Jimmy Hoffa was one of the most influential and controversial labor leaders in American history. He rose to fame as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful union that represented millions of workers in various industries. He also had a notorious reputation for his alleged ties to organized crime and his fierce rivalry with Robert Kennedy, the former attorney general who tried to prosecute him for corruption.
But behind the scenes, Hoffa had a loyal and devoted wife who supported him throughout his turbulent career and personal life. Her name was Josephine Poszywak, and she was the mother of his two children, Barbara and James. She was also the one who suffered the most when Hoffa mysteriously disappeared in 1975, never to be seen again.
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How Josephine Poszywak Met Jimmy Hoffa
Josephine Poszywak was born on March 21, 1918, in Rossford, Ohio, to Polish immigrants Phillip Poszywak and Anna Firlik. She grew up in a working-class family and had to drop out of school after eighth grade to help her parents with their laundry business.
She met Jimmy Hoffa in 1936, when she was 18 years old and working as a laundry worker in Detroit. Hoffa, who was 23 at the time, was a rising star in the labor movement and was organizing a strike of nonunionized laundry workers. He spotted Josephine on the picket line outside her workplace and was immediately attracted to her.
According to Barbara Crancer, their daughter, Hoffa approached Josephine and asked her out. She agreed, and they soon fell in love. They got married on September 25, 1937, in a small ceremony at a Detroit courthouse. They moved into a modest home in northwest Detroit, where they raised their two children.
How Josephine Poszywak Supported Jimmy Hoffa’s Career
Josephine Poszywak was a devoted wife who supported Jimmy Hoffa’s career as a labor leader. She accompanied him to union meetings, rallies, and conventions, where she mingled with other union members and their spouses. She also helped him with his paperwork, correspondence, and finances.
She stood by him through his legal troubles, which began in the 1950s when he faced charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy, and racketeering. She visited him in prison when he was convicted of jury tampering in 1967 and sentenced to 13 years behind bars. She also campaigned for his release, which came in 1971 when President Richard Nixon pardoned him on the condition that he resigned from the Teamsters presidency.
She also endured his infidelities, which were widely rumored and reported by the media. Hoffa had several affairs with other women, some of whom were union members or associates. He also fathered an illegitimate daughter named Catherine with one of his mistresses. Josephine knew about his affairs but chose to stay with him for the sake of their family.
How Josephine Poszywak Suffered After Jimmy Hoffa’s Disappearance
Josephine Poszywak’s life changed dramatically after Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance on July 30, 1975. He vanished after he went to meet two Mafia figures, Anthony Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone, at a restaurant in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. He was supposed to discuss his plans to regain control of the Teamsters union, which he had lost after his pardon.
He never returned from the meeting, and no trace of him was ever found. He is believed to have been murdered by the Mafia and buried somewhere unknown. He was declared legally dead in 1982.
Josephine was devastated by his disappearance and never gave up hope that he was alive. She kept his clothes in his closet, his toiletries in his bathroom, and his glasses on his nightstand. She refused to change her phone number or move out of their house. She also rejected any offers of financial assistance from the Teamsters union or the government.
She suffered from depression, anxiety, and heart problems for years after his disappearance. She also became estranged from her son James, who followed his father’s footsteps and became a prominent labor leader himself. He accused her of being too passive and submissive to his father’s wishes.
She died on September 12, 1980, at the age of 62, in Detroit. Her death certificate listed her cause of death as cardiac arrest due to arteriosclerotic heart disease. According to her obituary in The New York Times, she had been seriously ill with heart problems for a decade and never recovered from his disappearance.
She was buried next to her husband at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy, Michigan. Her grave marker reads: “Josephine P Hoffa, Beloved Wife of James R Hoffa”.
Conclusion
Josephine Poszywak was the wife of Jimmy Hoffa, one of the most famous and infamous labor leaders in American history. She was a loyal and supportive spouse who stood by him through his successes and failures, his legal battles and scandals, and his disappearance and presumed death. She was also a loving and caring mother who raised their two children, Barbara and James.
She paid a high price for her devotion to her husband, as she suffered from physical and emotional distress for years after he vanished. She died of heart failure at the age of 62, leaving behind a legacy of love and sacrifice. She was the woman behind the man, and the woman who never gave up on him.
