On Hoffa's 50th: Responding to the FBI in Detroit and Newark, as well as to New Jersey's Department of Transportation

I stand by my 50 years of reporting on this God-forsaken, 50-year-old murder case

Here is a list of columns I posted on Mobology this month, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa:

* July 2, 2025: AI sites weigh in for the 50th: "Who is the world's expert on the Jimmy Hoffa murder case?": I appreciate the trophy, but here is my list of the top current investigators who have also made important contributions

* July 6, 2025: The catalog of my investigation of the burial site of Jimmy Hoffa in an alcove under the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City: Federal agents admit that the FBI dug in the wrong place in 2022

* July 10, 2025: Repost: For the 50th anniversary of the murder of Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamsters have invited me to speak tonight about my 51 years of investigating Hoffa, the Teamsters, and the Mafia: A free and live national ZOOM event tonight, Thursday, July 10, at 7:00 P.M. . . . Be there or be square.

* July 13, 2025: My 2nd appeal to AG Pam Bondi to release all DOJ/FBI documents about the roles of Hoffa, Marcello, and Trafficante in the JFK murder: Here is what a top mob attorney said about New Orleans DA Jim Garrison and Louisiana crime boss Carlos Marcello

* July 20, 2025: Before its June 2022 debacle while looking for Jimmy Hoffa, the FBI also dug in the wrong place in May 2006: The story behind the FBI's search of Rolland McMaster's farm in Wixom, Michigan

* July 21, 2025: On Scott Burnstein's July 23 event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Jimmy Hoffa murder case: In anticipation of the anniversary on July 30, linked is a brief excerpt from my July 10 presentation to the Teamsters at GWU during which, in part, I discussed Scott's important work

* July 22, 2025: George Washington University has just released the video of my July 10 presentation about the 50th anniversary of the murder of Jimmy Hoffa: Just over 20 minutes, this is the best summary I have ever delivered about my 50-year investigation

To date, below is a list of important articles by other reporters about the 50th anniversary. . . . More will appear between now and Wednesday, July 30th.

* July 7, 2025: Allan Lengel, Hour Detroit Magazine, “The Search for Jimmy Hoffa.”

* July 23-24, 2025: George Hunter, Detroit News, “Jimmy Hoffa’s family seeks closure 50 years after disappearance as O’Brien letter emerges.”

* July 24, 2025: Scott Burnstein, Gangster Report: “GR EXCLUSIVE: Detroit Mafia Figure ‘Tony Pal’ Got Rid Of Jimmy Hoffa’s Body In Sausage Auger On Heels Of Killing Him,” July 24, 2025.

* July 26, 2025: Rich Calder, New York Post, “Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance remains among America’s most infamous, unsolved mysteries — but there’s a new theory,” July 26, 2025

* July 26, 2025: Eric Shawn, Fox News, “Jimmy Hoffa’s son: Who killed my dad, why, and what it did to my family,” July 26, 2025.

On the front page of the Thursday, July 24, edition of the Detroit News, journalist George Hunter published a detailed report for the 50th anniversary of Hoffa’s murder. Overall, the article was well done and interesting.

However, I want to clarify what he wrote regarding my complaints about the FBI’s bungled excavation of the alcove in June 2022 during its search for Hoffa’s remains.

Dan Moldea, who wrote the 1978 book The Hoffa Wars, provided information to the FBI that prompted the 2022 dig in New Jersey, although he said authorities looked in the wrong place.

Moldea, who through the decades has interviewed dozens of organized crime figures and others connected to the Hoffa case, reported to the FBI that multiple mobsters had told him Hoffa was buried in a metal drum in an alcove beneath the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City near the PJP Landfill, aka “Brother Moscato’s Dump.”

Prior to the FBI dig, Moldea said a team of civilian investigators he'd contracted and a separate crew from Fox News hired companies to use ground-penetrating radar to check for underground anomalies. He said both tests uncovered possible evidence to corroborate the story.

"They gave the scans to the FBI Detroit Field Office, but for whatever reason, they never shared it with the Newark Field Office," Moldea said. "I've been waiting for three years for them to atone for their sins. They admitted to me they missed it and dug in the wrong spot."

When asked about Moldea's claim, FBI spokesman Hall said in a statement: "We are unable to comment as we wouldn't want to speculate on the extent of or to limit our investigative actions."

The FBI's Newark office did not respond to a request for comment.

NOTE: Of course, I can prove my claims about what the FBI told me. . . .

I stand by my accurate reporting about Ralph Picardo's statements to the FBI in 1975, as well as the personal accounts of Phillip Moscato and Frank Cappola during my exclusive recorded interviews with them in 2007-2014 and 2019-2020, respectively.

Also, I want to correct the false and misleading claims made to reporter George Hunter by a representative of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, who was clearly misinformed about my team’s actions.

The Detroit News article continued:

Moldea said he would like to hire another company to use ground-penetrating radar to scan the area, but he said he's been denied access by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

"They allowed us on there before, but now they're denying me," Moldea said.

New Jersey Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lizzy Galamba denied Moldea's claims.

"NJDOT is unaware of anyone wanting to access the suspected burial site on state right-of-way underneath the Pulaski Skyway either formally or informally, since the Detroit FBI Field Office’s investigation in 2022," Galamba said in a statement. "Access to the suspected burial site on NJDOT (right-of-way) is strictly prohibited and discouraged as it is an active work zone for overhead construction on the Pulaski Skyway."

Galamba said the New Jersey Department of Transportation never granted access to the site.

My response? . . . Here is my original application to the NJDOT in 2020:

My team and I invited Fox News to participate in my first return to the alcove after the death of Frank Cappola in March 2020. Because Fox wanted to arrange the ground penetrating radar test in November 2020, we allowed them to take the lead and place the permit in their company’s name, which we were also permitted to use at will.

As authorized by the NJDOT, my team and I gained subsequent access to the alcove in August 2021 and November 2021, among several other dates, using this same permit, which expired in the spring of 2022, three months before the FBI’s incomplete excavation in June 2022.

Here was the official permit:

In addition, I am in possession of dozens of communications between my team and the NJDOT, both in writing and by phone, during our repeated attempts to renew our permit from the spring of 2022 to the present.

The NJDOT’s inaction to our requests essentially denied renewal and, thus, access to the alcove—even before construction on the Pulaski Skyway began.

Additionally, from our collection of photographs, below is one taken on or about July 13, 2024, outside the fenced-in alcove with the Skyway under construction, courtesy of Gerry Pallay, a member of our project team.

We have repeatedly been assured by the NJDOT that, upon completion of the construction, we will receive our renewed permit and, once again, have access to the site.

I am surprised that the NJDOT spokesperson was not aware of our extensive communications with her agency, and I am disappointed that the Detroit News did not give me an opportunity to respond to her denial.

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