The Charlotte News

Wednesday, August 21, 1957

TWO EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that Jimmy Hoffa this date, in further testimony before the Senate Select Committee investigating misconduct in unions and management, stated, in response to questioning by Committee counsel Robert F. Kennedy, that he did know that Paul "The Waiter" Ricca owned a Chicago mansion which the Teamsters Union, of which Mr. Hoffa was vice-president and head of its Middle States Conference, had purchased recently for $150,000. He said he did not believe it when asked whether he knew Mr. Ricca owned the property and that the latter was a "notorious hoodlum … an old Capone mobster." Senator John McClellan of Arkansas, chairman of the Committee, contended that Mr. Hoffa had brought New York racketeer Johnny Dio and other underworld figures into the union and used them in a scheme to enhance his power. Mr. Hoffa said that Teamsters Locals No. 299, to which he belonged, and No. 337, both in Detroit, had put up the $150,000 to acquire the building in the outskirts of Chicago, and that it was used as a training school for union officials who handled pension and welfare funds. He said that he knew that the checks to purchase the property had been made out to Paul DeLucia, disputing Mr. Kennedy's contention that "Delucia and Ricca are one and the same person". Mr. Hoffa also testified to a $75,000 Teamster loan to the Abstract and Title Guarantee Co., whose home address was not mentioned, to finance building construction projects. He said that his attorney, George Fitzgerald, seated beside Mr. Hoffa at the hearing, was one of the owners of the company. Senator McClellan told Mr. Hoffa that the Committee was exploring his investments only to determine whether there might have been a conflict of interest between his duties as a union official and his dealings with persons and firms with whom the Teamsters had labor contracts. Don't have lunch with Paul "The Waiter" serving your table, as the dessert could be a killer.

The editorial page is here.

As we have fallen behind, we shall provide full notes with the pages only sporadically until we catch up.

Framed Edition

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