William Bufalino was a cousin of Buffalo, New York mobster Russell Bufalino. Both were born in Pittstown, Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. William moved to Detroit where he became involved with mobster Papa John Prizola, a reputed narcotics dealer. In 1947 he joined the Teamsters Union and became an associated of its future president Jimmy Hoffa. Over the years Bufalino would defend Hoffa and other Teamsters on numerous occasions. In the majority of the cases he tried for them he was successful. A usually soft-spoken man, he could show his temper on occasion. One of his most combustible eruptions was during the U.S. Senate Rackets Committee Hearings in 1959.