Morris Shenker
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Morris A. Shenker (January 10, 1907 – August 9, 1989) was an American
lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...
best known for his connections to labor leader
Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. ...
and
Teamster A teamster is the American term for a truck driver or a person who drives teams of draft animals. Further, the term often refers to a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union in the United States and Canada. Origi ...
funding of
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in the 1960s. Shenker was a
Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
immigrant who arrived in
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
in 1922 with limited English. He was educated at
Washington University School of Law Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (WashULaw) is the law school of Washington University in St. Louis, a private university in St. Louis, Missouri. WashULaw has consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country; it is c ...
, and set up law practice in 1932. Shenker built a reputation as a successful
defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ju ...
, raised money for the Democratic Party and for Israel, and co-founded the Dismas House charity in St. Louis. Shenker first came to national attention during the
Kefauver Hearings The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was a special committee of the United States Senate which existed from 1950 to 1951 and which investigated organized crime which crossed state borders in the Un ...
in the early 1950s, in which he represented a number of underworld figures. From 1962 Shenker represented
Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. ...
, and in 1966 became Hoffa's chief counsel. In 1970 a year-long
Life Magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...
investigative report accused him, as head of the St. Louis Commission on Crime and Law Enforcement, along with the city's mayor
Alfonso J. Cervantes Alfonso Juan Cervantes (August 27, 1920 – June 23, 1983) was the 39th Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1965 to 1973. Personal life and early political career Born in St. Louis, Cervantes attended St. Louis University High School and Saint ...
, of both having "personal ties to the underworld." The magazine alleged that Shenker controlled the massive $700 million Teamsters Union
Pension Fund A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any plan, fund, or scheme which provides retirement income. Pension funds typically have large amounts of money to invest and are the major investors in listed and priva ...
and its investments, most notably in Las Vegas but also in
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(through developers
Louis Lesser Louis Lesser (June 15, 1916 – January 29, 2013) was an American businessman. He developed property across the United States, predominantly around the Los Angeles area; he also purchased and managed property. Lesser developed Barrington Plaza, ...
and
Irvin Kahn Irvin J. Kahn (1916–1973) was an American attorney and real estate developer who played a major role in the expansion of the City of San Diego in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He received frequent press coverage for his ongoing role in developing ...
),
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,
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...
, and elsewhere. Shenker himself assumed part ownership of the Dunes Hotel and Casino from the 1970s to 1985. Shenker tried to develop a casino in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
, also called the Dunes Hotel and Casino, but it was never completed. During the 1970s, Shenker borrowed more than $200 million from the pension funds of labor unions that he influenced. He borrowed more than $160 million from the
Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the ...
pension fund, $43 million from the Culinary Workers pension fund, and $23.5 million from Pipefitters Local 562. In 1984, Shenker filed for bankruptcy after a $34 million court judgment against him by the Culinary Workers pension fund. In February 1989, Shenker was indicted by a grand jury, but was not tried because of his health.Morris Shenker, 82; Hoffa Attorney, Ex-Dunes Owner ''Los Angeles Times'' August 10, 198

/ref> On a local level, Shenker and Mayor Cervantes were part-owners of the mid-town St. Louis landmark
Continental Life Building The Continental-Life Building, also known as the Continental Building, is an Art Deco skyscraper in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, which was completed in 1930. The building is located in Grand Center in St. Louis' Midtown neighborhood, and i ...
, along with businessman
Harold Koplar Harold Koplar (February 27, 1915 – May 3, 1985) was a Russian-American hotelier and businessman in St. Louis, Missouri. Biography Early life and education Harold Koplar was born February 27, 1915. His father, Sam Koplar, built the Park Plaz ...
, owner of independent television station
KPLR-TV KPLR-TV (channel 11) is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, airing programming from The CW. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Fox affiliate KTVI (channel 2). Both station ...
and Shenker's brother-in-law. Shenker's wife, Lillian Koplar Shenker, had also attended law school at Washington University, and became a judge in her own right in the St. Louis Court of Criminal Corrections. Shenker died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
, at his daughter's house in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, after a long illness. Fictionalized versions of Shenker appear in the 1961 film '' Hoodlum Priest'' (as "Louis Rosen", founder of a fictionalized Dismas House), and in the film ''
Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
''.


References


New York Times obituary
Morris Shenker, 82, Lawyer in St. Louis And Hoffa Defender; ''New York Times'' August 11, 1989 {{DEFAULTSORT:Shenker, Morris 1907 births 1989 deaths American people of Russian-Jewish descent Washington University School of Law alumni Missouri lawyers Soviet emigrants to the United States Deaths from pneumonia in California