On this day in US history, James Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, was reported missing after failing to return home on July 31, 1975. Popularly believed to have been a victim of a mafia hit, evidence of that was never found, and his fate continues to be a mystery. Being a high-ranking member of the, at the time, small Teamsters’ union, he had relationships with high-ranking mobsters and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. After he was released with the restriction of not being able to participate in union activities for 10 years, Hoffa was planning to fight that restriction before he disappeared that afternoon.
