Blood Feud

In the mid-1950s, Robert F. Kennedy begins to make a name for himself in Washington, D.C., while his older brother John F. Kennedy emerges as a prominent U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Both brothers start to shape their early political reputations and influence. Their rising profiles set the stage for later power struggles in national politics.

Jimmy Hoffa becomes a force within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, dedicating himself to expanding union influence. His ambition places him on a collision course with political figures who want to curb corruption and ties to organized crime. The Teamsters' growing power becomes a central element of the era's labor politics.

When Hoffa and Bobby Kennedy first meet, Hoffa attempts to ingratiate himself with the younger Kennedy. Bobby is already probing corruption in labor unions and wary of Hoffa's connections to organized crime. The suspicious dynamic foreshadows a long, tense rivalry between them.

Bobby Kennedy presses his brother to participate in a Senate committee investigating crime syndicates and their illegal ties to unions and pension funds. The pledge marks the start of a heated political feud with Hoffa. Tension builds as investigations loom over both men.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover is reluctant to acknowledge organized crime as a serious problem, resisting demands to concentrate on syndicate networks. This skepticism strains Kennedy's anti-crime initiatives. The nation's stance on organized crime remains contested as events unfold.

After JFK is elected President in 1960, he appoints Bobby Kennedy as Attorney General. Bobby steps into a pivotal role at the heart of federal anti-crime efforts. The appointment intensifies the clash with Hoffa as investigations heat up.

Hoffa's influence within the Teamsters grows as he rises to the presidency, wielding formidable power in the labor movement. He openly taunts Bobby Kennedy during hearings and in the press, challenging the younger brother's authority. The Kennedy–Hoffa feud drives much of the era's labor-politics friction.

Kennedy, with his right-hand man Phil Wharton, pursues Hoffa through hearings and investigations that yield multiple acquittals. Hoffa mocks the scrutiny and asserts his dominance over labor and politics. The ongoing probes keep Hoffa in the public eye and intensify the animosity with the Kennedy family.

The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, horrifies many Americans. Hoffa acts as if nothing matters beyond union business, while Lyndon B. Johnson surprises and disappoints Hoffa by retaining Bobby Kennedy as Attorney General. The tragedy triggers a dramatic shift in the national political landscape.

Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President and retains Bobby Kennedy as Attorney General, signaling continuity in anti-crime efforts amid the new administration. Hoffa's paranoia about informers grows under Johnson's presidency. The power dynamics among Kennedy, Hoffa, and the administration remain tense.

Hoffa is convicted in 1964 of attempting to bribe a grand juror and later of misusing a union pension fund. Appeals delay incarceration for several years. He begins his prison sentence in 1967, marking a significant setback for his control over the Teamsters.

Bobby Kennedy leaves the Johnson administration to become a U.S. Senator representing New York, broadening his political platform beyond the Attorney General role. The shift redefines his influence in national politics and keeps him in the orbit of major national issues. Hoffa's power and the Kennedy–Hoffa feud continue to cast a long shadow over labor and crime investigations.

Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968, ending a volatile chapter of the Kennedy–Hoffa feud. Hoffa's personal animus with Kennedy intensifies as the political climate shifts. The tragedy reverberates through national politics and union power.

Hoffa receives an early release in 1971 following an arrangement with President Richard Nixon, though he cannot regain the Teamsters presidency after his release. He attempts to reassert influence, but the old power balance has shifted. The episode ends with unresolved questions about Hoffa's legacy.

Hoffa mysteriously disappears in 1975, vanishing from public view and leaving a lasting and unresolved legacy. His absence marks the end of an era of overt Teamsters influence and fuels enduring speculation about organized crime ties. The mystery surrounding his fate remains a defining postscript to the era.