Jimmy Hoffa IBT would expand as the union itself grew. Hoffa worked to defend the Teamsters unions from raids by other unions, including the CIO, and extended the Teamsters' influence in the Midwestern states, from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. Although he never actually worked as a truck driver, he became president of Local 299 in December 1946. He then rose to lead the combined group of Detroit-area locals shortly afterwards, and advanced to become head of the Michigan Teamsters groups sometime later. During this time, Hoffa obtained a deferment from military service in World War II by successfully making
Portland Hoffa main reason why he ceased hosting his own show after 1949, but Hoffa often joined him as a semi-regular on Tallulah Bankhead's radio variety show, "The Big Show" (1950–52). She also appeared as the "mystery guest" on one episode of television's "What's My Line", on which Allen had become a panelist from 1954 until his death in early 1956. Hoffa and Allen had also appeared in such films as "Is Everybody Listening?" (1947) and the Jack Benny vehicle "Buck Benny Rides Again" (1940). In 1959, after Allen's death, Hoffa married bandleader Joe Rines, later an advertising executive. Hoffa and Rines