John Coli, a Hoffa-Hall Vice President and head of Chicago Joint Council 25, inherited the leadership of Local 727 in 1992 after his father stepped down and his brother was removed by the IRB. Coli’s father was a member of the mafia, according to Edwin Stier the former federal prosecutor Hoffa hired as an anti-corruption czar. Stier resigned after Coli used his influence with Hoffa to shut down Stier’s investigations into organized crime influence in the Chicago Teamsters. Stier wrote to the IBT General Counsel that “efforts to shut down our investigation were the result of pressure from Chicago-area Teamsters who in turn were acting at the instigation of racketeers.” Hoffa shut down the investigation. Coli joined the Hoffa-Hall state, and has become a top Hoffa adviser.

CHECK THE FACTS: Ed Stier, Report on Organized Crime Influence in the Teamsters May 2004.