Cornelius P. Shea was an American labor leader and organized crime figure active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is best known as the founding president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a major labor union he led from 1903 until 1907. During his tenure, Shea established a significant presence in the American labor movement, though his career was increasingly defined by his associations with illicit activities and corruption.\n\nFollowing his leadership of the Teamsters, Shea became closely involved with the Chicago Outfit, a powerful organized crime syndicate. Despite facing numerous indictments throughout his career for various offenses, he frequently managed to avoid conviction through legal maneuvers and influence. His direct involvement in mainstream union affairs was eventually curtailed after he served a short prison sentence for attempted murder.\n\nUpon his release, Shea returned to the labor scene in a different capacity, securing an appointment as the secretary-treasurer of the Theatrical Janitors' Union in Chicago, an organization heavily dominated by the Mafia. He remained a prominent and controversial figure at the intersection of organized labor and systemic crime until his death in 1929.
