The Bufalino crime family was named after Russell Bufalino, who is played in The Irishman by Joe Pesci. According to The Citizens’ Voice, Bufalino was born in Sicily in 1903 and came to the U.S. in 1914. FBI documents obtained by the publication state that by 1959, Bufalino was the leader of the crime syndicate in northeast Pennsylvania. As reported by The Citizens’ Voice, Bufalino was considered a suspect in Hoffa’s disappearance. (The movie shows a story in which Sheeran claims Bufalino told him to kill Hoffa.) According to the Times Leader, Bufalino is thought to have remained the leader of the crime family until his death in 1994, including during his time in prison.