[1] In the 1950s Rutledge was nearly deported because he had illegally immigrated to the United States, but was allowed to remain after Hawaii businessmen spoke out on his behalf and he was pardoned by Oren Long.
[1] Rutledge founded Unity House, a nonprofit organization that supports Hawaii's workers, in 1951.
In 1980 Rutledge was accused of murder, but the charge was later acquitted when a witness testified that he had lied to the police.
Rutledge was then summoned to Washington DC in 1982 as part of an investigation of the relationship between the unions he led and organized crime.
No longer head of the Local 5, Rutledge turned his focus to expanding the Teamster's union.