By 1930, both men openly supported their allies, including Chicago Mafia boss Giuseppe Aiello , who

8342-417: The while they were biding their time and planning their eventual take over of the New York underworld and consolidation of the Italian underworld nationwide. The death of New York's two old world-style Mafia leaders, Masseria and Maranzano signaled and solidified the rise of a young, modern Mafia leader, Charles "Lucky" Luciano and his supporters known as the "young turks". Under the leadership of Luciano and

8439-499: Was a Gianola gang lieutenant by the time he was 20. At the time of the Gianola-Vitale war, Catalanotte was the president of Detroit's Unione Siciliana. He became leader of a splinter group within the gang after the murder of his bosses. Catalanotte was a protégé of Gaetano Gianola . Catalanotte formed a strong alliance with Wyandotte area beer baron, Joseph Tocco and Hamtramck Mafia leader Chester La Mare. This faction became known as

8536-580: Was a close associate of Milazzo. In the early 1920s, LaMare established a base of operations in Hamtramck. He opened a popular night club known as the Venice Cafe. With his business partners and the leaders of the Eastside Gang, Angelo Meli , William Vito "Black Bill" Tocco , and Joseph "Joe Uno" Zerilli , LaMare grew rich and powerful, shaking down brothels and gambling houses for protection and muscling into bootlegging rackets. Hamtramck became so corrupt that in

8633-479: Was being opposed by a powerful Masseria ally in Chicago, Al Capone . Joe Masseria, the recognized "boss of bosses" was incensed by the disrespect Milazzo and Magaddino where showing him by supporting his enemies and soon Masseria decided Milazzo and Magaddino, both powerful and influential mafiosi, must be eliminated. Masseria accomplished this in Detroit by supporting a Milazzo adversary, Cesare "Chester" William LaMare,

8730-582: Was exactly what LaMare had been waiting for. LaMare had previously been the principal lieutenant of Sam Giannola and believed he should have been elevated to Catalanotte's position of supreme boss by the end of the Giannola-Vitale War. Following the death of Sam Catalanotte and with the support of Joe Masseria in New York, LaMare began to make plans to eliminate the leaders of the Eastside gang which included Angelo Meli, William Tocco and Joseph Zerilli. LaMare's Westside gang consisted of mostly members from

8827-402: Was found dead in the kitchen several hours later by his wife. LaMare's death successfully ended the Crosstown Mafia War in 1931. Amico and Macklin were later tried and acquitted for the murder of LaMare. Leaders of the Eastside Mob became the originators of what was to become Detroit's modern-day Mafia organization. After the death of Gaspar Milazzo a war ignited within the Detroit Mafia and at

8924-407: Was having a meal with his bodyguards, Joe Amico and Elmer Macklin, when he was murdered. While Amico spoke to La Mare, Macklin rose to wash some dishes and subsequently shot his boss in the back. Both Amico and Macklin had a murky history with previous their previous operations, being described as "not too well trusted even by the gangland [they] served." La Mare's wife was not present at the time of

9021-474: Was hit 21 times but lived just long enough to break the Mafia code of Omertà and reveal to authorities that Sam Gianola was one of the shooters. Gianola was arrested and charged with Renda's murder. During the murder trial months later, it took the jury 50 minutes to find him not guilty. Two of Sam Gianola's sons died in a house fire in July 1919, and later that summer a sit-down was called so that representatives of

9118-493: Was killed, but Vitale mistakenly shot and wounded one of the police officers who responded to the shooting and was arrested. Three weeks later, Sam Gianola was arraigned on auto theft charges. The next day, he led a team of shooters into the Wayne County jail house in response to the killings of Tony and Pasqaule, opening fire on three Vitale gang members. Joe Vitale and Salvatore Evola were each shot once and survived. Vito Renda

9215-431: Was made on the life of Tony Gianola. In the latter part of 1913, the Gianolas struck indirectly at the Adamos with the elimination of their associate and adviser, Ferdinand Palma , a former Detroit detective turned bank owner and racketeer. In November 1913, both Vito, 34 and Sam Adamo, 32, were gunned down by shooters near their home. The Gianola gang then became the dominant Italian crime group in Detroit. They controlled

9312-437: Was murdered in January 1919. His brother Sam took over as the new leader of the gang. The Vitale gang made an attempt on his life in February 1919. Sam escaped unharmed, but his brother-in-law Pasquale D'Anna was killed. Sam Gianola ordered a surprise attack on the Vitale forces in retaliation. He ordered his gunmen to shower the Vitale headquarters with bullets precisely when D'Anna was being laid to rest during his funeral. No one

9409-616: Was one of the East Coast's bootlegging hubs. At the time of Milazzo's arrival the Jewish Purple Gang controlled much of the liquor trafficking in the area. Milazzo became recognized as a Mafia adviser and mediator of disputes as many of the areas mafiosi sought his council and leadership. Milazzo aligned himself with Salvatore Catalanotte , known as "Singing Sam", the local head of the Unione Siciliana . Milazzo and Catalanotte aligned

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