Jackie Presser
| Jackie Presser | |
|---|---|
Jackie Presser
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| Born |
August 6, 1926 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 9, 1988 (aged 61) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Union leader |
| Spouse(s) | Pat Presser (died) Carmen Presser (divorced, 1983) |
| Children | Bari Presser and Gary Presser (first marriage) |
| Parent(s) | William (Bill) Presser |
Jackie Presser (August 6, 1926 – July 9, 1988) was an American labor leader and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1983 until his death in 1988. He was closely connected to organized crime, and allegedly became president of the Teamsters based on the approval and support of the Cleveland Mafia. From 1972 until his death, he was also an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning Mafia influence in the Teamsters union.
Presser was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1926. His grandfather, a Jewish immigrant from Austria, became a garment worker, and was active in and participated in several strikes led by various garment makers' unions in New York City. Presser's father, William (Bill) Presser, was at the time of Jackie's birth a Teamster organizer. The Pressers were very poor: Bill Presser stuffed newspapers into shoes to block holes in the uppers and strengthen worn-out soles. The family often moved into an apartment at the beginning of the month and out again at the end of the month because the Pressers could not afford the rent.
Bill Presser, however, was a protege of Jimmy Hoffa and quickly rose within the local, regional and international Teamsters ranks. He was elected president of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters and eventually a vice president of the international union. Bill Presser was also intimately connected with the Cleveland mob.
Presser's childhood was by his own account a happy one. However, he was deeply influenced by his family's poverty, and by the anti-semitic prejudice he often encountered.
Presser dropped out of school in the middle of the eighth grade. Using his father's connections, he got a job delivering juke boxes to local restaurants and bars.
Presser enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 when he was 17, and served in World War II. After the war, Presser returned to Cleveland and got a job as a truck driver for a vending machine company.
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