The Irishman (1978) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sheeran was ordered to kill Hoffa by the Mafia leadership, specifically Russell Bufalino, who told him the crime families had sanctioned Hoffa's assassination. Although Sheeran had a personal relationship with Hoffa, he was a trusted member of the mob and could not refuse the order. The mob viewed Hoffa as a growing liability who threatened to expose secrets that could jeopardize their operations.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in 1973, Russell warned Sheeran about Hoffa's growing recklessness and defiance toward the Mafia.

• frank sheeran
• jimmy hoffa
• murder
• mob hit
• ordered kill

Sheeran began as a union delivery truck driver in 1950s Philadelphia. After being accused of theft from his delivery company, union lawyer Bill Bufalino helped dismiss the charges and introduced Sheeran to his cousin Russell Bufalino, the head of the Bufalino crime family. Sheeran then became Russell's trusted enforcer, taking on various hits referred to as 'painting houses.'

Foreshadowing: Sheeran's early encounters with gangster Skinny Razor hinted at his criminal potential.

• frank sheeran
• russell bufalino
• mob
• crime family
• entry

'Painting houses' is a euphemism used within the mob to refer to contract killings. The phrase implies that after a hit, the killer would have to clean up the blood spatter from the walls, a dark acknowledgment of what the job actually entailed.

• painting houses
• euphemism
• mob slang
• killing

The Mafia decided to kill Hoffa because he had become a liability. After his release from prison in 1971, Hoffa actively sought to regain control of the Teamsters union, directly opposing Mafia influence. He also claimed to know damaging secrets about the crime families, warning Sheeran that he was 'untouchable' and could expose them. The dons concluded his recklessness threatened their entire operation.

Foreshadowing: Russell Bufalino warned Sheeran in October 1973 about Hoffa's growing defiance and threats to expose the mob.

• jimmy hoffa
• 1975
• assassination
• teamsters
• mob reasons

After Sheeran shot Hoffa at point-blank range in the Detroit house, other mobsters secretly disposed of the body. It was later cremated, which explains why Hoffa's remains were never found, a detail that has contributed to the real-world mystery surrounding his disappearance.

• jimmy hoffa body
• disappearance
• cremated
• never found

Peggy Sheeran, Frank's daughter, suspected her father's involvement in Jimmy Hoffa's murder. This suspicion created an unbridgeable rift between them, leading her to cut all contact with Frank. Her estrangement represents the personal cost of Sheeran's criminal life and the moral burden he carries.

• peggy sheeran
• daughter
• estranged
• cut contact
• hoffa murder

Jimmy Hoffa had a close, mutually beneficial relationship with the Mafia throughout his Teamsters union leadership. The mob supported Hoffa's rise to power, and in return, Hoffa enabled the Mob-controlled Central States Pension Fund to loan money to Mafia-owned businesses. This alliance became increasingly strained as federal pressure mounted and Hoffa's independence threatened the mob's control.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Hoffa relying on mob protection while the Mafia expected loyalty in return.

• jimmy hoffa
• mafia
• teamsters
• relationship
• corruption

Russell Bufalino specifically chose Sheeran to be the triggerman because he was one of the few people Hoffa truly trusted. The murder had to appear natural to prevent suspicion, and Sheeran's close relationship with Hoffa made him the ideal candidate to get close to the target without raising alarms. The other mob leaders viewed Sheeran as the only one capable of executing the hit.

Foreshadowing: Sheeran's trusted position as Hoffa's bodyguard and confidant was established throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

• russell bufalino
• chosen
• triggerman
• hit man
• trust

Hoffa was lured to the Detroit house under the pretense of a meeting with Tony Pro Provenzano and another associate. He was unaware it was a trap set by the Mafia. When he arrived, he quickly realized he had been set up, but it was too late, he was already in the house with Sheeran, who carried out the assassination.

• detroit house
• meeting
• trap
• lured
• tony pro

After Hoffa's disappearance, Sheeran, Russell Bufalino, Tony Pro, and other associates were called before grand juries. They all invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Eventually, they were convicted on unrelated charges, such as extortion and illegal gambling, and served prison sentences. Sheeran was the only one who survived his sentence and was later released.

• convicted
• prison
• fifth amendment
• aftermath
• russell bufalino

In the nursing home, Sheeran asks a Catholic priest for forgiveness for his crimes. He also requests the priest leave the door slightly open, a habit he learned from Hoffa. This symbolizes Sheeran's lingering guilt and his incomplete quest for redemption. The open door represents both his unresolved moral state and a subtle connection to the man he killed.

Foreshadowing: The movie opens with Sheeran in the nursing home, establishing his reflective, guilt-ridden state.

• absolution
• priest
• forgiveness
• redemption
• door open

Hoffa was convicted of jury tampering in 1964. This occurred after Robert Kennedy, serving as Attorney General under his brother President Kennedy, formed a task force specifically to target Hoffa's criminal activities. The conviction weakened Hoffa's grip on the Teamsters union and contributed to his eventual downfall.

• jimmy hoffa
• convicted
• 1964
• jury tampering
• robert kennedy