What do you think?
Rate this book
سمعت أنك تطلي المنازل
"I heard you paint houses" are the first words Jimmy Hoffa ever spoke to Frank "the Irishman" Sheeran. To paint a house is to kill a man. The paint is the blood that splatters on the walls and floors. In the course of nearly five years of recorded interviews Frank Sheeran confessed to Charles Brandt that he handled more than twenty-five hits for the mob, and for his friend Hoffa. Sheeran learned to kill in the U.S. Army, where he saw an astonishing 411 days of active combat duty in Italy during World War II. After returning home he became a hustler and hit man, working for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino. Eventually he would rise to a position of such prominence that in a RICO suit then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani would name him as one of only two non-Italians on a list of 26 top mob figures. When Bufalino ordered Sheeran to kill Hoffa, he did the deed, knowing that if he had refused he would have been killed himself. Sheeran's important and fascinating story includes new information on other famous murders, and provides rare insight to a chapter in American history. Charles Brandt has written a page-turner that is destined to become a true crime classic.
640 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
4263 people are currently reading
21326 people want to read
About the author
Charles Brandt
17 books158 followersCharles Peter Brandt was an American investigator, lawyer, writer, and speaker. He wrote the narrative non-fiction Frank Sheeran memoir I Heard You Paint Houses, the basis for the 2019 film The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,562 reviews
July 2, 2016
I really and truly couldn't care less who killed Jimmy Hoffa, but if he's the catalyst for this book being written--well then, cry me a river. Charles Brandt is the nominal author here, but it's Frank Sheeran's book all the way, and is he ever a genius storyteller! Okay, he killed Hoffa, but let's put that into perspective by noting that Hoffa was just one notch on what was apparently one of the longest gunstocks in the history of man. In between killings--or, as he delicately put it, "taking care of a couple of matters"--he attended christenings, went to prison multiple times, drove all over creation for his very favorite mob boss, Russell Bufalino, played a part in the JFK assassination, loyally talked a bunch of shit about Bobby Kennedy, Hoffa's nemesis, and--most of all--enthusiastically commented on food of any kind whatsoever wherever he went, right down to the "out of this world" chocolates he sent his lawyers' wives.
You can learn a ton of stuff from this book, like what to do with a gun you've just used in a crime (throw it into a river, get a brand new one just like it, and keep it in its box until you need to use *that* one. Lather, rinse, repeat.) If you need to kill someone in broad daylight, be sure to use a .45 or something else really loud to scatter any witnesses, but if you just need to make a quick little neighborhood hit at night, use a .22 so you don't disturb anyone's sleep. Also etiquette: never kill anyone in front of his family unless that person is a total disgrace; never bring a girlfriend to dinner at a restaurant on the designated "wives' night;" always check to make sure that your employer doesn't own part of a building you plan to burn down. In other words, people, be thoughtful!
The mob idioms are a high point: "going to school"= going to jail; "going to Australia" = shot and buried "down under"; and of course "painting houses," named for subsidiary blood spatter.
I hear Martin Scorsese has bought the film rights to the book, but plans to call the film "The Irishman," which would be a total travesty. Why mess with the best title ever?
October 14, 2024
I read this book after I heard that Martin Scorsese was making a $150 million film based on it. The book has a really cool name that humorously alludes to killing a man. I Heard You Paint Houses is about Frank Sheeran, the Irish gangster, who carried out more than twenty executions on the orders of his boss, the Italian mobster Russell Bufalino.
The book is written like a murder mystery. It begins with Sheeran trying to make peace between Jimmy Hoffa (former leader of the Teamsters – an American labor union that represented the interests of blue collar workers) and his boss Russell Bufalino (the most powerful Italian crime boss in America). Bufalino and the rest of the Italian mob are angry with Hoffa after he threatens to expose how money from the Teamster pension fund was being loaned out to Italian mob bosses at very low and at times, zero interest rates. Sheeran has done jobs for both Bufalino and Hoffa. He is caught between the two men whom he respects most in his life.
After the tense beginning, the book goes back in time to capture Sheeran’s life - his childhood and teenage years growing up as a devout catholic during the great depression, his youth working in a carnival, his 411 days of service during World War 2 where he carried out executions of many captured German soldiers, his gradual entry into the Italian mob and climb up its rungs after the great war and his days as an official in the Teamsters union. You could say Sheeran’s early life was picaresque. But the second world war changed him forever.
The chapter where Sheeran travels by helicopter to carry out the most important and personally painful hit of his life is pulsating and takes the book to another level. But the rather long account of Jimmy Hoffa’s trial and incarceration, peppered with many characters that I had a tough time keeping track of, prevented me from giving a five-star rating to this fine true-crime thriller. Also, the author makes some wild conclusions about the role of the mob in the Kennedy assassination in the book’s final chapter. Charles Brandt believes that the Kennedy assassination was a present by the Genovese family to the rest of the Italian mob. The Genovese family was made to look bad after one of its soldiers – Joseph Valachi (Charles Bronson made an average film based on this guy’s life) talked to the authorities. To save face, they ordered a hit on the president who had betrayed the mob in Cuba and whose brother Robert was making life very tough for them. Of course, the Kennedy assassination is not the main event in this book. I will not spoil it for other readers.
This is a very entertaining book. It is told in first person and Sheeran’s voice is candid while describing his adventures and respectful when he talks about the two men who shaped his life. Like Nicholas Pileggi’s Wise Guy/Goodfellas, the author Charles Brandt often explains the milieu or an important event before letting Sheeran talk. He also makes certain conclusions after each chapter, that explains his own point of view about a certain happening. Brandt is very much a man of the law and expresses his admiration for Robert Kennedy’s open war against the mob and Jimmy Hoffa. An important aspect of the book is its confessional nature. Sheeran felt guilty about some of the things that he had done in his life. As a staunch Catholic, he felt like he had to confess in his old age. He opened his heart to Brandt, a lawyer who had got him out of jail. Maybe this is what attracted Scorsese, who is a lapsed Catholic, to the book.
The book is written like a murder mystery. It begins with Sheeran trying to make peace between Jimmy Hoffa (former leader of the Teamsters – an American labor union that represented the interests of blue collar workers) and his boss Russell Bufalino (the most powerful Italian crime boss in America). Bufalino and the rest of the Italian mob are angry with Hoffa after he threatens to expose how money from the Teamster pension fund was being loaned out to Italian mob bosses at very low and at times, zero interest rates. Sheeran has done jobs for both Bufalino and Hoffa. He is caught between the two men whom he respects most in his life.
After the tense beginning, the book goes back in time to capture Sheeran’s life - his childhood and teenage years growing up as a devout catholic during the great depression, his youth working in a carnival, his 411 days of service during World War 2 where he carried out executions of many captured German soldiers, his gradual entry into the Italian mob and climb up its rungs after the great war and his days as an official in the Teamsters union. You could say Sheeran’s early life was picaresque. But the second world war changed him forever.
The chapter where Sheeran travels by helicopter to carry out the most important and personally painful hit of his life is pulsating and takes the book to another level. But the rather long account of Jimmy Hoffa’s trial and incarceration, peppered with many characters that I had a tough time keeping track of, prevented me from giving a five-star rating to this fine true-crime thriller. Also, the author makes some wild conclusions about the role of the mob in the Kennedy assassination in the book’s final chapter. Charles Brandt believes that the Kennedy assassination was a present by the Genovese family to the rest of the Italian mob. The Genovese family was made to look bad after one of its soldiers – Joseph Valachi (Charles Bronson made an average film based on this guy’s life) talked to the authorities. To save face, they ordered a hit on the president who had betrayed the mob in Cuba and whose brother Robert was making life very tough for them. Of course, the Kennedy assassination is not the main event in this book. I will not spoil it for other readers.
This is a very entertaining book. It is told in first person and Sheeran’s voice is candid while describing his adventures and respectful when he talks about the two men who shaped his life. Like Nicholas Pileggi’s Wise Guy/Goodfellas, the author Charles Brandt often explains the milieu or an important event before letting Sheeran talk. He also makes certain conclusions after each chapter, that explains his own point of view about a certain happening. Brandt is very much a man of the law and expresses his admiration for Robert Kennedy’s open war against the mob and Jimmy Hoffa. An important aspect of the book is its confessional nature. Sheeran felt guilty about some of the things that he had done in his life. As a staunch Catholic, he felt like he had to confess in his old age. He opened his heart to Brandt, a lawyer who had got him out of jail. Maybe this is what attracted Scorsese, who is a lapsed Catholic, to the book.
September 11, 2021
Finalmente a Verdade
Jimmy Hoffa era um sindicalista de língua destravada. Quando entrevistado ameaçava com frequência revelar a verdade — não uma verdade qualquer, mas uma daquelas incómodas e contundentes, capazes de perturbar a vida a muita gente...
E foi assim ... que num belo dia... talvez para muitos mas não para ele... Jimmy Hoffa desapareceu ... para nunca mais ser visto!
O caso foi investigado, mas não solucionado.
Charles Brandt foi pescar a Verdade às águas turvas do poço!!!
Jimmy Hoffa era um sindicalista de língua destravada. Quando entrevistado ameaçava com frequência revelar a verdade — não uma verdade qualquer, mas uma daquelas incómodas e contundentes, capazes de perturbar a vida a muita gente...
E foi assim ... que num belo dia... talvez para muitos mas não para ele... Jimmy Hoffa desapareceu ... para nunca mais ser visto!
O caso foi investigado, mas não solucionado.
Charles Brandt foi pescar a Verdade às águas turvas do poço!!!
January 16, 2020
This was an awesome book. An historical account which was obviously meticulously researched and written in the format of a true crime novel. The information imparted was astonishing and staggering. I would highly recommend.
April 2, 2020
This was not a book I enjoyed reading and I struggled to get through it. Firstly the writing style put me of, as it is taken from taped interviews with Frank Sheeran and put like that on pages and then interspersed with small pieces of facts the author put in. Secondly there are too much historical dialogue that makes this feel like a novel. Thirdly, how much of this could be fact as it is just one man telling stories where there is no historical references to verify it, as there is even mention of Sheeran delivering the guns that were used to kill JFK!! Even the part of Frank Sheeran's 411 days in combat in World War 2 was a disappointment as it is rushed through. If you are interested in mob history, then this book will be for you, if you are not then this book is best avoided.
December 30, 2022
I thought this was a good supplement to the movie. The reason I say that is because I saw the movie first and the book was supplemental material that filled in the gaps and helped even out the story. Having said that, the book was split between interviews that read like they were direct transcriptions from recorded audio. Segmented in this was narrative account. Frank Sheeran tells his story and how he became involved with Jimmy Hoffa and organized crime. He (Robert De Niro's character) was a man torn between loyalties: to Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci's character) and Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino's character).
The book was intriguing about the life of organized crime, killings, deals, and getting one man's perspective on the whole thing. Again it was the words of one man who allegedly killed Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran explained mob intricacies and the dilemma Jimmy Hoffa supposedly put himself in
The book was intriguing about the life of organized crime, killings, deals, and getting one man's perspective on the whole thing. Again it was the words of one man who allegedly killed Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran explained mob intricacies and the dilemma Jimmy Hoffa supposedly put himself in
The Teamsters pension fund [in 1955] organized by Hoffa almost immediately became a source of loans to the national crime syndicate known to the public as La Cosa Nostra. With its own private bank, the crime monopoly grew and flourished. pg 105Overall this was good. I had to adjust my reading and use Robert De Niro's voice in my head while reading. That made it go along better as a dictated story as opposed to a crime narrative. The Martin Scorcese movie was visual with freeze-frames, title cards, and deep symbolic meaning. I think both are good in their own right but the book adds supplemental material to the movie in my opinion. I recommend both. Thanks!
December 18, 2019
I cannot imagine why the title of this book was changed, for the recent film version, to the, rather dull, “The Irishman,” when it, surely, has one of the best titles ever. “I heard you paint houses?” is a question that Frank Sheeran was asked a lot, alluding to his willingness to get rid of people. In this book, Frank Sheeran paints a LOT of houses, including his admittance to the killing of Jimmy Hoffa. So many people did he, and his mob associates, kill, that he jokes that, were a local river dredged, a small country could be armed from the number of weapons thrown into the water.
It is hard to believe this book is actually factual, but the elderly, dying, Sheeran, is open about his life. We hear of his poverty stricken childhood, his time in the army, during WWII, his return to the States and the meeting that changed his life, with Russell Bufalino. Sheeran does all sorts of jobs for Bufalino; including driving all over the country, delivering packages, getting involved in Cuba, the Kennedy assassination, meeting everyone from mob bosses to Sinatra, and, of course, Jimmy Hoffa, who made the mistake of thinking he was ‘untouchable.’
Of course, a life such as this is not without victims and personal tragedy. Sheeran not only dispatched many men to their final resting place (he drew the line at killing women), but lost contact with one of his four daughters, who refused to meet him after the disappearance of Hoffa. This was a life of violence and yet Sheeran, unaccountably, comes across as a somewhat old-fashioned criminal, who stood by his own principles and who, without doubt, became all too familiar with violence at a young age.
Morality aside, this is a riveting read and Sheeran’s story is a fascinating one. However, it is difficult not to be affected by the shadow of violence, which Sheeran became too desensitised from. One witness to a hit that Sheeran admitted to in a New York restaurant, still preferred to cling to anonymity, despite the years that had passed and a photo of Sheeran, from that time, still affected her, many years after the event. Still, Sheeran’s story is one that is worth reading and a period of history, which will appeal to all readers of true crime.
It is hard to believe this book is actually factual, but the elderly, dying, Sheeran, is open about his life. We hear of his poverty stricken childhood, his time in the army, during WWII, his return to the States and the meeting that changed his life, with Russell Bufalino. Sheeran does all sorts of jobs for Bufalino; including driving all over the country, delivering packages, getting involved in Cuba, the Kennedy assassination, meeting everyone from mob bosses to Sinatra, and, of course, Jimmy Hoffa, who made the mistake of thinking he was ‘untouchable.’
Of course, a life such as this is not without victims and personal tragedy. Sheeran not only dispatched many men to their final resting place (he drew the line at killing women), but lost contact with one of his four daughters, who refused to meet him after the disappearance of Hoffa. This was a life of violence and yet Sheeran, unaccountably, comes across as a somewhat old-fashioned criminal, who stood by his own principles and who, without doubt, became all too familiar with violence at a young age.
Morality aside, this is a riveting read and Sheeran’s story is a fascinating one. However, it is difficult not to be affected by the shadow of violence, which Sheeran became too desensitised from. One witness to a hit that Sheeran admitted to in a New York restaurant, still preferred to cling to anonymity, despite the years that had passed and a photo of Sheeran, from that time, still affected her, many years after the event. Still, Sheeran’s story is one that is worth reading and a period of history, which will appeal to all readers of true crime.
December 18, 2019
Predictably enough it was Martin Scorcese's film adaptation which prompted me to read The Irishman: Originally published as I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. I always prefer to read source material before watching adaptations.
This is a true crime classic. It's almost a factual version of American Tabloid, indeed the two books would work really well together. Not only do we learn what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, we also get definitive closure on the JFK assassination too.
It helps that Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is a likeable and compelling character. One of a handful of non-Italians to gain acceptance at the very top of the mafia.
After fighting for 411 combat days in World War II, hardened veteran Frank Sheeran found it difficult to settle back to a regular civilian life. Before long he became a hustler, and hitman, who ultimately worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino and Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa.
If you find this aspect of US history interesting, then this book is right up there with the very best. The 2019 edition has very lengthy appendices which bring the whole thing up-to-date and provide an even more fulfilling coda to an epic story.
5/5
This is a true crime classic. It's almost a factual version of American Tabloid, indeed the two books would work really well together. Not only do we learn what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, we also get definitive closure on the JFK assassination too.
It helps that Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is a likeable and compelling character. One of a handful of non-Italians to gain acceptance at the very top of the mafia.
After fighting for 411 combat days in World War II, hardened veteran Frank Sheeran found it difficult to settle back to a regular civilian life. Before long he became a hustler, and hitman, who ultimately worked for legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino and Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa.
If you find this aspect of US history interesting, then this book is right up there with the very best. The 2019 edition has very lengthy appendices which bring the whole thing up-to-date and provide an even more fulfilling coda to an epic story.
5/5
December 21, 2019
This is a very interesting read and I think it clears up some loose ends or at least sheds light on a number of historical gangland murders and disappearances.
Sheeran was a special kind of bug; it's amazing that he was able to die of old age. He started out in WWII, and if it wasn't documented one would have trouble believing the extent of his involvement in that conflict. In fact, throughout his life Sheeran would pop up at significant historical events, at least peripherally. He put me in mind of Mr Peabody and Sherman or perhaps Forrest Gump, always involved in everything. Sheeran was front and centre in the midst of every serious battle from the initial invasion of Italy. He killed an awful lot of Germans and Italians; sadly, most of them were unarmed POWs. He was the go-to guy for the brass who wanted someone who didn't mind murdering prisoners in cold blood.
After the war, Sheeran wound up in the mob and in this book admits to being involved in a number of high profile hits and tells exactly how he did it. He delivered the guns that killed Kennedy and killed Crazy Joey in front of his family, but probably his most heinous act was the murder of his friend Jimmy Hoffa. Surprisingly, the latter crime actually seems to have bothered him a bit in later years.
Brandt is a good writer, highly qualified, and supplies corroborative details wherever he was able to dig them up. Half of the book is given in Sheeran's words, the other half in the clarifying voice of the author (in alternating chapters). It's a great technique for a book of this type. As a matter of curiosity, I viewed the movie based on the book. It is true to the book, but De Niro and Pacino are so decrepitly old that they are unconvincing in their portrayal of the younger men, De Niro pathetically so. Poor casting choice...read the book.
Sheeran was a special kind of bug; it's amazing that he was able to die of old age. He started out in WWII, and if it wasn't documented one would have trouble believing the extent of his involvement in that conflict. In fact, throughout his life Sheeran would pop up at significant historical events, at least peripherally. He put me in mind of Mr Peabody and Sherman or perhaps Forrest Gump, always involved in everything. Sheeran was front and centre in the midst of every serious battle from the initial invasion of Italy. He killed an awful lot of Germans and Italians; sadly, most of them were unarmed POWs. He was the go-to guy for the brass who wanted someone who didn't mind murdering prisoners in cold blood.
After the war, Sheeran wound up in the mob and in this book admits to being involved in a number of high profile hits and tells exactly how he did it. He delivered the guns that killed Kennedy and killed Crazy Joey in front of his family, but probably his most heinous act was the murder of his friend Jimmy Hoffa. Surprisingly, the latter crime actually seems to have bothered him a bit in later years.
Brandt is a good writer, highly qualified, and supplies corroborative details wherever he was able to dig them up. Half of the book is given in Sheeran's words, the other half in the clarifying voice of the author (in alternating chapters). It's a great technique for a book of this type. As a matter of curiosity, I viewed the movie based on the book. It is true to the book, but De Niro and Pacino are so decrepitly old that they are unconvincing in their portrayal of the younger men, De Niro pathetically so. Poor casting choice...read the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
شنیدهام خانه ها رو رنگ میکنی.
این کتاب بر خلاف طرح جلد زردش ( کلاً برای من هر کتابی که طرح جلدش رو به فیلم اقتباسی ارجاع بده ، طرح جلد زرد محسوب می شه) یه نان فیکشن حسابی هستش. از اونهایی که خودشون اندازه چندین فیکشن! رو تو خودشون جا دادن. و روایت فرانک شیران، گانگستر ایرلندی از وقایع پشت پرده مافیا و اتحادیه کارگری در دهه های 40-60 میخکوب کننده است. ما با یه داستان واقعیِ جون دار طرف هستیم جایی که با آدم های واقعی و تاریخی که دورادور یه چیزایی ازشون شنیدیم، روبرو می شیم. و وقتی این رو بدونیم که چارلز برَنت خبرنگار طی سال ها تحقیق و اصرار و مصاحبه با فرانک شیران سرسخت، تونسته برای اولین بار به حقایقی برسه که اف بی آی برای مدت سی سال نتونست اونها رو کاملاً روشن کنه، همه چی ارزش پیدا می کنه. و در مرکز توجه این روایت ناپدید شدن جیمی هافا رئیس سابق اتحادیه کارگری قرار داره که بشدت درگیر مافیای بزرگ ایتالیایی اون سال های ایالات متحده است.
اصطلاح "شنیده ام خونه ها رو رنگ می¬کنی" کنایه از کشتن هستش، کشتن آدم ها... و برای من حین خوندن این کتاب، طنین این جمله مدام تو ذهنم تکرار می شد.
این کتاب بر خلاف طرح جلد زردش ( کلاً برای من هر کتابی که طرح جلدش رو به فیلم اقتباسی ارجاع بده ، طرح جلد زرد محسوب می شه) یه نان فیکشن حسابی هستش. از اونهایی که خودشون اندازه چندین فیکشن! رو تو خودشون جا دادن. و روایت فرانک شیران، گانگستر ایرلندی از وقایع پشت پرده مافیا و اتحادیه کارگری در دهه های 40-60 میخکوب کننده است. ما با یه داستان واقعیِ جون دار طرف هستیم جایی که با آدم های واقعی و تاریخی که دورادور یه چیزایی ازشون شنیدیم، روبرو می شیم. و وقتی این رو بدونیم که چارلز برَنت خبرنگار طی سال ها تحقیق و اصرار و مصاحبه با فرانک شیران سرسخت، تونسته برای اولین بار به حقایقی برسه که اف بی آی برای مدت سی سال نتونست اونها رو کاملاً روشن کنه، همه چی ارزش پیدا می کنه. و در مرکز توجه این روایت ناپدید شدن جیمی هافا رئیس سابق اتحادیه کارگری قرار داره که بشدت درگیر مافیای بزرگ ایتالیایی اون سال های ایالات متحده است.
اصطلاح "شنیده ام خونه ها رو رنگ می¬کنی" کنایه از کشتن هستش، کشتن آدم ها... و برای من حین خوندن این کتاب، طنین این جمله مدام تو ذهنم تکرار می شد.
May 21, 2025
The Netflix film adaptation was much better. Majority of this book was actually quite boring. Especially when Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran spoke in length about his involvement with the Teamsters unions. For about 1/4 of the book all the author talked about were the unions that him and Jimmy Hoffa was involved in. Thank god the “The Irishman” left out all that extremely boring contents. The film also cut out the part about Frank’s childhood & young adulthood that was mentioned in the book… The memoir made two pretty big claims. One, the author killed Jimmy Hoffa himself. And two, President Kennedy was killed by the mafia. Fascinating to say the least… I think this biography has its moments. However, overall, not a very enjoyable read.
November 1, 2019
Докато чакам с вълнение да видя новия шедьовър на Скорсезе, чета книгата, по която е създаден филмът .
Това е най-пристрастяващата книга, която съм чел напоследък. Написана е от прокурор, който в продължение на 20 години (!) води разговори с Франк Шийран - главният заподозрян за убийството на Джими Хофа. А покрай историите на Шийран, разказва много факти за епохата, които не са общоизвестни.
"Ирландецът" е една от най-добрите книги за мафията - истински page turner.
Огромно удоволствие!
Това е най-пристрастяващата книга, която съм чел напоследък. Написана е от прокурор, който в продължение на 20 години (!) води разговори с Франк Шийран - главният заподозрян за убийството на Джими Хофа. А покрай историите на Шийран, разказва много факти за епохата, които не са общоизвестни.
"Ирландецът" е една от най-добрите книги за мафията - истински page turner.
Огромно удоволствие!
November 18, 2019
Really enjoyed this book, so interesting and informative!! Gripped me from start to finish!!! I have a deep seated curiosity of everything related to the Mafia!!! Can't wait to see the Netflix movie towards the end of this month (21st November I think! Robert De Niro plays Frank Sheeran (The Irishman) Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Kietel are also in the movie!!! Amazing actors for an amazing true story!! The movie is three and a half hours long and will probably fly by!!!
January 19, 2024
Biography of mafia hit man Frank Sheeran, called the Irishman, who was involved in the abduction and murder of Jimmy Hoffa. The Hoffa disappearance was a historical mystery for over twenty-five years. The author and Hoffa’s family appealed to Sheeran to make a “death bed confession.” Rather than a single confession (and after getting absolution from a priest), he decided to tell his story to the author, a writer and lawyer. It took four years.
In addition, this book is a biography of Frank Sheeran, including his service during World War II and how he got involved with the mob. He had not been involved in any form of crime until after he returned from the war. The history of the FBI’s crackdown on organized crime is covered in detail, along with minibiographies of other well-known mafia bosses. We also get a summary of Jimmy Hoffa’s rise to leadership within the Teamsters and a several historical vignettes about labor unions.
The part about Hoffa is the main attraction. I was not all that interested in the biographical content. Sheeran was in his eighties during these interviews, and I do wonder how much is factual. The author goes to great lengths to validate the content, but it is hard to know what to believe. At any rate, there is enough here to justify the time spent reading about one of the most famous disappearances in history. I’m not keen on glamorizing organized crime but, for me, if I have to read a “mafia” book, non-fiction is the way to go.
In addition, this book is a biography of Frank Sheeran, including his service during World War II and how he got involved with the mob. He had not been involved in any form of crime until after he returned from the war. The history of the FBI’s crackdown on organized crime is covered in detail, along with minibiographies of other well-known mafia bosses. We also get a summary of Jimmy Hoffa’s rise to leadership within the Teamsters and a several historical vignettes about labor unions.
The part about Hoffa is the main attraction. I was not all that interested in the biographical content. Sheeran was in his eighties during these interviews, and I do wonder how much is factual. The author goes to great lengths to validate the content, but it is hard to know what to believe. At any rate, there is enough here to justify the time spent reading about one of the most famous disappearances in history. I’m not keen on glamorizing organized crime but, for me, if I have to read a “mafia” book, non-fiction is the way to go.
February 3, 2023
I decided to read this book after watching the movie The Irishman.
First a movie review.
The Irishman is a good movie but it's way too long. It took me most of a day to watch it. The de-aging technology was at times a bit creepy but overall I found it cool. You really can't go wrong with Pacino, De Niro, Pesci, and Scorsese. The movie is pretty faithful to the book, with some scenes taken word for word from the book.
Now on to the book review.
I Heard You Paint Houses is first person account of mobster Frank "The Irishman" Sheehan and his possible involvement with the disappearance of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa. I've read several articles that question the validity of Sheehan's claims. Mob historians flat out call him a liar. And accused him of making this up on his death bed to leave money for his daughters and grandchildren. Even after watching the movie and reading the book I don't really know if I believe him but I don't think it matters. First of all there is no way of knowing what really happened to Jimmy Hoffa and I think it's more fun not to know. Sheehan's story makes sense and it seems believable enough. I read books like this less for historical accuracy and more for entertainment value.
Despite my enjoyment of this book I must say I found it to be too long and I thought it was repetitive at times. Despite this book being republished multiple times I think it could still use some more editing.
If you like Mob stories, than I think you'll enjoy this book.
If you watched and enjoyed The Irishman, than this book will give a deeper understanding of things only hinted at in the movie.
Overall this was an interesting read and I would definitely recommend it in the future.
First a movie review.
The Irishman is a good movie but it's way too long. It took me most of a day to watch it. The de-aging technology was at times a bit creepy but overall I found it cool. You really can't go wrong with Pacino, De Niro, Pesci, and Scorsese. The movie is pretty faithful to the book, with some scenes taken word for word from the book.
Now on to the book review.
I Heard You Paint Houses is first person account of mobster Frank "The Irishman" Sheehan and his possible involvement with the disappearance of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa. I've read several articles that question the validity of Sheehan's claims. Mob historians flat out call him a liar. And accused him of making this up on his death bed to leave money for his daughters and grandchildren. Even after watching the movie and reading the book I don't really know if I believe him but I don't think it matters. First of all there is no way of knowing what really happened to Jimmy Hoffa and I think it's more fun not to know. Sheehan's story makes sense and it seems believable enough. I read books like this less for historical accuracy and more for entertainment value.
Despite my enjoyment of this book I must say I found it to be too long and I thought it was repetitive at times. Despite this book being republished multiple times I think it could still use some more editing.
If you like Mob stories, than I think you'll enjoy this book.
If you watched and enjoyed The Irishman, than this book will give a deeper understanding of things only hinted at in the movie.
Overall this was an interesting read and I would definitely recommend it in the future.
November 28, 2019
Being born in South Philly this book held a lot of personal nostalgia for me. I’ve eaten at Villa de Roma more times than I could count. Though I’ve never been in the habit of dipping my bread into glasses of red wine, I recall my grandmother doing it.
It’s a fascinating account of the underworld and its ways. Sheeran’s biopic was handled nicely. His childhood, war experiences and growing up in neighborhoods familiar to me, held me riveted.
If his claims are indeed true this book holds its place in history. It alludes to as many mysteries as it attempts to satisfy, and with the passage of time, I’m not sure if we’ll ever know all there is to know here.
I must admit, having watched the film, I do feel the casting hurt its potential. Though a big fan of all involved, a younger crew should have been assembled.
It’s a fascinating account of the underworld and its ways. Sheeran’s biopic was handled nicely. His childhood, war experiences and growing up in neighborhoods familiar to me, held me riveted.
If his claims are indeed true this book holds its place in history. It alludes to as many mysteries as it attempts to satisfy, and with the passage of time, I’m not sure if we’ll ever know all there is to know here.
I must admit, having watched the film, I do feel the casting hurt its potential. Though a big fan of all involved, a younger crew should have been assembled.
July 19, 2021
Great Read
I really enjoyed the book, “I Heard You Paint Houses”. It was fast paced and very easy to understand.
On a personal note, The Philly portions are a biographical sketch of my life. In fact I am very sure that Frank Sheeran was in my grandfather’s grocery store. My grandfather wrote the numbers and Sheeran picked them up. Additionally, he was married in the parish where I was baptized-down the street from my grandfather’s store
I loved the book. I highly recommend.
I really enjoyed the book, “I Heard You Paint Houses”. It was fast paced and very easy to understand.
On a personal note, The Philly portions are a biographical sketch of my life. In fact I am very sure that Frank Sheeran was in my grandfather’s grocery store. My grandfather wrote the numbers and Sheeran picked them up. Additionally, he was married in the parish where I was baptized-down the street from my grandfather’s store
I loved the book. I highly recommend.
March 15, 2019
I just find mob stories so fascinating - maybe because it seems straight out of a movie, not real life. Speaking of - can’t wait for the movie!
August 24, 2020
If you can't make money in Chicago you can't make money anywhere. They leave the bodies right on the sidewalk. If your dog was with you, your dog goes, too.
Whoo, this book was one heck of a ride. I thought THE IRISHMAN movie was good, but this bio of Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is even better. It's written by Charles Brandt in a matter-of-fact manner, emulating the way Sheeran lived and saw his life. But it's that particular lifestyle which keeps the reader glued to every page. While the main focus is on the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, it's the entire Mafia world and all its happenings that blow one's mind.
To effect a desired change in policy, mob bosses have traditionally eliminated - and still eliminate - bosses, not underbosses. On an international scale it is called regime change. To the Italian bosses it is merely a matter of following the old Sicilian maxim that to kill a dog, you don't cut off its tail, you cut off its head.
Frank Sheeran became part of Mafia when he met Russell Bufalino, who was the head of the Bufalino crime family. This led to connections with Jimmy Hoffa, the famous union leader who was as bad, if not worse, than his Mafia buddies. It was Hoffa who ordered various killings and it was Hoffa who took $400,000 (in the 1960s, so imagine the worth now) from his own union and then took another $500,000 so he could pay back the first amount. Such a sweetheart.
Yet, when Hoffa suddenly disappeared, the world was shocked. Many believed him to be some poor victim of organized crime, not realizing he WAS organized crime. Hard-working blue collar workers funded his lifestyle and that easy money was his death knell. By refusing to give up power and retire gracefully off the scene, Hoffa needed to be eliminated. Sheeran was Hoffa's close friend and bodyguard. Et tu, Brutus?
The book was also instructional in learning some of the phrases used by organized crime members:
Paint Houses = murder
Carpentry = body disposal
School = prison
Dry Spot = safe house with money
Little Friend = gun
Going To Australia = death
2x2 = $200,000
There's a lot here, whether one decides to believe it or not; the mob being behind President Kennedy's assassination and Hoffa, specifically, being behind Robert Kennedy's assassination. Power certainly does corrupt, doesn't it?
Book Season = Year Round (head to Florida)
Whoo, this book was one heck of a ride. I thought THE IRISHMAN movie was good, but this bio of Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is even better. It's written by Charles Brandt in a matter-of-fact manner, emulating the way Sheeran lived and saw his life. But it's that particular lifestyle which keeps the reader glued to every page. While the main focus is on the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, it's the entire Mafia world and all its happenings that blow one's mind.
To effect a desired change in policy, mob bosses have traditionally eliminated - and still eliminate - bosses, not underbosses. On an international scale it is called regime change. To the Italian bosses it is merely a matter of following the old Sicilian maxim that to kill a dog, you don't cut off its tail, you cut off its head.
Frank Sheeran became part of Mafia when he met Russell Bufalino, who was the head of the Bufalino crime family. This led to connections with Jimmy Hoffa, the famous union leader who was as bad, if not worse, than his Mafia buddies. It was Hoffa who ordered various killings and it was Hoffa who took $400,000 (in the 1960s, so imagine the worth now) from his own union and then took another $500,000 so he could pay back the first amount. Such a sweetheart.
Yet, when Hoffa suddenly disappeared, the world was shocked. Many believed him to be some poor victim of organized crime, not realizing he WAS organized crime. Hard-working blue collar workers funded his lifestyle and that easy money was his death knell. By refusing to give up power and retire gracefully off the scene, Hoffa needed to be eliminated. Sheeran was Hoffa's close friend and bodyguard. Et tu, Brutus?
The book was also instructional in learning some of the phrases used by organized crime members:
Paint Houses = murder
Carpentry = body disposal
School = prison
Dry Spot = safe house with money
Little Friend = gun
Going To Australia = death
2x2 = $200,000
There's a lot here, whether one decides to believe it or not; the mob being behind President Kennedy's assassination and Hoffa, specifically, being behind Robert Kennedy's assassination. Power certainly does corrupt, doesn't it?
Book Season = Year Round (head to Florida)
July 23, 2012
Frank Sheeran tells a good story.
Regardless of your interest in the mafia/teamsters/kennedy story, Sheeran colorfully articulates life in Philadelphia from the Depression through the 1970's. He describes in living detail the odd jobs, the restaurants, the hang-outs, the entertainment, and characters who populated his life story. Even as an old man he describes the affliction of arthritis better than any medical text.
Of course, it helps that Sheeran was a leading character himself in the fascinating and unbelievable story of the rise of Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters, that organization's connections to the Mafia, and the Kennedy crusade against them.
The book is at its best when Sheeran just talks, humanizing the larger than life Hoffa, mob boss Russell Bufalino, and Bobby Kennedy. Author Charles Brandt does a great job editing the conversations, and also filling in the historical facts, but he occasionally violates the writer's maxim "show don't tell" by inserting himself into the story. Brandt found Hoffa's killer, and the prosecutor in him can't help crowing. He also gives the readers some cringe-worthy statements, such as helping his reader's appreciate the import of Jimmy Hoffa by saying he is "as recognizable as Tony Soprano today." Interesting choice.
Regardless, it's a great story and here's hoping for a movie.
Regardless of your interest in the mafia/teamsters/kennedy story, Sheeran colorfully articulates life in Philadelphia from the Depression through the 1970's. He describes in living detail the odd jobs, the restaurants, the hang-outs, the entertainment, and characters who populated his life story. Even as an old man he describes the affliction of arthritis better than any medical text.
Of course, it helps that Sheeran was a leading character himself in the fascinating and unbelievable story of the rise of Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters, that organization's connections to the Mafia, and the Kennedy crusade against them.
The book is at its best when Sheeran just talks, humanizing the larger than life Hoffa, mob boss Russell Bufalino, and Bobby Kennedy. Author Charles Brandt does a great job editing the conversations, and also filling in the historical facts, but he occasionally violates the writer's maxim "show don't tell" by inserting himself into the story. Brandt found Hoffa's killer, and the prosecutor in him can't help crowing. He also gives the readers some cringe-worthy statements, such as helping his reader's appreciate the import of Jimmy Hoffa by saying he is "as recognizable as Tony Soprano today." Interesting choice.
Regardless, it's a great story and here's hoping for a movie.
December 29, 2019
7,75/10
Me recomendaron este libro a raíz de una conversación sobre la película el Irlandés, la cual se basa en esta novel. He de decir que esta lectura me ha parecido mucho más completa en todos los aspectos que la película, aunque en ambos casos pecan de ritmo lento, se lleva mejor en el libro.
Con respecto a la trama, muy interesante toda la vida de Frank Sheeran y sus relaciones con la mafia italiana y el sindicato de camioneros. Esta segunda parte es la que me ha parecido más interesante, ya que conocía la figura de Hoffa y sus relaciones con la mafia, pero no sabía como de metido estaba en el crimen organizado.
Resumiendo, lectura interesante, algo lenta, quizás se repita un poco todo a partir de mitad de libro, pero que creo que compensa a poco que te interese toda la temática mafiosa.
Me recomendaron este libro a raíz de una conversación sobre la película el Irlandés, la cual se basa en esta novel. He de decir que esta lectura me ha parecido mucho más completa en todos los aspectos que la película, aunque en ambos casos pecan de ritmo lento, se lleva mejor en el libro.
Con respecto a la trama, muy interesante toda la vida de Frank Sheeran y sus relaciones con la mafia italiana y el sindicato de camioneros. Esta segunda parte es la que me ha parecido más interesante, ya que conocía la figura de Hoffa y sus relaciones con la mafia, pero no sabía como de metido estaba en el crimen organizado.
Resumiendo, lectura interesante, algo lenta, quizás se repita un poco todo a partir de mitad de libro, pero que creo que compensa a poco que te interese toda la temática mafiosa.
August 23, 2018
The story of Frank Sheeran's life up to and beyond the disappearance of Hoffa. I'm not American and the Hoffa thing was new to me. Maybe it was this that made me feel that this book is just too damned long. If a book can be interesting and boring at the same time, then this is it.
Want to read
January 12, 2020(The following contains some spoilers for The Irishman and Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. Please proceed with caution.)
I enjoyed The Irishman, but at this point I'm probably not going to read this book, especially because Frank Sheeran's confession to Charles Brandt seems not to be true.
But I also think The Irishman makes an interesting contrast with the latest Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, the latter of which helped me to understand why I haven't liked anything Tarantino's done since Pulp Fiction. Were there things that I enjoyed about Once Upon a Time...? Sure. The dialogue didn't seem to have been generated by an algorithm, which automatically made it better than any superhero movie. The Spahn Ranch sequence was pretty awesome. But what is it all in the service of? Once Upon a Time... is an alternate history, sort of, but I realized by the time it was over that Tarantino was just using the patina of history for the same sentimental and simplistic reasons he used it in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained- something evil happened in the past, but wouldn't it be nice if it hadn't happened? Wouldn't it be great if there'd been a tough guy with a flamethrower around? Wouldn't it be funny to watch the bad guys get killed in gruesome ways? Well, I don't know- it feels like kind of a hollow substitute for seeing Hitler at Nuremberg. Maybe it's just me, but I think facing the nightmare of history is the only chance we have of learning something from it- we don't learn anything (except maybe indirectly) from desperate attempts at nostalgia and comfort, or from hermetically separating events (like the Manson murders) from their broader historical and cultural context. Tarantino has no interest in that kind of context- evil, be it personified in slaveholders, Nazis or Manson Family members, springs up from nowhere, and all we need to deal with it is a tough guy with a gun- and no interest in the idea that Manson and his Family emerged out of just such a context, one that everyone alive at that time played a small role in creating. The message to those of us in the audience in the present day is that we're free of evil, not complicit in any way, there are just a few bad apples out there without rhyme or reason, and it's therefore easy for us to laugh when the people we're instructed to feel superior to, the bad people, . Then again, as my friend Mark said, "fantasy and revenge- and you're surprised that it's popular?"
The Irishman is also in part about violence, like many of Scorcese's movies; but instead of getting off on or finding nostalgia in it, Scorcese explores the effects of violence, both on its victims and on those who commit it (and often those who commit it were once its victims). Violence for Scorcese isn't a solution or a punchline or the price of entrance into an enchanted wood, but something devastating that ripples through time. Scorcese withholds the comforts that Tarantino offers: instruction to the audience about who deserves to receive violence and who doesn't, for example, as well as faith in violence's magical, redemptive qualities. Furthermore, The Irishman (like Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, among a number of other Scorcese movies) doesn't depict violence in a vacuum but contextualizes it in history, culture and institution- it's not an accident that Scorcese's Frank Sheeran transitions so easily from the hallowed American institution of the military (where he joins a kind of brotherhood, becomes acculturated to violence, and learns to follow orders from superiors who are endowed with the divine authority to justify murder) to the hallowed (in its way) institution of the mob. Tarantino used to look at violence with a certain degree of skepticism as well, and in at least one scene memorably dramatized that tension that exists within all of us (see Samuel L. Jackson's monologue at the end of Pulp Fiction: "I'm trying real hard...to be the shepherd", as well as John Travolta's idea about giving it all up an "wandering the earth"), but these days he's pretty clearly a believer in a paradise that can only be consecrated by blood. Which happens to have been Manson's fantasy, as well.
False confessions like Sheeran's are apparently a fairly common phenomenon. Maybe there's a strange human temptation to look back and give ourselves more agency than we had, to place ourselves at the center of historical events- sometimes even in the case of murder.
February 5, 2020
Ирландецът: “Моят приятел си отиде, без да изпита болка.”: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
“Ирландецът” е отчасти угнетяваща книга – едно е да четеш романи като “Кръстникът”, друго е да научиш от първо лице колко всъщност е силна мафията и как контролира хора на публични постове, които ѝ връщат услугите по един или друг начин. Бранд описва и как това влияние все пак намалява в годините след убийството на Хофа, когато крутите мерки на властите успяват да вкарат на топло много мафиоти, а други се самоизбиват в поредната война за власт. Има нещо налудничаво в самохвалния начин, по който Ирландеца описва своите занимания, уважението, което е получавал, своето участие в различни кървави вендети – и в крайна сметка как си плаща за всичко, което е направил, поне отчасти.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
“Ирландецът” е отчасти угнетяваща книга – едно е да четеш романи като “Кръстникът”, друго е да научиш от първо лице колко всъщност е силна мафията и как контролира хора на публични постове, които ѝ връщат услугите по един или друг начин. Бранд описва и как това влияние все пак намалява в годините след убийството на Хофа, когато крутите мерки на властите успяват да вкарат на топло много мафиоти, а други се самоизбиват в поредната война за власт. Има нещо налудничаво в самохвалния начин, по който Ирландеца описва своите занимания, уважението, което е получавал, своето участие в различни кървави вендети – и в крайна сметка как си плаща за всичко, което е направил, поне отчасти.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/i...
June 30, 2019
A well written and interesting story about mob life and the death of Jimmy Hoffa. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was impeccable. I do wish there had been audible clues to the changes between the storytellers though, since it was all narrated by one person.
January 3, 2020
Почна интересно и после беше едно разпъване на локуми. Не ми хареса.
February 28, 2017
Preface: I'm not a true crime fan and hadn't even heard the name "Jimmy Hoffa" before purchasing this book, I read it to step outside my usual comfort zone.
I had mixed reactions to this, there were some parts I absolutely loved and a number of chapters and idiosyncrasies in the writing style that bugged me to no end.
Pros:
- Frank Sheeran's account of growing up in the Great Depression painted a very stark and strange picture so removed from modern life.
- His service in WWII conveyed the horrors of warfare much better than a lot of flowery recounts which try to immortalise it as something despicable and "other". Frank's account and the notes made by Charles Brandt tell of just doing the job. There's no joy in the work and there's sadness as friends die but that is masked by the need to keep going and sets the stage for his emotional detachment from taking lives later on.
- The first chapters that deal with the rise of the labour movement after WWII are also a fascinating aspect of history I'd never looked into much before.
- Frank's account often feels like an avuncular speech directly to the reader, you can almost picture yourself listening to him recount events of his past.
Cons:
- The narrative wanders around so much at points, getting distracted by minutiae and minor events and characters. It's made worse that tangents often jump forwards or backwards in time, leaving the reader confused about the timeline and characters involved. This is especially pronounced during the many chapters on Hoffa's court cases, dragging them out for too long.
- The parts implicating various characters in the seem made up by Frank as a potential "out" if he wanted to distance himself from the book.
- The afterword about Frank's decline in health seemed very unnecessary, it reads like the author did nothing but hound a dying man for extra information about Hoffa's death.
- The epilogue makes the author seem unhinged and chasing after conspiracy theories, believing circumstantial evidence confirms his account because he's dedicated so much time and effort to this book that it must be true.
TL;DR: If you're into mob history and true crime from that period, you might love this book. Outside of that there's some other really interesting points I've outlined above but you can probably stop reading it about halfway through.
I had mixed reactions to this, there were some parts I absolutely loved and a number of chapters and idiosyncrasies in the writing style that bugged me to no end.
Pros:
- Frank Sheeran's account of growing up in the Great Depression painted a very stark and strange picture so removed from modern life.
- His service in WWII conveyed the horrors of warfare much better than a lot of flowery recounts which try to immortalise it as something despicable and "other". Frank's account and the notes made by Charles Brandt tell of just doing the job. There's no joy in the work and there's sadness as friends die but that is masked by the need to keep going and sets the stage for his emotional detachment from taking lives later on.
- The first chapters that deal with the rise of the labour movement after WWII are also a fascinating aspect of history I'd never looked into much before.
- Frank's account often feels like an avuncular speech directly to the reader, you can almost picture yourself listening to him recount events of his past.
Cons:
- The narrative wanders around so much at points, getting distracted by minutiae and minor events and characters. It's made worse that tangents often jump forwards or backwards in time, leaving the reader confused about the timeline and characters involved. This is especially pronounced during the many chapters on Hoffa's court cases, dragging them out for too long.
- The parts implicating various characters in the seem made up by Frank as a potential "out" if he wanted to distance himself from the book.
- The afterword about Frank's decline in health seemed very unnecessary, it reads like the author did nothing but hound a dying man for extra information about Hoffa's death.
- The epilogue makes the author seem unhinged and chasing after conspiracy theories, believing circumstantial evidence confirms his account because he's dedicated so much time and effort to this book that it must be true.
TL;DR: If you're into mob history and true crime from that period, you might love this book. Outside of that there's some other really interesting points I've outlined above but you can probably stop reading it about halfway through.
April 25, 2025
I was glad to see this book covers more of Sheeran's time during the Italian campaign of WW2 as in the film it barely touches it. (I watched the film a few days after I'd finished the book). The amount of combat action he encounters is crazy, and goes some ways to shape the killer he would become; the ease with which to carry out his hits putting all emotions and morals aside. Brandt does a great job of adding analysis to facts and evidences of Sheeran's memories which detail his life inside the mafia as a hitman; his relationship with crime boss Russell Bufalino; and Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa and his disappearance. A big chunk of the book too looks at lengthy legal battles between sworn enemies Hoffa and Robert F. Kennedy that I found just as interesting, and this helped fill in some of the blanks in regards this period of American history.
January 28, 2016
3.5***
Subtitle: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran & the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, & the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa
Well, that pretty much covers it. Brandt, a former prosecutor, managed to get Frank Sheeran to tell the true story of what happened. This virtual death-bed confession is sometimes fascinating, but I could not reconcile the violent behavior of this man (and that of his “friends”). He may have made a full confession and gotten absolution from a priest, but to me Sheeran was a thug and sociopath who was making excuses for his behavior.
Still, the story of how Hoffa came to power and succumbed to his own ego is fascinating.
Subtitle: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran & the Inside Story of the Mafia, the Teamsters, & the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa
Well, that pretty much covers it. Brandt, a former prosecutor, managed to get Frank Sheeran to tell the true story of what happened. This virtual death-bed confession is sometimes fascinating, but I could not reconcile the violent behavior of this man (and that of his “friends”). He may have made a full confession and gotten absolution from a priest, but to me Sheeran was a thug and sociopath who was making excuses for his behavior.
Still, the story of how Hoffa came to power and succumbed to his own ego is fascinating.
October 28, 2019
My knowledge of this part of American history has always been rather sketchy, and I wanted to know more about Hoffa, the Teamsters, the Mafia connections, and the Kennedy’s. This book, certainly filled in a lot of the spaces even if it wandered a little too much in areas that weren’t all that central. If I am to be honest, it seemed to go on and on, and I was relieved that it finally ended. I also felt I never got a close enough feel of Hoffa himself. It was, however, good, and a start to finding more out about Hoffa and what happened to him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,562 reviews