BBC News looks at the Irish American's links to the. Connolly frequently boasted to his fellow agents about how he had recruited Bulger at a late-night meeting at Wollaston Beach inside an FBI-issue car. He was beaten so mercilessly that he couldn't be recognized. He then killed McIntyre and went upstairs to take a nap while Weeks and Flemmi removed the corpse's teeth with a pair of pliers and buried it in the basement. Bulger also personally donated some of his own weapons. They overheard two of the agents who were listening in on the bug mention that they should have told one of their informants to give "a list of questions" to the other wiseguys. Bulger was 89 when he was . [86] Greig's younger brother David, a close associate of Bulger, was found shot dead on Cape Cod in an apparent suicide. Fuck 'em. [94] In April 2016, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV sentenced Greig, then midway through her sentence for harboring Bulger, to 21 months on the contempt charge, pushing her release date to late 2020. [57], When Valhalla crew member John McIntyre was arrested "for trying to visit his estranged wife", he confessed his role in the weapons smuggling to the Boston Police. Weeks, a bouncer at the bar, said, "He wasn't a big guy, maybe five seven and 185 pounds. His tone was a little more serious, and there wasn't as much joking as usual. As long as Jimmy was an active informant, Connolly said, he could justify meeting with Jimmy and giving him valuable information. Although [McGonagle] never did anything, he kept on stirring everything up with his mouth. Bulger who ruled Boston's criminal underground for more than 20 years and stayed on the run for another 16 before his capture was reportedly beaten to death within hours of his transfer from a Florida prison to the high-security penitentiary in West Virginia on Tuesday. ET): Sean McKinnon was one of three men indicted on Thursday in Whitey Bulger's death. Notorious Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger was killed Tuesday inside a federal prison in West Virginia and investigators are probing whether he was beaten to death by another inmate or. [51]:221223 Soon after, on May 11, 1982, Bulger, Flemmi, and Weeks were tipped off that Halloran had returned to South Boston. [37], Bulger and eighteen other inmates, all of whom had volunteered in return for reduced sentences, were given LSD and other drugs over an eighteen-month period. At one point, FBI agents were sent to Uruguay to investigate a lead. The FBI, by this time considered compromised, was not informed. Connolly kept telling me that 90 percent of the information in the files came from Stevie. I had known all along, however, that it would not be easy for anyone to capture Jimmy. "[35]:231232 As they adjourned to a nearby Japanese restaurant, Bulger finally revealed how exhausted he was with life on the run. Bulger was annoyed when he learned that the IRA members he supplied had burned the van that contained the weapons. He is suspected in slaying of US mobster Whitey Bulger", "Funeral Mass held for James 'Whitey' Bulger in South Boston", "Photos: 'Whitey' Bulger's funeral in South Boston", "Whitey Bulger's family filing wrongful death suit against DOJ", "Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Bureau of Prisons filed by family of Whitey Bulger", "UMass Chooses a Political Executive: The Politics of a Presidential Search", Transcript of William Bulger's congressional testimony, Romney Waged Battle to Oust Whitey Bulger's Brother, Embattled UMass President Says Goodbye to Students, "Bulger's ex-girlfriend talks about arrest", "Teresa Stanley, former Whitey moll, dies of lung cancer at 71", "Johnny Depp May Circle Back To Whitey Bulger Pic 'Black M The Playlist", "Who Should Play Whitey Bulger in Black Mass? "[43]:30 Kenny would later testify that Winter Hill enforcers Stephen Flemmi and John Martorano were in the car with Bulger. [20] Bulger, who was in a wheelchair, was beaten to death by inmates on October 30, 2018, within hours of his arrival at Hazelton. Apparently, the inmate was not motivated by any personal issues with Bulger, but commmitted the near-fatal assault so that he would be sent to solitary confinement, allegedly to avoid paying for drugs he had acquired from other prisoners. After listening to the pitch, Bulger is said to have responded, "Alright, if they want to play checkers, we'll play chess. So I don't know what he's doing". He was serving two life sentences for 11 murders when he was beaten to death, on the same day that he was transferred to the. In 2010, the FBI turned its focus to Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. According to Janis, Bulger was attacked by a fellow convict nicknamed "Retro", whose knife pierced Bulger's neck and skull, and sent him to the prison infirmary for a month. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture, Learn how and when to remove this template message, desegregate schools in the city of Boston, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, "Famed crime boss James 'Whitey' Bulger arrested in Santa Monica", "Whitey Bulger Is Arrested in California", "In South Boston, Mixed Memories of Whitey Bulger", "Convicted Mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger, 89, Found Dead In Prison", "FBI helped Bulger evade detection, ex-cop says", "Whitey Bulger arrest may revive old scandals", "Nabbed Gangster 'Whitey' Bulger Could Spill FBI Corruption Secrets", "James 'Whitey' Bulger's capture could cause trouble inside the FBI", "Capture Of Boston Gangster Could Mean More Scandal", "Mobster Whitey Bulger arrested in California", "One of America's Top Fugitives James 'Whitey' Bulger: Caught in Santa Monica", "Whitey Bulger, notorious Boston gangster, convicted in sweeping racketeering case; jury finds he participated in 11 murders", "Whitey Bulger transferred to federal prison in Florida", "Whitey Bulger moved from Florida prison to Oklahoma City transfer facility", "Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger killed in West Virginia prison a day after transfer", "Whitey Bulger Is Dead in Prison at 89; Long-Hunted Boston Mob Boss", "Prison drops visits after Whitey Bulger slaying", "Whitey Bulger Death: 3 Charged in Killing of Boston Mob Boss NBC Boston", "James 'Whitey' Bulger: Three men charged in mob boss murder", "Three men indicted in prison beating death of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger", "The Bulger Mystique Part 1. [38][39][40], In 1959, Bulger was briefly transferred to maximum security at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in California. It would be another six months before it became clearer. He later told mobster Kevin Weeks[35] that while there, he was used as a human subject in the CIA-sponsored MK-ULTRA program. The deadly series of events began on July . The disappearance of four young men took the media by storm, and it soon became a national headline. He'd never return to South Boston. "James 'Whitey' Bulger is captured but not in a bookstore". The death of the infamous mob boss is being treated as murder. This money was used to buy weapons for the IRA which would be shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in the trawler Valhalla. The convicted mobster and murderer died in prison in 2018. "I . Bulger was sentenced to a juvenile reformatory for these offenses. It was the morning of 30 October 2018 when Bulger - who had arrived at the federal prison just 12 hours earlier - was beaten to death with a heavy padlock inside a sock. Only it wasn't Paulie. Three men, including a Mafia hitman, have been indicted in the 2018 killing of notorious Boston mob boss James . In a long political career, William rose to become President of the Massachusetts Senate. [19], Bulger was transferred to several facilities in October 2018; first to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma and then to the United States Penitentiary, Hazelton, near Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. State and federal agencies were repeatedly stymied in their attempts to build cases against Bulger and his inner circle. The last nickname came from his habit of wearing cowboy boots, which he used to hide a switchblade. However, at that point, there was something different going on with him. it had been bullshit when Connolly told me that the files hadn't been disseminated, that they had been for his own personal use. Agents found "more than $800,000 in cash, 30 firearms, and fake IDs" at the apartment. [109] Massachusetts-based mafia hitman Fotios "Freddy" Geas was the primary suspect in orchestrating the killing of Bulger. [61], On November 17, 1999, Weeks was arrested by a combined force of the DEA and the Massachusetts State Police. Bulger was in a. "[122] In June 2003, William appeared before the committee, where he was grilled by legislators from both parties. [122] He testified: "I do not know where my brother is. Other agents were sent to stake out the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Normandy, as Bulger was reportedly an enthusiastic fan of military history. He said that during his days as a fugitive he often went back and forth across the border to Mexico to buy medicine for his heart disease. The 89-year-old Bulger was jailed in 2013 for the murder of 11 different . [74] Carmen Ortiz, U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said "she believes the death penalty is not an option in the federal charges Bulger faces in her district, but that he could face the death penalty for two cases outside the district". Bulger fathered one child, Douglas Glenn Cyr (19671973), during a 12-year relationship with Lindsey Cyr, a waitress and former fashion model living in North Weymouth, Massachusetts. Bulger met with Weeks at Malibu Beach in Dorchester, where Weeks brought Bulger's girlfriend, Catherine Greig. [17] On November 14, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus five years by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Weeks also said that Bulger enforced strict rules over the dealers who operated on his territory,[35]:156 strictly forbidding the use of PCP and selling drugs to children,[35]:179 adding that those dealers who refused to play by his rules were violently driven out of his turf. A staggering level of incompetence throughout the federal prison system led to notorious gangster Whitey Bulger's death in 2018 at the age of 89, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday. That night, however, Flemmi was arrested outside a Boston restaurant by the DEA. 'He was wearing green underwear and was in a green garbage bag. Are you going to take it up the ass for these guys? The Boston Police Department, operating on a tip, raided a butcher shop in South Boston co-owned by Bulger and two other Winter Hill members. Boston police detective Michael Flemmi, Stephen's brother, informed Weeks of the arrest. [31]:49 In May 1938, the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Project was opened in the neighborhood of South Boston. The 89-year-old was discovered unresponsive at the maximum security facility shortly. If he saw them coming, he would take them with him. ", "Fourth Superseding Indictment in Case Number 94-10287-MLW, United States v. Francis P. Salemme, et al", "Third Superseding Indictment in Case Number 99-10371-RGS, United States v. James J. Bulger, et al", "Search for Whitey Bulger turns to Canada". [20][106] At 8:20a.m. on October 30, the 89-year-old Bulger[107] was found dead. In response, Bulger fled Boston on December 23, 1994, accompanied by his common-law wife Theresa Stanley. [116] Bulger's death came as a relief to many Bostonians, especially for family members of his victims;[105] Steven Davis, whose sister Debra was reportedly killed by Bulger in 1981, stated that "[h]e died the way I hoped he always was going to die. Bulger was captured in California in 2011 after a 16-year manhunt. The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted 2-1 in favor of releasing John . One of the inmates sent to solitary . The cop who gave him the permit told him, 'I'm glad my last name is not Corsetti.' Donahue was shot in the head and killed instantly. ", "Black Mass: 9 Movie and TV Characters Inspired by Whitey Bulger", "Comic-Con: 'The Blacklist' Inspired by Whitey Bulger's Capture", "The Blacklist: Showrunner John Eisendrath Talks about the Show's Inspiration, Getting Inside the Mind of a Criminal, Casting James Spader, and More", Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld, Betrayal: Whitey Bulger and the FBI Agent Who Fought to Bring Him Down, "Top 10 Most Wanted Criminals in the World 2018", Court Ruling Denying Compensation to Victims Families, Bulger's FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Alert, "James 'Whitey' Bulger capture means on FBI's Most Wanted List, two down, eight to go", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Whitey_Bulger&oldid=1142774879, Two life sentences plus five years, forfeiture of $25.2, Bulger is mentioned considerably in the book, The character of Frank Costello (played by, "Notorious mob boss Whitey Bulger found dead in prison" from, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 08:47. 170 18K views 2 years ago The last known photos of late notorious gangster Whitey Bulger are being released for the first time, along with the story behind what happened while he was on the run. Although Bulger adamantly denied it, the FBI revealed that he had served as an informant for several years starting in 1975. Prosecutors allege that a mere 12 hours after Bulger arrived at USP Hazelton, he was found dead in his cell. Marshal. [108][112][113] Geas, 51, and his brother were sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for their roles in several violent crimes, including the 2003 killing of Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno, a Genovese crime family capo who was shot in a Springfield, Massachusetts parking lot. The subject that interests so many, the life and the activities of my brother James is painful and difficult for me. [31], In his memoirs, Weeks describes a clandestine meeting with Bulger and Greig in Chicago. [31], Weeks stated that, although several plans were considered, all were abandoned because there was too much risk of injuring Carr's wife and children. However, while awaiting trial in Rhode Island's Wyatt federal prison, Weeks was approached by a fellow inmate, a "made man" in the Patriarca family, who told him, "Kid, what are you doing? They were ruthless murderers, Whitey himself was hardened after several life events, like a stint in Alcatraz and the death of his only son. Connolly kept Bulger and Flemmi closely briefed on what Halloran was saying, specifically his claims, false according to Weeks, to having participated in the Tulsa, Oklahoma murder of businessman Roger Wheeler. [88] The criminal complaint against her alleges that she harbored a fugitive, Whitey Bulger. It is still unknown why Cosmo Dinardo and his accomplice Sean Kratz ended the lives of four men over marijuana deals, but there are some theories that can help explain why Dinardo devised his evil plan. "Don't worry about it", Bulger responded. [42]:123125. Even before he went on the run, he would always say, "Let's all go to hell together." [83], At about age 20, Greig married Robert "Bobby" McGonagle, a Boston firefighter. In his letter about the events that almost led to his death he wrote, "I thought someone was taking target practice at us. It was Donald. Nee arranged for the dispute to be mediated by Winter and Joseph Russo, caporegime of the Patriarca crime family in Rhode Island. As Donahue and Halloran drove out of the parking lot, Weeks signaled Bulger by stating, "The balloon is in the air" over a walkie-talkie. Flanked by Weeks and Flemmi, Bulger would inform each dealer that he had been offered a substantial sum in return for that dealer's assassination. "Whitey Bulger took over and my dad didn't like him. In the hours after Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger was found beaten to death in his prison cell, three inmates were hauled away to solitary confinement. Bulger then used black spray paint to scrawl "Bus Teddy" on the sidewalk outside of the national historic site.[46][47]. Washington The prison death of notorious Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger less than 12 hours after he arrived at a West Virginia prison was precipitated by several factors inadequate. Still, I wish I'd killed him. [citation needed], Greig met Bulger in her late 20s after she divorced Bobby McGonagle. Bulger's death . After his release, Bulger worked as a janitor and construction worker before becoming a bookmaker and loan shark under mobster Donald Killeen, whose gang, The Killeens, had dominated South Boston for over twenty years. After his retirement he was appointed President of the University of Massachusetts system. They also reported themselves unable to agree about the murder of Debra Davis, though Bulger had already been found liable for her death in a civil suit. [102] Bulger was indicted in Florida for the murder of Callahan and in Oklahoma for the murder of Roger Wheeler, and could have received the death penalty in those states. "[129] At six years of age, Douglas died from Reye syndrome after having a severe allergic reaction to an aspirin injection. The jury acquitted Bulger of killing Michael Milano, Al Plummer, William O'Brien, James O'Toole, Al Notorangeli, James Sousa and Francis Leonard. James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. (/ b l d r /; September 3, 1929 - October 30, 2018) was an American organized crime boss who led the Winter Hill Gang in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, a city directly northwest of Boston. Captured in 2011, he was later found guilty of federal racketeering . [102], In September 2014, Bulger entered the Coleman II United States Penitentiary in Sumterville, Florida. Casper. [35]:205206 In his 2006 memoir Weeks said that, although he was aware of the public outcry that would have followed, he regretted not murdering Carr. Later reports of a sighting in Italy in April 2007 proved false. The reporter who seemed to do the most research and put real effort into getting the true story without having been there was Shelley Murphy, who had been at the Herald for ten years when she went to work for the Globe in 1993. "People say Bulger liked to visit Santa Monica Pier", "Calif. cop: I knew he was here all along! [74][78] Senate president: A mix of family, Southie, power", "Ancestry offers Whitey and Billy Bulger", "Boston Crime Boss James 'Whitey' Bulger Wanted for Murder", "The CIA's Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A 'Poisoner In Chief', The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War, "I-Team: Whitey Bulger's Notebook Chronicles LSD Prison Testing", "Whitey bulger: i was a guinea pig for cia drug experiments", "Gangster's Life Lures Host of Storytellers", "Bulger linked to '70s antibusing attack", "New Book Offers Glimpse Into 'Whitey' Bulger's Early Years", "Gerard O'Neill, Boston Globe Investigative Reporter, Dies at 76", "A Voice for Those Silenced in a Mobster's Reign", Former State Police Lieutenant Convicted Of Obstruction, "Mob underling's tale of guns, drugs, fear", "Mike Barnicle: The best friend a gangster could have: When Whitey Bulger was at the peak of his power, he could always count on a friendly columnist to do his P.R. He was found by prison. Hailing from South Boston, Whitey entered a lifetime of crime at a young age and had become a prominent figure in Boston's organized crime scene by the late 1970s. After settling in Everett, Massachusetts, James Sr. married Jane Veronica "Jean" McCarthy,[27] a first-generation Irish immigrant. Casper told Bulger that such a sentence was necessary given his "unfathomable" crimes, some of which inflicted "agonizing" suffering on his victims. He was also ordered to forfeit $25.2million and pay $19.5million in restitution. [51]:206268, According to Weeks, when Bulger met with McIntyre in a South Boston house, he hoped to avoid murdering the informant and offered to send him to South America with money and the understanding that he was never to contact his family or friends again. And Jimmy saw it. The victim never testified, and all law enforcement documents were redacted of his full name; law enforcement had hoped he would cooperate fully and then go into witness protection. ", "Hearing this afternoon for fugitive mobster snared by FBI", "James 'Whitey' Bulger captured after 16 years on the run", "Mobster's run almost textbook case of evasion", "FBI used 'ruse' to lure mobster to his capture", "Tip That Led To Bulger Arrest Came From Iceland", "Death-penalty states waiting for bite of Bulger", "Bulger offers new details to authorities", "James "Whitey" Bulger Pleads Not Guilty to 48 Charges in Boston Court", "Bulger's former associate Kevin Weeks speaks out", "The long, unlikely journey of Cathy Greig", "A Gangster's Gal Was Loyal to the End of Life on the Run", "Pal: Catherine Greig had 'a thing' for boys on 'darker side's", "Whitey Bulger's Wily Girlfriend Catherine Greig", "Brockton lawyer Kevin Reddington hired to defend Catherine Greig", "Feds detail role of Catherine Greig, kin in life on run", "Catherine Greig attorney says she'll go to trial Quincy, MA", "Girlfriend gets 8 years for hiding 'Whitey' Bulger", 'Whitey' Bulger's Girlfriend Faces More Time for Her Silence, Judge sentences 'unapologetic' Catherine Greig to 21 months, 'Whitey' Bulger's girlfriend refuses to testify, "Jury in James 'Whitey' Bulger trial begins deliberations", "Bulger, guilty in 11 murders, will appeal", "Judge to 'Whitey' Bulger: Depravity of your crimes is unfathomable", "Okla., Fla. prosecutors: Bulger death penalty trial decisions after Boston sentencing", "James 'Whitey' Bulger moved to Oklahoma prison", "James 'Whitey' Bulger dead, had been moved to W. Va", "Whitey Bulger's Fatal Prison Beating: 'He Was Unrecognizable', "Notorious mob boss Whitey Bulger found dead in prison", "Mob Boss James 'Whitey' Bulger Beaten to Death With 'Lock-in-a-Sock', "Meet the mob hitman suspected of killing Whitey Bulger", Prison drops visits after Whitey Bulger slaying, "Whitey Bulger's eyes reportedly almost gouged out in deadly attack", "Notorious crime boss Whitey Bulger has been reportedly killed in prison", "Springfield hitman eyed in Whitey Bulger's slaying", "This mafia hitman, Fotios 'Freddy' Geas, hated 'rats'. Bulger was beaten to death at USP Hazelton in October 2018 hours after he was transferred from a prison in Florida, where he had been serving a life sentence for 11 murders and other crimes.. Whitey Bulger was a prominent figure in Boston's organized crime scene from the 1970s until the mid-'90s when he fled the area. Died: October 30, 2018 in a federal prison in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia Nicknames: Whitey, numerous aliases Associates: Winter Hill Gang, Patriarca Family, the FBI. [42]:127134[42] Soon after, Donald's sole surviving brother, Kenny, was jogging in Boston's City Point neighborhood when Bulger called him over to a car and said, "It's over. "[35]:233, In mid-November 1995, Weeks and Bulger met for the last time at the lion statues at the front of the New York Public Library Main Branch and adjourned for dinner at a nearby restaurant. No, no one's worried about him. Michael Donahue, a friend of Halloran's from Dorchester, incidentally ran into him at the restaurant. [76][77] His counseling was soon terminated, and he was transferred to the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida. KYW-TV, channel 3, is a CBS owned and operated television station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. I certainly always stand by him. At Coleman, Bulger started experiencing night terrors, which he attributed to the experiments he had taken part in while incarcerated in the 1950s, where he had been administered LSD. And he meant it. However, he was repeatedly unfaithful to her with a host of other women, and was often absent while overseeing the running of his organization. I would see, over and over again, that some of these people had been arrested for crimes that were mentioned in these reports. According to Weeks:[35]:236. FBI Agent John Morris was put in charge of the Organized Crime Squad at the FBI's Boston field office in December 1977. After the 1986 RICO indictment of Angiulo and his associates, the Patriarca family's Boston operations were in a shambles. On June 12, 2013, Bulger went on trial in South Boston's John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse before Judge Denise J. Casper on 32 counts of racketeering and firearms possession. No more warnings. "[35]:207, In his memoirs, Kevin Weeks related his participation in an attempt to assassinate reporter Howie Carr at his house in suburban Acton. When Bulger arrived at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson there were other famous inmates there, including Brian David Mitchell, Steven Dale Green and Montoya Snchez.[97]. According to Weeks's memoirs, in 1980 Boston Herald reporter Paul Corsetti began researching an article about Louis Litif's murder and Bulger's suspected involvement. It was more preparation than anything, getting ready for another life. On September 13, 1984, Bulger, Weeks and Nee supervised the loading of Valhalla. [123][124][125], John "Jackie" Bulger, a retired Massachusetts court clerk magistrate, was convicted in April 2003 of committing perjury in front of two grand juries regarding sworn statements he gave concerning contacts with his fugitive brother.[126]. And we all made him vulnerable. Tommy's problems began when he and Jimmy had worked in Triple O's. She worked as a dental hygienist. [87], Greig had been wanted by the FBI since 1999. "[105], Bulger is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in the Boston neighborhood of West Roxbury under the Bulger family headstone inscribed with the names of his parents. Whitey Bulger's father, James Joseph Bulger Sr., was from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), hailing from Irish parents. And now he wanted to kill a friend of Jimmy. BOSTON He was one of the most infamous criminals to ever be killed behind bars. A couple days later Jimmy told me about the scene with the cop and was glad to hear how uncomfortable he had made Corsetti. The 89-year-old was discovered unresponsive at the maximum security facility shortly . [33] By then he had joined a street gang known as the "Shamrocks" and would eventually be arrested for assault, forgery and armed robbery. that Bulger, in exchange for favorable treatment in sentencing, would have much to tell authorities about corruption at the local, state and federal levels, which allowed him to operate his criminal enterprise for so long. The operation had been compromised by IRA member Sean O'Callaghan, who was an informant for the Irish National Police. After the 1972 truce, Bulger and the Mullens were in control of South Boston's criminal underworld. Sometimes they took girls, sometimes just the two of them went. "[35]:53, At the time, Weeks was about to get married and, shortly before the wedding, informed Bulger that he was having difficulty finding a seat for Litif at the reception.