[102], In September 2014, Bulger entered the Coleman II United States Penitentiary in Sumterville, Florida. But I don't think they'll ever catch him. BOSTON (Reuters) - James "Whitey" Bulger's longtime partner in crime recalled on Friday how the mob boss killed the sidekick's girlfriend in 1981, strangling her after learning she knew about. Whitey Bulger, Notorious Mobster, Furious About 'Black Mass' Movie "People say Bulger liked to visit Santa Monica Pier", "Calif. cop: I knew he was here all along! 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. [87], Greig had been wanted by the FBI since 1999. [31], In 1980, Bulger was approached in Triple O's by Louis Litif, a Lebanese-American neighborhood bookmaker. Apparently, Louie had insisted that he'd come by himself and that nobody had driven him over. It was during the war that Bulger set out to commit what Weeks describes as Bulger's first murder, of Mullen member Paul McGonagle. 10 photos from outside 'Whitey' Bulger's South Boston funeral [51]:221223 Soon after, on May 11, 1982, Bulger, Flemmi, and Weeks were tipped off that Halloran had returned to South Boston. 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. According to authorities, the arrests were a "direct result" of the media campaign launched by the FBI in fourteen television markets across the country where Bulger and Greig reportedly had ties. "[35]:206. Boston gangster Whitey Bulger killed - IrishCentral.com He was tried on thirty-two counts of racketeering, money laundering, extortion and weapons charges, including complicity in nineteen murders. Whitey Bulger - Death, Family & Crimes - Biography Bulger and Flemmi stepped into the ensuing vacuum to take control of organized crime in the Boston area. Cyr awoke to a 3am phone call from a U-S Marshall Thursday that the man she had a child with and lived with for 12 years - James "Whitey" Bulger - had been caught after 16 years on the run. The convicted mobster and murderer died in prison in 2018. According to Weeks:[35]:236. The Killeens quickly found themselves outgunned and outmaneuvered by the younger Mullens. 3 men charged in connection with death of gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger Read about that story here. "Whitey loved being associated with the IRA and the cause of Irish freedom. What's up with the Whitey Bulger killing? : r/OutOfTheLoop - reddit Bulger was widely thought to have obtained his share of the jackpot illegitimately.[58]. 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. Donahue was survived by his wife and three sons. [45], "As a criminal, he made a point of only preying upon criminals And when things couldn't be worked out to his satisfaction with these people, after all the other options had been explored, he wouldn't hesitate to use violence. [64] In pursuit of Bulger, a known book lover, the FBI visited bookstores in the area, questioned employees and distributed wanted posters. However, the nickname "Whitey" stuck. Bulger met with Weeks at Malibu Beach in Dorchester, where Weeks brought Bulger's girlfriend, Catherine Greig. In April 1994, a joint task force of the DEA, the Boston Police, and the Massachusetts State Police launched a probe of Bulger's illegal gambling operations. In January 1968, after Hubert "Smitty" Smith, an . [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]. Bulger declined to seek bail and remained in custody. Billy said, 'Don't worry about it. There is simply no other explanation for the transfer of someone in his condition and inmate status to be placed in the general population of one of the country's most violent federal penitentiaries. However, Connolly failed to win Bulger's trust. Family of man eyed in 'Whitey' Bulger's death calls for his release Cape accident victim's life a tale of alcoholism, homelessness, family Early in his criminal career, local police gave Bulger the nickname "Whitey" because of his blond hair. His family, and Halloran's, eventually filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. government after learning that Connolly had informed Bulger of Halloran's informant status. Bulger was captured in California in 2011 after a 16-year manhunt. [83] Greig grew up in Boston and had an identical twin sister, Margaret, and a younger brother, David. [32] The Bulger family moved in and the children grew up there. I also knew that Jimmy wouldn't go to trial. Police officers found the employee hanging from a beef rack, having been severely tortured and held for more than six days. [82] Weeks added that he is not afraid of Bulger, and that the residents of Boston should not be either: "I don't think he's Pablo Escobar where he can just walk out of his prison cell and come to South Boston or anywhere. 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.. [49], In February 1979, federal prosecutors indicted numerous members of the Winter Hill Gang, including boss Howie Winter, for fixing horse races. However, at that point, there was something different going on with him. [128] According to Cyr, "He used to say that there were four people he would turn up on a street corner for: Douglas, me, Billy, or his mother. ET): Sean McKinnon was one of three men indicted on Thursday in Whitey Bulger's death. In 1993 and 1994, before the pinches came down, Jimmy and Stevie were traveling on the French and Italian Riviera. After listening to the pitch, Bulger is said to have responded, "Alright, if they want to play checkers, we'll play chess. Although Bulger adamantly denied it, the FBI revealed that he had served as an informant for several years starting in 1975. Bulger had also set up safe deposit boxes containing cash, jewelry and passports in locations across North America and Europe, including Florida, Oklahoma, Montreal, Dublin, London, Birmingham and Venice. [34], Shortly after his release in April 1948, Bulger joined the United States Air Force, but he had not reformed. Whitey Bulger's Chilling Death Certificate Confirms How He - HuffPost This was caused by several factors. On September 13, 1984, Bulger, Weeks and Nee supervised the loading of Valhalla. If he had a gun on him, he would go out in a blaze of glory rather than spend the rest of his life in jail. I can't believe he's so chatty right now. Bulger and Flemmi were left out of the indictments. The four men shared a prize of around US$14million. [105] Bulger was also in poor health, as he was unable to walk and had a damaged hip, often falling out of bed. The jury acquitted Bulger of killing Michael Milano, Al Plummer, William O'Brien, James O'Toole, Al Notorangeli, James Sousa and Francis Leonard. Bulger refused to sanction this, but Litif vowed to proceed. At one point, FBI agents were sent to Uruguay to investigate a lead. [74] In Oklahoma, where Bulger is alleged to have ordered the killing of businessman Roger Wheeler Sr., in 1981, Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said, "It is our intention to bring Bulger to justice and to be held accountable for the murder of Mr. How Did Gangster Whitey Bulger Die? - A&E True Crime "[82], Bulger's companion during his years as a fugitive was his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig (born April 3, 1951), who was nearly 22 years his junior. Bulger was bleeding profusely when he was found by prison authorities at 8:20 Tuesday morning. [83], At about age 20, Greig married Robert "Bobby" McGonagle, a Boston firefighter. The FBI, by this time considered compromised, was not informed. In response, Bulger fled Boston on December 23, 1994, accompanied by his common-law wife Theresa Stanley. [] I remember that we were walking out of the hospital the night that he died, and he was holding my hand. They didn't ask me to go, not that I would have wanted to. Bulger reminisced fondly about his time hiding out with a family in Louisiana. Still, I wish I'd killed him. "[129] At six years of age, Douglas died from Reye syndrome after having a severe allergic reaction to an aspirin injection. During the return voyage, the Irish Navy stopped Marita Ann and seized the hidden arsenal, arresting IRA members Martin Ferris, Mike Browne, and John Crawley. Carr has been among the most aggressive critics of the Bulger brothers, Whitey and Billy, for their careers in the Boston area; among his works is the book The Brothers Bulger, detailing the Bulger brothers' 25-year period of controlling Boston politics and the Boston underworld. [1][13][14][15] Bulger and Greig were then extradited to Boston and taken to court under heavy guard. However, when Carr came out the front door holding the hand of his young daughter, Weeks could not bring himself to shoot. According to retired FBI agent Scott Bakken, "Here you have somebody who is far more sophisticated than some 18-year-old who killed someone in a drive-by. [93], In September 2015, Greig was indicted on a charge of criminal contempt stemming from her refusal to testify before a grand jury about whether other people aided Bulger while he was a fugitive. In 1990, Shea and his associates were arrested at the end of an investigation by the DEA, the Boston Police, and the Massachusetts State Police. Bulger's death certificate was released by NBC10 Boston on Thursday and it confirmed that Bulger's cause of death was "Blunt Force Injuries of the Head" that he sustained while after was "Assaulted by other (s)" in his . Notorious mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger killed inside prison Most of South Boston's cocaine and marijuana trafficking was under the control of a crew led by mobster John Shea. Bulger was killed less than 12 hours after his transfer to the US Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia from another facility, according to the report. There was no way that would be allowed. "[122] He added: "while I worried about my brother, I now recognize that I didn't fully grasp the dimensions of his life. He was formerly an influential leader of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. [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. James "Whitey" Bulger, the murderous Boston gangster who benefited from a corrupt relationship with the FBI before spending 16 years as one of America's most wanted men, has died in 'He was wearing green underwear and was in a green garbage bag. [12] He was apprehended along with his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, outside an apartment complex in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011. Prisoner in solitary since Whitey Bulger's murder speaks out: 'I'm an 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. So Jimmy decided to kill him. How the FBI tracked down Whitey Bulger after 16 years - New York Post I think he liked the legitimacy a political cause gave him," Whitey pal Patrick Nee recalled. In a long political career, William rose to become President of the Massachusetts Senate. Bulger's death . In a decision that would prove costly to him, Donahue offered Halloran a ride home. Connolly kept telling me that 90 percent of the information in the files came from Stevie. [31]:49 In May 1938, the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Project was opened in the neighborhood of South Boston.