Gabriel Briguglio, the last surviving suspect in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, has spoken out exclusively to Fox News, denying any involvement in the crime and revealing his suspicions about a false narrative surrounding the investigation.
Gabriel Briguglio, the 84-year-old former truck driver and Teamsters Union official, has remained under the shadow of suspicion for nearly five decades in connection with the unsolved disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Briguglio finally broke his silence, adamantly denying any involvement in the crime and pointing the finger at a "lying mob informer" who he believes misdirected the investigation.
"I have nothing to hide," Briguglio told Fox News' Eric Shawn. "I was home that night ... and if they don't want to believe me, that's their business."
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
Briguglio contends that the FBI, federal prosecutors, and the media were misled by a self-serving informant whose fabricated claims "damaged the investigation" and cemented a false narrative in the public's mind. He believes this narrative has unjustly cast him as a suspect.
"A lot of time was wasted," Briguglio lamented. "I wish that they really get it through their mind to 'X' me out of that and say that it's impossible because I have all the proof in the world that I wasn't even involved in anything and what I was doing I was doing, what I said I was doing."
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
Briguglio vehemently denies any ties to organized crime, despite a long-held label of being a suspected member of the New Jersey Genovese crime family. He claims that this label has caused significant pain to his family, particularly his children, who have had to endure the stigma associated with his alleged involvement in Hoffa's disappearance.
"My kids, even now to this day, are wondering why I am even here, doing the interview with you," an emotional Briguglio confided. "They knew that what they were saying about me wasn't true."
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
Briguglio's motivation for speaking out now, he explains, is to set the record straight and clear his name before it's too late. "I don't know how much longer I have to live. I hope that it's a long time. But for whatever time I have left, I want to get it off my head, I want to let it be known," he said.
Briguglio's name became synonymous with the Hoffa case shortly after the Teamsters leader's disappearance in 1975. He was subpoenaed by a grand jury and placed in a lineup as a potential suspect.
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
According to the FBI Hoffex report, Briguglio was considered a "trusted associate" of Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, the New Jersey Teamsters Union Local President believed to be involved in Hoffa's disappearance. However, Briguglio insists he was not present at the Machus Red Fox restaurant on the day Hoffa vanished.
"I was in New Jersey playing cards in a union hall the day Hoffa disappeared, paid a contractor for re-siding my East Rutherford, New Jersey, house with aluminum siding, and came home from work as usual to be greeted by my kids," Briguglio said.
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
An FBI report confirms that Briguglio's house was indeed being re-sided that month. He claims to have paid Jersey Home Sales for the job on the day of Hoffa's disappearance because it was the end of the month and the project had been completed.
Briguglio maintains that the FBI never asked him about his whereabouts on that fateful day. "They ever asked me anything about where I was, not even once," he stated. "Never did."
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
He believes that the accusations against him stem from Ralph Picardo, a young mobster in Tony Pro's crew who served as a confidential informant for the FBI. Picardo claimed that Tony Pro and his associates, including Briguglio, were responsible for Hoffa's murder.
Briguglio dismisses Picardo's claims as lies fabricated to secure his release from prison. "When I heard it was him, I knew right away what he had in mind. He wanted to get out of jail," said Briguglio.
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
Briguglio points to the fact that Picardo's credibility was later discredited by his own FBI handlers and that no witnesses, physical evidence, or other statements have corroborated his accusations. Picardo's subsequent involvement in a perjury case further undermined his credibility.
"How can you take a guy that's such a liar?" Briguglio questioned.
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
Some experts have suggested that the FBI's reliance on Picardo's information may have diverted attention from the real culprits.Noted organized crime journalist Scott Burnstein believes that the focus on the New Jersey crew was based on speculation and flawed information.
"I don't believe the New Jersey Provenzano crew really had that much to do with the Hoffa conspiracy," Burnstein said.
The Last Jimmy Hoffa Suspect Breaks His Silence: Gabriel Briguglio Speaks Out
