Friday, October 20, 2017

Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran

Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran (October 25, 1920 – December 14, 2003) was a labor union official with links to the Bufalino crime family. As a high official in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Sheeran was a leading figure in the corruption of unions by organized crime. He was a trucker but made extra money on the side by committing crimes, including murder for hire. Sheeran is believed to have been behind 25 gangland slayings.

Sheeran 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.

Hoffa at the Teamsters convention in 1957
Bufalino set Sheeran up with the International President Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa, who became a close friend, used Sheeran for muscle.

Sheeran claimed to have been part of the provisioning of the anti-Fidel Castro forces involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion. The operation was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961.
Sheeran also claimed to have intimate knowledge about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. According to Sheeran, Jimmy Hoffa wanted Kennedy dead because Kennedy's brother Bobby Kennedy was harassing him.

Shortly before his death, Sheeran claimed to have killed Jimmy Hoffa.
Sheeran died of cancer on December 14, 2003, aged 83.

'The Irishman' a Martin Scorsese mob drama is currently filming in New York. Joe Pesci is starring as Russell Bufalino. He won an Academy award for his portrayal of mobster Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas.