Jimmy Hoffa, an influential labor leader and the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was last seen in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The afternoon of his disappearance began like any other, with Hoffa expressing intentions to attend a meeting to discuss his ambitions to regain leadership of the Teamsters, which he had lost during his imprisonment for jury tampering and racketeering charges. He was known for his strong ties to organized crime, which fueled speculation surrounding his fate.

Witnesses reported seeing Hoffa around 2:30 p.m. on that fateful day. He was meant to meet with some associates about the Teamsters’ future and possibly reconnect with old allies. However, he never made it to that meeting, and his absence marked the beginning of a prolonged mystery. Investigators soon discovered that Hoffa's ties to the mafia and other entities brought many potential suspects into the fold. Despite numerous leads, extensive searches, and investigations, Hoffa's fate remained a mystery.

The disappearance sent shockwaves through labor circles and prompted investigations that would span years, involving FBI inquiries and public speculation about Hoffa's connections. His case became one of America's most famous missing person cases, fostering endless theories regarding his involvement with organized crime and leading to several books, films, and media explorations that sought to piece together the events surrounding his disappearance. Hoffa remains a symbolic figure representing the complexities of labor unions and their historical ties to crime, politics, and power.