Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Produced by: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Irwin Winkler, Gerald Chamales, Gastón Pavlovich, Randall Emmett, Gabriele Israilovici

Screenplay by: Steven Zaillian

Based on book: “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci

Plot:

Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a Mafia hitman, looks back on his life and his mob career with emphasis on his relationships with famous American labour leader, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), the head of the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family.

SPACE: USA

TIME: 1950s to 1970s

Fun facts:

• Frank Sheeran, Russell Bufalino and Jimmy Hoffa, depicted in the movie, are real-life persons

• Russell Bufalino (October 29, 1903 – February 25, 1994) was an Italian-born American mobster who became the crime boss of the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family known as the Bufalino crime family, which he ruled from 1959 to 1989. He was a cousin of attorney William Bufalino, the longtime counsel for Jimmy Hoffa. Totally, Bufalino served 13 years in prison for his crimes

• Francis Joseph Sheeran (October 25, 1920 – December 14, 2003), known as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, was an American labor union official who was accused of having links to the Bufalino crime family. Sheeran was a leading figure in the corruption of unions by organized crime. He was sentenced to a 32-year prison term and served 13 years

• Jimmy Hoffa (born February 14, 1913, Brazil, Indiana, U.S.—disappeared July 30, 1975, Bloomfield Hills, near Detroit, Michigan), American union leader who served as president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 to 1971 and was one of the most controversial labour organizers of his time.
• Hoffa used Sheeran as his guy for dirty jobs, including the assassination of disobedient union members and members of rival unions threatening the Teamsters’ area of interest
• After being found guilty of his crimes, Hoffa was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He went to prison in 1967, but released after only four years. Hoffa had arranged a pardon agreement with president Richard Nixon. One of the conditions was that he resign as union president.
• For the support of the IBT for reelection as a president, Nixon was allegedly paid $1 million or more to release Hoffa.
• After his release, Hoffa began trying to reclaim control of the Teamsters, and mobsters reportedly feared that he would be willing to cooperate with authorities. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa disappeared and was never seen again. So, according to Sheeran’s explanation, Bufalino and other mafia bosses decided to have Hoffa murdered. Bufalino was never accused for Hoffa’s murder.
• Hoffa’s son, James P. Hoffa, became the president of the IBT in 1999.
• As per Corruption Perception index by Transparency International for 2018, the USA took the 21st place while Croatia is on the 60th position (less is better).