Frank Sheeran

Frank Sheeran (1920–2003), known as "The Irishman," was an American labor union official and alleged mob enforcer linked to organized crime and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Frank Sheeran (1920–2003), known as "The Irishman," was an American labor union official and alleged mob enforcer linked to organized crime and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He later claimed to have killed Jimmy Hoffa, though that claim remains disputed. Sheeran’s life became the basis for Charles Brandt’s book and Martin Scorsese’s 2019 film The Irishman.

Early life

Frank Sheeran was born in 1920 in Camden, New Jersey, and grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family. Later accounts often identify him with the Philadelphia area and the nickname "The Irishman."

Union work and organized crime ties

Sheeran became involved with the Teamsters and was later described as a labor union official tied to organized crime. Sources describe him as an enforcer connected to Jimmy Hoffa and Russell Bufalino.

Jimmy Hoffa claim

Near the end of his life, Sheeran said he killed Jimmy Hoffa in 1975. This account is widely discussed but remains unproven and disputed.

Later life and legacy

Sheeran was convicted of labor racketeering in 1980 and served prison time. His story later reached a wider audience through the book I Heard You Paint Houses and Scorsese’s film The Irishman.