FRIEDMAN, ALLEN (1921-13 Oct. 1992), a labor organizer and Vice President of Teamster Local 507, was born in Cleveland, the sons of Louis and Teresa Friedman. The youngest of 5 children, Allen grew up in the Glenville area, attending school through the 7th grade. After his father's death in 1934 and his mother's death in 1935, Allen lived with his sister and his brother-in-law, William and Faye Presser. By 1939 he was acting as an enforcer for WILLIAM PRESSER's union organizing activities. Friedman organized Local 274 Hotel and Restaurant Workers for JACKIE PRESSER in the mid-1950s and developed the persuasive skills needed to recruit union members using violence or the threat of violence to make his point.
Beginning in 1966, Friedman recruited warehouse workers for Teamster Local 507 and served as the union's Vice President. After a heart attack in 1969, however, he broke with Local 507 and started his own independent warehouse workers Local 752. With his life threatened by another heart attack in 1976, Friedman turned his union over to Local 507 in return for a monthly salary for which no work was required. A federal investigation of this illegal arrangement led to Friedman's conviction for embezzling $165,000 as a ghost employee of Local 507 in 1983. He spent 11 months in prison. He died in Cleveland at age 71.
Friedman was married and divorced several times. His former wife, Nancy Friedman, survived him as did 4 daughters, Toni Friedman and Michalene Martin (Mrs. Edward), both of Denver, and Jacqueline Friedman and Tami Kowit (Mrs. Brad) of Cleveland.
Neff, James. Mobbed Up (1989).