The Freshman (1990) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Frank's transition from truck driver to hitman begins when Russell Bufalino recognizes his skills. After Frank warns Russell and Angelo about a hit order, earning their trust, Russell brings Frank into his crime operation. Frank's World War II experience, where he was skilled at 'taking out enemy soldiers,' made him particularly suited for contract killing. Once integrated into Russell's circle, Frank gradually accepted hits as part of his role, eventually becoming one of the mob's most reliable assassins.

• frank sheeran
• hitman
• russell bufalino
• world war ii
• mob

Russell Bufalino orders the hit because Jimmy Hoffa becomes a liability. After being released from prison with a presidential pardon, Jimmy tries to regain power within the Teamsters by dumping on other leaders and disregarding crime family activities. Russell views Jimmy's behavior as threatening to expose the mob and endanger everyone connected to him. Frank is chosen because he has personal access to Jimmy and is trusted by both Russell and Jimmy himself.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Russell warns Frank that Jimmy can't be harmed because anyone involved would go to jail, foreshadowing the exact reason Jimmy must be eliminated.

• jimmy hoffa
• assassination
• 1975
• russell bufalino
• teamsters

Peggy realizes her father killed Jimmy Hoffa when she watches the news about his disappearance. At home with her family, Frank offhandedly mentions he hasn't called Jo (Jimmy's wife) yet. This casual remark makes Peggy understand that Frank was involved in Jimmy's murder. From that moment forward, she never speaks to him again, even when Frank later visits her at her bank job and begs her to talk to him.

• peggy sheeran
• jimmy hoffa
• family estrangement
• daughter

When gangster Whispers orders Frank to kill Russell and Angelo Bruno, Frank chooses loyalty over money. Instead of carrying out the hit, he warns Russell and Angelo about the plot. This decision earns Frank their trust and respect, which becomes the foundation of his criminal career. By refusing to betray them, Frank proves his loyalty to the crime family and gains entry into Russell's inner circle.

• frank sheeran
• russell bufalino
• angelo bruno
• loyalty
• whispers

Peggy becomes terrified of Frank after he violently assaults a supermarket store owner. The owner had shoved Peggy after she knocked something over at the store. Frank returns with Peggy, beats the owner, throws him through the glass door, and continues assaulting him in the street, all in full view of Peggy and bystanders. This display of extreme violence permanently damages Peggy's perception of her father.

• peggy sheeran
• supermarket
• violence
• daughter
• family

Jimmy Hoffa becomes a target because his reckless behavior after prison threatens the mob's safety. After his presidential pardon, Jimmy disregards Russell's warnings and openly criticizes other Teamster leaders while seemingly cooperating with law enforcement. Russell sees Jimmy as an uncontrollable liability who could expose the mob's involvement in various crimes or testify against them. The mob decides eliminating Jimmy is less risky than allowing him to continue talking.

Foreshadowing: Russell tells Frank that if anything happens to Jimmy, 'they'll all go to jail', establishing both the danger Jimmy poses and why he must be silenced permanently.

• jimmy hoffa
• mob
• teamsters
• target
• 1975

Frank leaves Mary for Irene during his involvement in organized crime. The film shows Frank abandoning his first family, Mary and young Peggy, to be with Irene, with whom he eventually has two more daughters, Connie and Dolores. This abandonment, combined with his increasing violence and criminal lifestyle, marks the beginning of his complete estrangement from his original family.

• mary sheeran
• irene sheeran
• divorce
• family

Russell chooses Frank because he has unique access to Jimmy and his trust. Frank serves as Jimmy's bodyguard and has built a personal relationship with him over years. Jimmy is particularly fond of Frank, even more than Russell. This closeness means Jimmy would meet with Frank without suspicion, making Frank the ideal person to lure him to the location of the assassination. Additionally, Frank's proven loyalty to Russell over decades makes him the only person Russell trusts with such a critical and dangerous task.

• russell bufalino
• frank sheeran
• trust
• assassination

Frank chooses a green coffin for his burial, which may reference his criminal profession, 'green' often denotes money in organized crime contexts. This final choice reflects Frank's acceptance of his identity as a mob enforcer rather than seeking redemption. The coffin selection, made as Frank prepares for death alone in the retirement home, reinforces the film's bleak conclusion and his inability to escape his criminal legacy.

• green coffin
• death
• burial
• mob

Jimmy Hoffa's intense opposition to the Kennedy family becomes significant because it directly leads to his downfall. Jimmy's animosity toward JFK and Robert Kennedy intensifies after JFK's election in 1960. When Bobby Kennedy becomes Attorney General and forms a squad to prosecute Jimmy, it results in Jimmy's arrest for jury tampering. After JFK's assassination, Jimmy makes an insensitive public comment calling Bobby 'just another lawyer,' further motivating Bobby's pursuit of him. This political vendetta ultimately weakens Jimmy and contributes to his vulnerability.

• kennedy
• jimmy hoffa
• bobby kennedy
• teamsters
• arrest

Crazy Joe Gallo is killed because he becomes too unpredictable and dangerous for the mob to tolerate. Frank and Russell determine that Joe is a 'liability' due to his hotheaded nature and his tendency to work with black gangsters to carry out operations. During Joe's birthday at a comedy club, he nearly attacks Don Rickles over a joke, confirming his instability. The mob decides Joe must be eliminated, and Frank carries out the hit at Umberto's Restaurant while Joe is having dinner with his family.

• crazy joe gallo
• hit
• umbertos restaurant
• mob

Jimmy Hoffa agrees to meet in Detroit because Frank brings his foster son Chuckie O'Brien and claims Tony Pro and Russell are waiting at another house. Jimmy believes he is meeting Tony Pro to resolve their dispute and doesn't suspect Frank of foul play since Frank has been his trusted bodyguard for years. The meeting location is moved to a house that Tony Pro and Russell are supposedly waiting at, but when Jimmy arrives, the house is empty, allowing Frank to carry out the assassination without interference.

• detroit
• meeting
• chuckie o'brien
• ambush