The Ashes of Hoffa

The Ashes of Hoffa

From Gangland Wire by Gary Jenkins: Mafia Detective

April 20, 2026

About this episode

The episode explores the connection between the Bufalino family and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa through an interview with Charles Bufalino.

In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins sits down with Charles Bufalino, a relative of notorious Mafia boss Russell Bufalino. What begins as a family history discussion quickly expands into one of the most enduring mysteries in organized crime—the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Charles recounts how, in 2011, he uncovered information that unexpectedly tied his own family to the Hoffa case. That discovery set him on a path of research that ultimately led to his upcoming book, Revelations of a Mafia Family, the Teamsters, and the Final Resting Place of Jimmy Hoffa , scheduled for release April 28. While he stops short of revealing his conclusions, he makes clear that his findings point toward new insights into Hoffa’s fate. The conversation provides a detailed look at the Bufalino family’s Sicilian roots and their migration to Pennsylvania’s coal regions. Charles explains how these immigrant communities, bound by kinship and necessity, became intertwined with labor struggles, violence, and early organized crime. The discussion highlights the 1902 anthracite coal strike and the broader environment that allowed criminal…

People in this episode

Host: Gary Jenkins

Guest: Charles Bufalino

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Teamsters

Books & works: Revelations of a Mafia Family, the Teamsters, and the Final Resting Place of Jimmy Hoffa

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