Hoffa's Man

by Joseph Franco

THE RISE AND FALL OF JIMMY HOFFA AS WITNESS BY HIS STRONGEST ARM. Joe Franco was Jimmy Hoffa's loyal, dependable, and willing to bend rules or break heads if it meant advancing the Teamsters union in the name of James R. Hoffa. Franco never questioned an order, he just carried it out. And Jimmy Hoffa never questioned how an order was carried out. In this blistering story of power abused, Richard Hammer documents the rise and fall of Jimmy Hoffa as witnessed by Joe Franco, one of his most trusted lieutenants. There is violence in 'Hoffa's Man'. There is corruption, bribery, extortion, and betrayal. There are Bobby Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, and dozens of other political and show business bigwigs enmeshed in this story of greed, immorality, and total defiance of the law. Franco's chilling revelations are at once an appalling comment on the labor movement and a searing indictment of those who found the taste of power even sweeter when laced with blood.

Genres: History, True Crime, Nonfiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1987

Reviews

[KP Duty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hi, I'm Joe. I'm important because I knew someone important. I'm proud of my extensive criminal background and that I've killed many people, even a few before I turned 10. You can read about me in a book about Jimmy Hoffa, but really it's just about me. If you want to read about Jimmy Hoffa, read his Wikipedia summary then dig deeper into his life by reviewing the Further Reading section, where my book isn't listed because it's not about Jimmy Hoffa; it's about me.

Did I tell you I knew Jimmy Hoffa?

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read especially if you are interested in the Mafia and all the history around it. This book is about how the Teamsters came to be and how Jimmy Hoffa rose to power. This is seen thru the eyes of Jimmy Hoffa's man Joe Franco. I enjoyed it very much, it was interesting, informative, and I was interested from beginning to end. I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know.

[Jay Atwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franco was a low-level Teamster boss who specialized in strong-arm intimidation tactics. Very effective as a blunt instrument he knew many of the true players in labor and organized crime but his intellectual limitations created a distinct ceiling for his Teamster career. Aside from a few colorful anecdotes Franco's biography adds very little to the story of Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's lots of tall tales and exaggeration here, but once you "separate the rat shit from the raisins," as Hoffa would say, you'll find that the book still has value as a source for the Hoffa era Teamsters Union.

[Theodore Whetstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but I became upset when I finished the book and learned that it had been fiction the whole time . . .

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of Hoffa’s hit man and who he thought killed Hoffa.

[Cat Kennie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Franco is a total liar and not at all credible. He makes all sort of claims about how close he was to Hoffa but he puffs himself up in an unsuccessful bid for attention. He was a "go for" type that clung to any coat tails which he could use to make himself feel important. He makes outrageous claims about who he killed and how important he was to all sorts of people. One of his claims early on in the book denies that there was such a thing as the Mafia. He can't even get the name of the Machaus Red Fox restaurant correct as he calls it the Manchu Red Fox. I find his book to be more fiction than fact. It is not worth reading!!!

[Jessica Applin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a chapter in and I have to say I have a hard time believing a lot of his stories. First, his father is deported to Italy by the Feds. And then, seemingly the next week his father witnesses him kill someone. And then his father is a mediator for the mob making money. Then when he is seven he's running all these rackets and killing people? It just seems surreal. Far-fetched is better. It makes me want to research these supposed crimes to see if they ever happened.

[Cws]

92H

[George Presley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't care for it much. References to Robert Kennedy or Frank Sinatra were just about anecdotal. Gained little insight from reading this book.