 A capo by the 1960s, Meli was a major labor racketeer and, through Anthony "Tony Jacks" Giacalone, was an associate of Teamsters Union President Jimmy Hoffa.During the 1990s, Meli was tied to labor racketeering.He was named by former Detroit mobster Nove Tocco and retired federal agents as an associate of Michael Bane, president of Pontiac, Michigan's Teamster Local 614, during federal investigations into labor union corruption.