The Charlotte News

Friday, August 8, 1958

FOUR EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that before the Senate Select Committee investigating misconduct in unions and management, a Pennsylvania labor leader, William Brennan, vice-president of the State Federation of Labor, testified this date that Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa had helped a group of racketeers obtain a charter to run a Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union local in Philadelphia. He said that he had been threatened for leading an unsuccessful fight against the racketeers, having heard about the threats though not receiving them directly. He stated that the racketeering group revolved around Philadelphia Teamsters official Sam "Shorty" Feldman, who said that he obtained a charter in 1956 to run Local 410 of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union. He said that the local had promptly become involved in scandals, including charges of intimidation of employers, and that its bosses had caused the local to incur $23,000 in debt in the eight or nine months they were in charge. He said that they were fired in the spring of 1957 by the union's international president, who assigned Mr. Brennan to take over, indicating that he was now president of Local 138 of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union in Philadelphia, president of the Union's state council and administrator of Local 87. Mr. Hoffa was present at the hearing, awaiting more questioning by the Senators and staff. Chicago gangster Paul "The Waiter" Ricca also was on call for questioning but was not present. Mr. Hoffa testified this date sporadically and only briefly. Mr. Ricca did not testify, as he was apparently waiting tables at the restaurant. Frank Fitzsimmons, who would take over as acting president of the Teamsters Union when Mr. Hoffa reported to prison in 1967, after his conviction in 1964 for tampering with a grand juror in Nashville in 1962, also testified this date.

Because we have fallen behind, the remainder of the page and the editorial page are not summarized for this date, as notes will be sporadic on selected stories until we catch up.

Framed Edition

Links-Date — Links-Subj.