Frank Sheeran

Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran (born ?? 1920 - December 14, 2003) is a former labor union official who was accused of having links to organized crime and of being a hitman. He is one of several people believed to have been behind the killing of Jimmy Hoffa. When Rudolph Guiliani was a federal prosecutor, he named Sheeran as one of only two non-Italians on The Commission, the ruling body of the American Mafia. In his capacity as a high official in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Sheeran was a leading figure in the corruption of unions by organized crime. He became widely known in 2004 through the book "I Heard You Paint Houses".

Early Life

Frank Sheeran was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a family of mixed Irish- and Swedish-American descent. He grew to his full adult height of 6'4" tall while serving in the Army during World War II.

World War II

He enlisted the U.S. Army in 1941, and was assigned to the military police before transferring to the 45th Infantry Division, known as "The Thunderbirds." It was while serving in World War II that Sheeran developed a callousness to the taking of human life. He served over 400 days of combat duty, and participated in the Dachau massacre. He later told Charles Brandt,

“When an officer would tell you to take a couple of German prisoners back behind the line and for you to ‘hurry back,’ you did what you had to do.”

Criminal Career

When he left the service, he became a trucker, but made extra money on the side by committing crimes, including murder for hire. Due to his criminal acumen, he became a close associate of Mafia bosses Russell Bufalino and Angelo Bruno. It was Bufalino, the head of the Bufalino crime family, who acted as Sheeran's mentor throughout his life.

The Teamster's Union

At Sheeran's request, Bufalino also set him up with Teamsters International President Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa, who became a close friend, used Sheeran for muscle, including the assassination of recalcitrant union members and members of rival unions threatening the Teamsters' turf.

The Hoffa Murder

It was long believed that the killing of Jimmy Hoffa could only have been accomplished if someone close to him had been part of the machinations, as the wary Hoffa would not have gotten into a car without someone he knew. For a long-time, it was thought that Hoffa's "foster son," "Chuckie" O'Brien had been the Judas who had lured Hoffa to his death. Frank Sheeran, who claimed that the Mafia often used a good friend to "hit" an important target, claims that he was that Judas, so chosen as he was a professional who, as a friend of Hoffa, would ensure that he did not suffer.

On the day of his disappearance, Jimmy Hoffa was to meet with Mafia leaders Anthony Giacalone and Anthony Provenzano at the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, at about 14:30 on July 30, 1975. Provenzano, known as "Tony Pro," had been a Hoffa ally as a Teamsters boss in New Jersey, but the two had fallen out in the 1960s when both were incarcerated in federal prison. Hoffa, who was anxious to retake the presidency of the Teamsters Union, decided to meet with Tony Pro in order to smooth over their differences. He was never heard from again.

In 1999, Sheeran told author Charles Brandt that he had fired two shots into the back of Hoffa's head as part of a mob hit to prevent Hoffa from becoming re-involved in the Teamsters. He claimed that he was later told that Hoffa had been cremated. Two years later, Sheeran told Fox News the same story, and gave directions to the house where he claimed Hoffa had been killed. An investigation of the house revealed that there was human blood on the floor, but investigators claimed that it was not Hoffa's.

Death

Sheeran died on December 14, 2003, inside a nursing home outside Philadelphia.

Disputed Allegations

He also claimed to have been part of the provisioning of the anti-Fidel Castro forces involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion and had intimate knowledge about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. According to Sheeran, Jimmy Hoffa wanted Kennedy dead as his brother Bobby Kennedy, the Attorney General of the United States, was harassing him. The assassination of President Kennedy was a Mafia hit, according to Sheeran, who did not actively participate in the plot, but who transported three rifles to the assassins via David Ferrie.

Additionally, Sheeran claimed to have been the triggerman behind another famous mob-related murder, that of Crazy Joe Gallo. An eyewitness to the Gallo hit was discovered by Charles Brandt and confirmed that Sheeran was the shooter at Umberto's Clam House.

In Popular Culture

On October 1, 2008 Paramount Pictures announced that Martin Scorsese would be directing a film based on Charles Brandt's book "I Heard You Paint Houses". Robert DeNiro is scheduled to play the role of Frank Sheeran. [http://www.variety.com/VR1117993218.html]

References

* Charles Brandt, "I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "the Irishman" Sheeran and the inside story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, and the last ride of Jimmy Hoffa", Steerforth Press, Hanover (NH, USA) 2004 (ISBN 1-58642-077-1)

External links

[http://www.hoffasolved.com Charles Brandt's website]

[http://www.spectrepublishing.com/Jimmy_Hoffa_Mystery_Solved.html Hoffa Mystery Solved]