McIntyre implicated Bulger in the botched smuggling to FBI agent Roderick Kennedy, but Kennedy "insisted that [Bulger's handler] Connolly overheard him talking about someone on the Valhalla cooperating". [31], In 1956, Bulger served his first term in federal prison at Atlanta Penitentiary for armed robbery and truck hijacking. Douglas Glenn Cyr was the only child of Whitey Bulger. [citation needed] The seizure marked the complete end of any major attempt by the IRA to smuggle guns out of the United States, which ended three years earlier with the arrest of the primary IRA's gunrunner George Harrison by the FBI. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon greets fans during Day 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm Up in St. Louis on January 20, 2019. No more warnings. The last nickname came from his habit of wearing cowboy boots, which he used to hide a switchblade. [43]:54 Morris not only proved himself unable to rein in Connolly's protection of Bulger, but even began assisting him. 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. In any interviews that Cyr has given over the years, she has always spoken very highly of Bulger. She did so a short while later. 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. ", "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=1152429028, 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 30 April 2023, at 05:22. "He probably won't show. Woburn man, 46, dies after attack in Downtown Crossing on St. Patrick's Day A 46-year-old Woburn resident who was found lying unconscious March 17 after a beating in Boston's Downtown Crossing. There was no way that would be allowed. "[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. By definition, his was a secretive life. He is 12 years of my life. In 2010, the FBI turned its focus to Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. Halloran lived long enough to identify his attacker as Bulger associate James Flynn, who was later tried and acquitted. [60] On May 23, 2001, Bulger, along with Stephen and Michael Flemmi, were charged in a 48-count federal indictment with racketeering, murder, and other crimes. In a 2004 interview, Winter recalled that the highly intelligent Bulger "could teach the devil tricks". In June 2012, Greig pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, identity fraud, and conspiracy to commit identity fraud, receiving a sentence of eight years in prison. "People say Bulger liked to visit Santa Monica Pier", "Calif. cop: I knew he was here all along! Guards immediately undertook lifesaving measures, officials said, but he was pronounced dead.
Watchdog finds prison failures before Whitey Bulger killing hours after According to Weeks:[35]:236. The Killeens quickly found themselves outgunned and outmaneuvered by the younger Mullens. David Wheeler's father Roger was shot on Bulger's orders in 1982
How Did Gangster Whitey Bulger Die? - A&E True Crime 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. 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. [86] Greig's younger brother David, a close associate of Bulger, was found shot dead on Cape Cod in an apparent suicide. In a 2004 interview, Stanley stated that she was planning to publish her memoirs;[44] however, she died of lung cancer in 2012 at the age of 71.[133]. Weeks, a bouncer at the bar, said, "He wasn't a big guy, maybe five seven and 185 pounds. I do not know where he has been over the past eight years. Bulger was annoyed when he learned that the IRA members he supplied had burned the van that contained the weapons. [114] According to ABC News, Bulger's medical status had been lowered on October 8, 2018, shortly before he was transferred. Bulger loved his son and the two were very close, according to Cyr. Bulger and Flemmi were instead named as unindicted co-conspirators. FBI Special Agent John Connolly was assigned to make the pitch. Nicknamed "Whitey" as a child because of his white-blond hair. [2][3] On December 23, 1994, Bulger fled the Boston area and went into hiding after his former FBI handler, John Connolly, tipped him off about a pending RICO indictment against him. He had been stabbed with an ice pick and shot. In a sit-down at Chandler's nightclub in Boston's South End, the Mullens were represented by Nee and King, and the Killeens by Bulger. [1][13][14][15] Bulger and Greig were then extradited to Boston and taken to court under heavy guard. [56] Valhalla rendezvoused 120 nautical miles (220km; 140mi) off the west coast of Ireland with the Marita Ann, an IRA ship that had sailed from Tralee. He would have gotten lung cancer. [75][76] The Boston Globe identified the tipster as Anna Bjrnsdttir, a former model, actress, and Miss Iceland 1974, who lived in Bulger's neighborhood. She worked as a dental hygienist. 'He was color coordinated,' Jimmy told me. [118] In January 2022, U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey dismissed the lawsuit, ruling federal law did not allow his family the right to sue Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials because Congress expressly puts custody of inmates in the hands of the BOP, and "has repeatedly limited judicial authority to review BOP housing decisions and to entertain claims brought by prisoners. In 1993 and 1994, before the pinches came down, Jimmy and Stevie were traveling on the French and Italian Riviera. [35]:167, It would not be until the 1999 cooperation of Weeks that Bulger, by then a fugitive, was conclusively linked to the drug trade by investigators. New details are emerging about the prison murder of notorious Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger and who may have been behind it. [132] Bulger bought her an expensive house in suburban Quincy, Massachusetts, and acted as father to her children while commuting to "work" in South Boston. Bulger, realizing he was on the losing side, secretly approached Howie Winter, the leader of the Winter Hill Gang, and claimed he could end the war by murdering the Killeen leadership. .
Whitey Bulger's Chilling Death Certificate Confirms How He - HuffPost [43]:5 Three years later, Bulger partnered with Flemmi, an Italian-American mobster who had been an FBI informant since 1965. According to an excerpt of a book on Bulger published by Boston magazine, Bulger only made one friend during his post-sentencing detention,[97] Clement "Chip" Janis, a young convict who was trusted to run art classes for other convicts. [citation needed], Greig met Bulger in her late 20s after she divorced Bobby McGonagle. Whitey Bulger, the notorious and colorful Boston mobster whose life was captured on the big screen, has died in a federal prison and - according to TMZ - the death was gruesome and brutal.. 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. 'He was wearing green underwear and was in a green garbage bag. His eyes had nearly been gouged out and his tongue almost cut off;[108][109][110] a law enforcement official described Bulger as "unrecognizable". [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. He had to give it up. After arriving at the scene, Weeks staked out the Anthony's Pier 4 restaurant, where Halloran was dining. He was formerly an influential leader of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. But in the long run, Jimmy and I got sidetracked and the maggot lived. [43]:288289,291293 Federal judge Mark L. Wolf granted Cardinale's motion on May 22, 1997. He quietly served a long prison sentence and refused to admit to having paid protection money to Bulger, Flemmi and Weeks. During the discovery phase, Salemme and DeLuca were listening to a tape from a roving bug, which is normally authorized when the FBI has no advance knowledge of where criminal activity will take place.
Whitey Bulger's prison warden: 'I think he wanted to die' - NBC News On January 5, 1995, Bulger prepared to return to Boston, believing that it had been a false alarm. Bulger then ran away withCatherine Greig, according to Biography. But I don't think they'll ever catch him. Bulger did not have any other children. Douglas died at the age of 6 from Reye's Syndrome. Part of me does [still love him]. But, Connolly told me, he had to put Jimmy's name on the files to keep his file active. [16] The racketeering counts included allegations that Bulger was complicit in 19 murders. Jimmy drove straight to his mentor Billy O'Sullivan's house on Savin Hill Avenue and told O'Sullivan 'I shot the wrong one. In 1982, a South Boston cocaine dealer named Edward Brian Halloran, known on the streets as "Balloonhead", approached the FBI and stated that he had witnessed Bulger and Flemmi murdering Litif. He'd never return to South Boston. Family members, including his brother, former Massachusetts state Senate president William M. Bulger, and the twin sister of Catherine Greig attended. Connolly confirmed Bulger's suspicions of McIntyre, leading Bulger and Flemmi to consider murdering McIntyre for his betrayal. Tommy King, in 1975, was one example. After his 2011 arrest, federal prosecutors tried Bulger for nineteen murders based on grand jury testimony from Kevin Weeks and other former criminal associates. He would not be arrested again for forty-six years.[41]. "[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. 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. I want to see him well protected. Here's what we know. The notorious gangster died of "blunt force injuries to the head" after being assaulted by multiple people, according to his death. [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. Jimmy shot him right between the eyes.
How did a potential Whitey Bulger witness die? Boston buzzing. Michael Donahue, a friend of Halloran's from Dorchester, incidentally ran into him at the restaurant. "James 'Whitey' Bulger is captured but not in a bookstore". Tommy's second and last mistake had been getting into the car with Jimmy, Stevie, and Johnny Martorano. "[35]:9091, In 1979, Winter was arrested, along with many members of his inner circle, on charges of fixing horse races. 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. If he needs help getting attorneys and what have you, I'd be happy to help him. Bulger's life had many women - and not just Lindsay Cyr, whose affair with Bulger produced a son, Douglas Glenn Cyr, in 1967. On June 12, 2012, she was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. [79] In Florida, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said, "After a 16-year delay, I will be working to ensure that a Miami jury has the opportunity to look [Bulger] in the eyes and determine his fate". UPI. They just knocked the people from Southie during busing. Tommy's problems began when he and Jimmy had worked in Triple O's. 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. He wanted another opportunity to "finish the job," but Bulger advised him to forget about Howie Carr. Bulgers life on the run ended in June 2011, when he was caught and arrested in Santa Monica, California, after a 16-year manhunt. "[122] In June 2003, William appeared before the committee, where he was grilled by legislators from both parties. [35]:xvixvii In 1997, shortly after The Boston Globe disclosed that Bulger and Flemmi had been informants, Weeks met with Connolly, who showed him a photocopy of Bulger's FBI informant file. "The next day, Corsetti reported the meeting to the Boston police. That night, as always, he was talking in his obnoxious loud voice.
FBI Agent John Connolly And His Alliance With Whitey Bulger Still, I wish I'd killed him. He told Weeks, "Every day out there is another day I beat them. James "Whitey" Bulger in his June 23, 2011, booking photo. After an eight-month effort by prison officials to move the 89-year-old mob boss, he was killed at a federal prison in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, in October 2018, allegedly beaten multiple. [] I remember that we were walking out of the hospital the night that he died, and he was holding my hand. It would be another six months before it became clearer. [51]:216 Connolly reported that Halloran was shopping this information to the FBI for a chance for him and his family to be placed in the Witness Protection Program. This bloody mob war shined a large spotlight on Morris and triggered an internal investigation within the FBI. Reyes syndrome most often affects children and teenagers recovering from a viral infection, most commonly the flu or chickenpox. Bulger soon resumed his criminal activities, and in 1956 he was convicted for a string of bank robberies committed in three states. James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious and much-feared former Boston mob boss, was killed by blunt force injuries to the head, according to his death certificate, which was made public Thursday. To be a successful fugitive you have to cut all contacts from your previous life. "[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. The Killeens were led by three brothersDonnie, Kenny and Eddiealong with Billy O'Sullivan and Jack Curran.
Whitey Bulger - Death, Family & Crimes - Biography Flynn remained the prime suspect until 1999, when Weeks agreed to cooperate with investigators and identified Bulger as one of the shooters. whitey bulger son cause of death. Bulger and Flemmi stepped into the ensuing vacuum to take control of organized crime in the Boston area.
How did Whitey Bulger die who killed him? The latest In response, Bulger fled Boston on December 23, 1994, accompanied by his common-law wife Theresa Stanley. "[122] William said that the only contact with his brother during the fugitive years was a short telephone call in January 1995, shortly after his brother was indicted. [97] Whether Bulger was targeted randomly or deliberately is not known. Bulger declined to seek bail and remained in custody. 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. The FBI had the building manager lure Bulger to the garage of the apartment by telling him the lock on his storage locker was broken. [Bulger] talked to him about everything [and] listened to Douglas opinions as if he really needed to know, Cyr told CBS Boston. "[122] He added: "while I worried about my brother, I now recognize that I didn't fully grasp the dimensions of his life.
Whitey Bulger - The Mob Museum [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. Jimmy had prepared for the run for years. Thus, the reign of one of American history's most unexpected criminal duos one of the Boston Mob's leading members and the "dapper" FBI agent who did more to take down the . [83], At about age 20, Greig married Robert "Bobby" McGonagle, a Boston firefighter. [94] Greig's attorney recommended 12 months in prison, while prosecutorsciting Greig's "unrepentant obstruction"asked for 37 months. Of Arab descent, he had a mustache like Saddam Hussein. [16] The trial lasted two months and included the testimony of 72 witnesses; the jury began deliberations August 6. Wheeler". Although Bulger adamantly denied it, the FBI revealed that he had served as an informant for several years starting in 1975. [19] In October 2018, he was transferred to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City,[103] and then a few days later to the Federal Penitentiary in West Virginia. He was 81 years old at the time of the arrest. Investigators have reportedly identified Fotios. On July 7, 1996, a federal grand jury in Boston returned a 29-count indictment against Bulger and four other leaders of the Winter Hill Gang and the Patriarca Family; Bulger was indicted on 13 counts of racketeering. Apparently, Louie had insisted that he'd come by himself and that nobody had driven him over.
Mike Shannon dies, hometown star became voice of the Cardinals | STLPR He explained to me thathe was involved in loan sharking and gambling, and he was organizing things that were a little dangerous and pregnancy didnt fit. [99] Following the verdict, Bulger's attorneys J. W. Carney Jr. and Hank Brennan vowed to appeal, citing Casper's ruling which prevented Bulger from claiming he had been given immunity. Bulger's trial began in June 2013. Early life. [5][6][7] Beginning in 1997, press reports exposed various instances of criminal misconduct by federal, state, and local officials with ties to Bulger, causing embarrassment to several government agencies, especially to The subject that interests so many, the life and the activities of my brother James is painful and difficult for me. [122] Following this testimony, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney waged an extended and ultimately successful effort to get William to resign from the presidency of the University of Massachusetts, which he finally did in August 2003. A gang war resulted, leading to a string of killings throughout Boston and the surrounding suburbs. 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 other Bulger children, William Bulger and John P. Bulger, excelled at school; James Bulger Jr. became drawn into street life. [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. It was during the war that Bulger set out to commit what Weeks describes as Bulger's first murder, of Mullen member Paul McGonagle.
whitey bulger son cause of death - unbox.tw [66] A confirmed report by an off-duty Boston police officer after a San Diego screening of The Departed also led to a search in southern California that lasted "a few weeks". Their son died at the age of six from Reye syndrome after having an allergic reaction to an aspirin injection in. This earned Shea a legendary reputation in South Boston. Whitey Bulger Murder trial, conviction, and sentencing [ edit] In 2005, Connolly was indicted on murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges in the 1982 slaying of John B. Callahan and the 1981 murder of Roger Wheeler, owner of the World Jai Alai sporting corporation. Reyes (Reye) syndrome is a rare but serious condition that causes swelling in the liver and brain. He would rather plead out to a life sentence than put his family through the embarrassment of a trial. Douglas Glenn Cyr, Whitey Bulgers Son: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Bulger only had one son,Douglas Glenn Cyr, who was born whilst Bulger wasclimbing the ranks of the Winter Hill gang in South Boston. Tommy, who was a Mullins, made a fist. Bulger was able to begin taking part in counseling with a prison psychologist at the Tucson facility. [49], In February 1979, federal prosecutors indicted numerous members of the Winter Hill Gang, including boss Howie Winter, for fixing horse races. Whitey Bulger did indeed participate in an LSD testing program in the 1950s in prison . Born: September 3, 1929, Boston, Mass. At the end of our dinner, he seemed more aware of everything around him. In order to explain Bulger and Flemmi's status as informants, Connolly said, "The Mafia was going against Jimmy and Stevie, so Jimmy and Stevie went against them. If he saw them coming, he would take them with him. His counseling was soon terminated, and he was transferred to the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida. Those guys have been giving up everyone for thirty years. "[35]:207, In his memoirs, Kevin Weeks related his participation in an attempt to assassinate reporter Howie Carr at his house in suburban Acton. A couple days later Jimmy told me about the scene with the cop and was glad to hear how uncomfortable he had made Corsetti. [51]:221223 Soon after, on May 11, 1982, Bulger, Flemmi, and Weeks were tipped off that Halloran had returned to South Boston. Although it is a documented fact that Bulger soon followed Flemmi's example, exactly how and why continues to be debated. The two fled together, but Stanley wanted to return home to her children. Agents found "more than $800,000 in cash, 30 firearms, and fake IDs" at the apartment. [31], Bulger and Stanley spent the next three weeks traveling to New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco before Stanley decided that she wanted to return to her children. During the most violent period of The Troubles, sympathy for Irish nationalism and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) was very common in South Boston, as were efforts to raise money and smuggle weapons for the IRA's campaign against the British presence in Northern Ireland. Even after he retired, Connolly still had friends in the FBI, and he and Jimmy kept meeting to let each other know what was going on. On June 3, Paul E. Coffey, the head of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Department of Justice, gave a sworn statement admitting that Bulger had been an FBI informant. He would then demand a large cash payment as the price of not killing them. [33] By then he had joined a street gang known as the "Shamrocks" and would eventually be arrested for assault, forgery and armed robbery.