Bufalino: Revelations of a Mafia Family, the Teamsters, and the Final Resting Place of Jimmy Hoffa

by Charles Bufalino

Written by the legendary crime boss Russell Bufalino’s cousin, this gripping insider’s account is an epic tell-all of the Pennsylvania Mafia family's origins, both personal and criminal, from its coal-mining Black Hand days in Pittston, to their national rise and control of the Teamsters Union, while also offering convincing clues as to what became of Jimmy Hoffa.

Russell Bufalino was considered the most powerful Mob boss of his day, if not all time—rivaling the likes of Carlo Gambino, Vito Genovese, and Lucky Luciano in their prime. But until now, no one has ever so personally traced Russell’s career back to the coal fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania, or explored so completely the legacy of the Pittston crime family Russell would inherit. Charles Bufalino, cousin and caretaker of the family’s explosive history, also offers the most authentic and probable solution to the greatest Mob mystery of all What really happened to Jimmy Hoffa? 

Stretching back to the Bufalino roots in Sicily and the emigration of the men of Montedoro to the turn-of-the-19th-century Pennsylvania coal fields, this gripping story lays the groundwork for the inception of an organized crime empire. Once in America, the Bufalinos penetrated both sides of the labor-versus-management conflict to magnify their own power and ultimately influence events on the national stage. By the 1950s, in the wake of Black Hand threats, murder, kidnapping, and bombings, Russell would be named boss—the Don of all Dons. Blood ties and extended family were his to control. Likewise, his enemies, including Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa.

Delving deeply into corroborated family documentation, Charles Bufalino separates fact from fiction and corrects the presumed history of his ruthlessly enterprising ancestors to paint an intimate, epic, and riveting portrait of one of the most storied crime families of the 20th century.

Genres: Crime, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This intriguing true-crime story is part family history, part memoir, and part investigative account of one of the most elusive figures in American organised crime: Russell Bufalino. The author writes not as an historian but as a relative and custodian of family memory, drawing on oral histories and personal archives. That gives the narrative a strong sense of authenticity and immediacy, particularly in its early sections tracing the family’s roots from Sicily to the coal-mining towns of Pennsylvania. The book situates the Bufalino family within a broader socio-economic context, especially the murky overlap between organised crime and labour unions. The depiction of how Mafia influence infiltrated the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is detailed, often to a fault, showing how power operated simultaneously on the street and within legitimate institutions. Much of the book concerns Jimmy Hoffa and his disappearance. Bufalino claims his account offers one of the most credible explanations of Hoffa’s fate. Whether you find this convincing will depend on how much weight you’re willing to give to family testimony and circumstantial reconstruction. Stylistically, the prose is straightforward, occasionally repetitive, and concerned with documenting connections. I found the density of names and relationships challenging, to be honest, and frequently found myself at a loss as to who we were talking about. Overall, Bufalino is a valuable addition to the literature on American organised crime, not because it is definitive, but because it offers a rare, personal vantage point. For anyone interested in Mafia history, labour politics, or the enduring mystery of Hoffa, then this is a worthwhile read, but I think the reader will need to be more invested than I was in the subject matter to fully engage with it.

[Lindsey Barger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A descendant of a well‑known mob family, Charles Bufalino traces his lineage from early labor organizing in Pennsylvania’s coal towns to the shadowy world surrounding Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance. Part memoir and part history, the book offers a detailed look at the Bufalino and Genovese families and their ties to the Teamsters.

I’m giving Bufalino 3 out of 5 stars. The subject matter is fascinating, but the narrative can be difficult to follow—events are repeated across chapters, and many individuals share the same names, making the timeline hard to track. Readers familiar with Northeastern Pennsylvania or the families involved may find it more accessible than I did. Still, it offers an intriguing perspective on the intersection of organized crime and early labor movements.

[Nancy Gisvold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that presents the lives of members of the Bufalino clan; some involved in crime and some not. It is a history of the coal fields in Pennsylvania and of the
sicilian families that came to America to work there. It shows how members of the same family can go in such different directions. How different men in the family became involved in the life of Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters and tries to unravel the mystery of Hoffa's disappearance. To me, it also shows when people try to do something good for others it can go so badly wrong.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one of probably millions who have pondered what happened to Jimmy Hoffa, this book beckoned to me. It contains a lot of history and family lore about many things to do with crime and Bufalinos among others, and was a good true crime read going back many decades.

[Janice Krynak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. I stopped reading at chapter 6.

[Russell Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

I expected this book to be better was a little disappointed not much about Russell Buffalo at all but about his family member