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Charles O'Brien (unionist)

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Charles "Chuckie" O'Brien (December 20, 1933 – February 13, 2020)[1] was an American labor union organizer. He was closely linked to International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, and referred to himself as Hoffa's stepson.[2] FBI investigators described him as a "habitual liar."[3] O'Brien was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the son of Charles Lenton O'Brien and Sylvia Pagano.[4] O'Brien's father died when he was still an infant.[5] In 1957, he became special assistant to Hoffa,[6] and remained extremely loyal to him over the years. Hoffa was convicted for jury tampering in 1964, and his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court.[7] While in court, Hoffa was shot by an assailant carrying a BB gun; O'Brien attacked the man, leaving him bloodied.[8] In 1966, after Hoffa had been sent to prison, Frank Fitzsimmons took over the Teamsters as temporary president. Before Hoffa's disappearance, Fitzsimmons "exiled" O'Brien to Alaska,[9] although he spent just four days there.[10]

On the day of Hoffa's disappearance, O'Brien was seen driving a car belonging to Anthony Giacalone's son.[11] O'Brien was close to Giacalone, and referred to him as "Uncle Tony."[12] In August 1975, O'Brien was questioned by federal agents about Hoffa's disappearance.[13] By 1978, O'Brien was working as an official with Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit.[14]

In 1995, the FBI stated that they did not consider O'Brien to be a suspect in the disappearance of Hoffa, and provided him with a letter asking him for his cooperation with the investigation.[15] In 2001, O'Brien was asked to take a polygraph during an investigation into the disappearance of Hoffa, but refused.[16] Later that year, using DNA testing, the FBI linked strands of human hair found in the car driven by O'Brien to Hoffa.[17] O'Brien died of an apparent heart attack in 2020.[18][19]

Personal life

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O'Brien was the stepfather of United States Department of Justice official Jack Goldsmith. O'Brien and Goldsmith's mother divorced in 1987.[20]

In film

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O'Brien is portrayed by Jesse Plemons in the 2019 film The Irishman, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. Chuckie O' Brien and Jack Goldsmith both criticized the portrayal of O'Brien in the film, with Goldsmith calling it "high fiction."[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ Goldsmith, Jack. "Charles Lenton O'Brien, RIP". Lawfare. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  2. ^ Free Press Staff (2020-02-13). "Charles 'Chuckie' O'Brien, who called himself Jimmy Hoffa's 'foster son,' dies at 86". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  3. ^ "Hoffex Conference" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. January 28, 1976. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  4. ^ Goldsmith, Jack (2019). In Hoffa's Shadow. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. p. 26.
  5. ^ Waldron, Martin (1975-08-13). "The Hoffa Puzzle Pieces Still Don't Fit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  6. ^ "Charles Lenton O'Brien, RIP". Lawfare. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  7. ^ "Hoffa Conviction Upheld In Jury Tampering Case; HOFFA CONVICTION UPHELD BY COURT". The New York Times. 1966-12-13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  8. ^ Ridley, Jim (2002-04-04). "The People vs. Jimmy Hoffa, Part 2". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  9. ^ Waldron, Martin (13 August 1975). "The Hoffa Puzzle Pieces Still Don't Fit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  10. ^ Goldsmith 2019 p. 200
  11. ^ Gage, Nicholas (1975-11-26). "Key theory in Hoffa case is still lacking evidence". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  12. ^ Geller, Andy (2001-09-08). "Teamster Friendship ended in dis-union". The New York Post. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  13. ^ Stevens, William K. (1975-08-07). "Hoffas foster son turns up in Detroit and is Questioned". New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  14. ^ "FBI Report Says Giacalone tried to shake down Fitzsimmon". UPI Archives. United Press International. 1990-08-30. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  15. ^ Zeman, David; Ashenfelter, David; Schaefer, Jim (2012-09-27). "Jimmy Hoffa flashback, 2001: DNA testing adds tantalizing new element". Detroit Free Press. Detroit. Retrieved 2023-11-27 – via Westlaw.
  16. ^ "O'Brien No to lie test on Hoffa". UPI Archives. United Press International. 2001-09-10. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  17. ^ Cooper, Richard T. (2001-09-08). "DNA Yields Clue in Jimmy Hoffa Disappearance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  18. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (2020-02-14). "Charles O'Brien Is Deadl". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  19. ^ "Charles 'Chuckie' O'Brien, who called himself Jimmy Hoffa's 'foster son,' dies at 86".
  20. ^ Goldsmith 2019, p.255
  21. ^ Bruney, Gabrielle (2020-01-04). "A Real-Life Irishman Character Spoke Out Against the Movie". Esquire. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  22. ^ "Netflix's The Irishman criticized as high fiction by stepson of real life Chuckie O'Brien". IGN. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2023-11-27.

Further reading

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