Finding Hoffa

[Polishrifleman]

What's the big deal?  

Does it bother anyone else that the FBI etc.. are spending our money looking for him?  It's not like a Geraldo Rivera special or one man's quest.  We are talking about huge tax dollars based on a tip from a guy in prison about a guy who has been gone for 30 years.

If they do find him great, they can start a new tourist attraction, and then go prosecute some 60+ yr old wise guys (probably already dead) for murder.

[garrettwc]

It doesn't bother me that they are still working the case. After all, it is an open investigation.

What bothers me is that rather than treat it like any other investigation, and just going out there and quietly doing their job, they are turning it into a "Film at 11" event for the drive by media. If they find him THAT would be news. The fact they are looking isn't.

It's funny you mentioned Geraldo. When I saw this on the news the other night I had this sense of "Al Capone's Secret Vault" deja vu.

[Polishrifleman]

I don't think they are treating it like film at 11.  It is the media doing that based on some local person telling the media they are digging up a farm looking for Hoffa.  The media as usual is in search of a scoop and needs a distraction from another Hollaway arrest, more bombings and bloodshed in Iraq, New Orleans is still in trouble story.  They need to create news vs. report on it.

I just can't believe the tax dollars being spent.  I can see a couple old detectives digging through cold case leads or asking if the barnyard dog digs in a particular spot all the time, but 10's of agents, contractors digging the place up, ground penetrating radar, dog handlers etc...

And again, all of this is based off a credible tip from a guy in prison.

[garrettwc]

Polish, I think we are saying the same things. I'm just not articulating it well.

They need to create news vs. report on it.

Agreed. They have to fill up all that time they have allocated even when things are slow.

I can see a couple old detectives digging through cold case leads or asking if the barnyard dog digs in a particular spot all the time, but 10's of agents, contractors digging the place up, ground penetrating radar, dog handlers etc...

Again, I agree. You need a small team of 3-5 consisting of agents, forensic folks, and someone to operate the backhoe and that should be it.

What I do think is that these two things are related. The FBI (as well as most alphabet agencies right now) need the PR. The media needs to fill the airtime. They collaborate to make a big deal out of it with lots of fanfare and dozens of agents.

[Otherguy Overby]

Last I heard the (F)amous (B)ut (I)ncompetent were examing 30 year or more year old evidence that was new to them.

Anyway they won't find anything.  Hoffa was made into dog food, canned and sold many years ago.

[280plus]

Sammy the Bull says he's buried in a concrete piling on the Veranzano Bridge. I heard it on Howard Stern, that's good enough for me...

[Otherguy Overby]

Sammy the Bull says he's buried in a concrete piling on the Veranzano Bridge. I heard it on Howard Stern, that's good enough for me...

Yeppers that's a great hiding place!  They'd never think to look there.  It was built 10 years before Hoffa disappeared.  Or, maybe they would...

[280plus]

Oh details, details...

You gonna argue with Sammy the Bull?

[Monkeyleg]

The barn makes sense from a logistical standpoint. If you've just murdered a nationally-known person, would you want to try to secret the body all the way to New York to bury it in a construction site? Or get rid of it ASAP.

As for Sammy the Bull, the guy is either nuts or isn't afraid of dying. He's constantly popping up on this show or that show, and all the while there's still a contract on him.

[280plus]

I think most of his enemies must be dead already?

It was actually Sammy's wife I heard on Stern (IIRC it was a while ago). But she said he told her this as they were driving over the bridge. She asked him about it and he pointed at a piling and said, "He's right there". I was thinking the same "nuts or not afraid to die" while I was listening to her, she said a whole lotta other stuff too. I get the feeling he (Sammy) was talking figuratively when he said that. If the conversation ever even actually happened between them.

I read "Hoffa" a while back, I don't remember the author. Interesting read, check it out some time.

[280plus]

I did a little reading. I didn't realize he was so young. He's ~ 61. Most of his enemies are in jail. And so is he since 2001. He was running a big Ecstasy ring out of Maricopa County, AZ, of all places. He, his wife and his 2 kids were all involved and all convicted. Apparently he's still locked up? He got 23 1/2 years in 2001.

Originally he was involved in 19 murders, turned states evidence, got 5 years and then entered the witness protection program, which he later left. He said he turned on the mob because he heard tape recordings of John Gotti "dissing" him.

Anyhow,,,they find Hoffa yet?

[Antibubba]

We knew Hoffa had bought the farm, but who knew he was staying there, too?

[Monkeyleg]

280plus, he turned state's evidence after they played tapes in which John Gotti was heard questioning Gravano's loyalty.

Good reason to turn on Gotti? Don't know.

I just find it ridiculous that Gravano has been everywhere from Oprah's show to Howard Stern's. The guy must have a death wish.

But here's what's even more ridiculous. Years back, my wife told me to tape one of Oprah's shows, because the widows of the guys that Gravano killed were going to be on the show.

OK, fine.

As I listened to them tell their tales of woe, I was struck by one thing: every last single one of them had to have known that their late husbands were mob-connected. Every last single one talked about the new Cadillacs their husbands bought, or the new fur coats.

IOW, they knew the fancy stuff that they were getting wasn't from overtime working at a 7/11.

So, where's their complaint? You lie down with dogs, you may get fleas. You get involved with organized crime, and you just may get killed.

Seems that these whiney wives wanted it both ways.

Too bad.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm told prison is a good place to carry out a hit.  If this is so, maybe he is safer on the set of Stern's show than inside.

[garrettwc]

Locals profit from government circus.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/hoffa_search_community

You gotta love how the American business person can spot opportunity.

[Polishrifleman]

Nice read, like I said a new tourist attraction and to keep with the point, the FBI is expensing $$$$ for cupcakes, I think they should get MRE's.

[Otherguy Overby]

Does anyone remember Hiraldo Rivera opening a sealed basement in Chicago in search of Al Capone memorabilia?

This is nothing but a fundraiser/publicity op for the Famous But Incompetent.    They had to run with this before the news Hoffa was ground up into dog food gets out.  Of course they will need extra funding if they find nothing.   And (really unlikely) if they find something, they'll need extra funding...

Please, someone teleport DC to another dimension there's no return from.

[Polishrifleman]

Just read an article talking about the cost.  Approx. $250k for the two week excercise and they found a beer can.

[Otherguy Overby]

Just read an article talking about the cost.  Approx. $250k for the two week excercise and they found a beer can.

I wonder if this means the jail house snitch who started this will still get his deal?  Or, will he think up something else to send the Feds off on another wild goose chase.  

One of these Feds is gonna get another promotion.  He's obviously still in search of his level of incompetence...