Author T.J. English’s Ill Advised Foray into the Great Whitey Myth: 5 of 5

The problem with coming to Boston with little knowledge of the truth as English did makes him end up writing: “The framing of innocent citizens in a capital-murder case by withholding evidence and suborning perjury – all to protect notorious criminals who were government informants – became the dirty secret of federal law enforcement in New England . . . .” 

Ignorance is bliss; it also allows the spreading of scurrilous rumors that ignorant people accept.  English would continue, “it is difficult to know how many . . . assistant U.S. attorneys . . . were in on the conspiracy.” 

Hardly is that difficult. The answer is none. They had nothing to do with the prosecution of he Deegan case. There is no showing any federal prosecutor knew about the evidence that was being offered in the case. Two agents of the FBI might have known, Paul Rico and Dennis Condon. They might have known that Barboza was giving his friend Jimmy “the Bear” Flemmi a pass and putting Joe Salvati a guy he did not like in his place. As for the rest of five defendants, the had no reason to figure he was lying if in fact he was. The Massachusetts Supreme Court reviewed the evidence and found it sufficient to uphold the conviction of all the defendants.

English quoted the convicted perjurer Robert Fitzpatrick as part of his sources. He seemed oblivious of the background of the tales Fitzpatrick was spinning. English confuses Jeremiah O’Sullivan’s “You got me” in answer to a question about whether he had corroborating evidence against Whitey at the time of the Race Fixing indictment with O’Sullivan’s denial he knew Whitey was an informant. O’Sullivan admitted he knew Whitey was an informant. He was told about it at the time he was preparing the Race Fix case.

Without showing any nexus, English suggests “protecting Bulger and Flemmi became a way of repressing this explosive history:” referring to the Deegan case. How does that make sense when they had no connection to that 1965 case?

English goes on “Whitey and Stevie became the keepers of the Justice Department’s dirty little secret.” How is that possible? If there is a “dirty little secret” they did not know about it.

English’s loose language and not understanding the background of the case or the people involved had him come to Boston to cover the trial with a warped understanding of the background. It shows the truthfulness of Alexander Pope’s statement: “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”

English in the book he wrote after Whitey’s trial tells us of his close relationship with Pat Nee, mentioned earlier who didn’t protect his partners from being murdered because he would benefit from their deaths; Kevin Weeks, John Martorano, and Jim Martorano, the former two became stool pigeons against Whitey. Not an unbiased crew. Hardly the people you would go to in order to get the truth or an impartial story.

He adds his thanks to those criminals at the end of his book as well as what he calls his sources:Teresa Stanley (Whitey’s other girlfriend now deceased), Joe Salvati (the one innocent guy in the Deegan case), Anthony Cardinale (a lawyer for the Mafia), Robert Fitzpatrick (the FBI agent convicted of perjury), Thomas Foley (former state trooper who was duped by the FBI), Steve Davis (brother of Stevie Flemmi’s victim), John Connolly and Janet Uhlar (the juror who wrote the book.) He mentions Paul Griffin, Richard Marinick and Marilyn DiSilva none of whom I can finger.

Then English lists a plethora of names as people who helped him “separate fact from fiction” who from what I have seen were not too good at that. Among those are the hoodlums mentioned above as well as Howie Carr. He was in good company.

9 Comments

  1. Matt
    For the record it seems Flemmi and Martorano were the most murderous and psychopathic out of all the New England organized crime history. Thanks again.

  2. Matt
    This message is in response to the detailed one you wrote in part 2 of the TJ English book analysis:

    Something doesnt make sense to me about Pat Nee being in agreement with Bulger to off his partners in crime. Why would Nee need Bulger to do his dirty work? Why wouldnt nee just murder McGonagle and King and Leonard himself?

    Do you know of any bookies who fought back against being strong armed? Were there any gangsters who were violent but also bookies?

    Would Bulger have needed Greig if he had left the States? I imagine he needed her in the States because he was worried about being seen and wanted to expose himself as little as possible to the public. But the irony is he was caught because of Greig. With Bulger cash stash he could have paid a young lady to work as an assistant. Especially in California and off the books no less no? Sure Bulger had insecurities because he didnt want to get caught by law enforcement.

    Why do you suppose bookies feared Flemmi more than Bulger? Both were capable killers.

    Have you read Rifleman by Howie Carr yet? I know you cant stand him as an author but unlike Hitman the book is based on what Flemmi told the Feds when he made his deal. If anyone would know what parts are lies it would be you Matt. Excluding the women Flemmi most likely killed I wonder if he fed other lies to the Feds concerning his murders and the reasons for other murders during the Irish gang war.

    Its amazing Catherine Greig didnt break and decided to serve her years in jail.

    • Jerome:

      Look at it this way, if Nee was such a tough guy what did he think was happening when his partner’s were murdered or disappeared. You think he didn’t know that was happening. Do you think he figured out what was happening. Do you think he might have been in with Whitey in the matterr? Remember, we don’t know much of what Nee did. Kevin Weeks made a deal that he would not testify against him; John Martorano made the same deal. Weeks had the guy in the car with Whitey when he murdered Halloran as someone with a ski mask who he didn’t know – you believe that. Flemmi testified it was Nee.

      Now turn to Nee’s book. He tells about the truce at Chandler’s restaurant in 1972. He and Tommy King met with Whitey under the umbrella of more powerful criminals. They formed an alliance: “everything was split right down the middle” between Whitey and the MUllins. He then goes into the much worn out tale of the history of Ireland and how he decided to help the IRA. He writes: “Whitey and I were in complete control of South Boston, but now he introduced Stevie “The Rifleman” Flemmi into the equation.”

      Now you may ask what happened to Tommy King and Paulie McGonagle and Buddy Leonard the first two were also leaders in the Mullins. McGonagle murdered in 1974, King and Leonard in 1975. What does Nee say about it in his book. Nothing. They are never mentioned again after the 1972 Chandler’s meeting. Think there was a reason he forgot about them. Wouldn’t telling how he felt and reacted after that be an important part of his story. He wouldn’t do it himself because none of the Southie guys acted alone. They always needed help. Whitey never acted by himself. It is likely that Nee participated in those murders so he wants it not to be recalled.

      Bookies were not violent guys. I probable indicted well over 100. None were tough guys. Most were guys earning a little extra on the side. Even guys like Joey Yeradi or Michael Desotell who were highly connected weren’t much more than wise guys who did little harm. It’s not such a glamorous job. It can pay well but the excitement is limited. The strong armed guys usually lent the money and did not have the patience to sit at a desk for up to six hours a day. Off hand I’m sure some violent gangsters were bookies but they would be in the minority. I’m thinking of the guy who killed one of Angiulo’s bookies trying to muscle in on Gerry’s operation.

      Bulger needed Greig because he did not like being alone. Nee said of him that he rarely crossed the bridges out of Southie. He was a real homebody and needed the home connection. He would not have trusted any young lady. His insecurities didn’t stem from fear of being caught but fear of being by himself.

      Flemmi was considered more violent than Bulger from what I can tell. Flemmi was a more effective killer having earned his bones in the gang war like going up to McLauglin at a bus stop and shooting him in cold blood. Whitey could never have done that.

      I read Refleman but don’t remember much about it. I read Flemmi’s testimony to the federal investigators. I’ll have to go bck and read it again and compare it to his Congressional testimony. Yes, it is amazing that the only stand up person in this whole episode is a woman Catherine Greig. I do think that she might have been prepared to do time after living with Whitey in Santa Monica for all those years. Prison cannot be too much different than that.

      • Matt
        Great insights. My question about Nee was why didn’t he kill his partners alone. I think you addressed that in your reply. But let’s say Nee was well aware Whitey killed his partners. Well wouldn’t New be worried that Whitey would kill him? Actually what prevented New from killing Whitey? I am asking this based on assumption that the killings of Need partner s was money. Is it possible New knew Bulger was an informant and vice versa?

        Is it also possible Weeks and Martorano didn’t mention New cause they were both informed that New was an informant? I mean if the Feds told Weeks and Martorano they had to give up Nee for less jail time I don’t see them saying No.

        The thing most fascinating about Flemmi is he survived the Irish Gang War. What do you attribute this too? Amazing Flemmi killed so many fellow criminals personally and plotted so many other murders. I believe his armed forces training and combat gave him an edge. Possibly learned he could kill without remorse at young age.

        Was Flemmi more out and about in public than Bulger?

  3. You know, I recall Tuck telling me, when he was a Frosh at Yale, that he recalls Kavanaugh was at a party where guys were smoking black hashish, opium tinged hash, and he remembers very clearly that it was Kavanaugh who passed the small black hash pipe to him; he remembers this more clearly after consulting with lawyers and psychologists at Harvard.

    I do not make light of this. These are serious allegations against teenagers. All in Congress/Government Service who’ve every engaged in such actions should immediately resign or be wired. We, Orwell’s Big Brother, encourages snitches, especially those with refreshed memories of twenty to thirty to forty years or older, to immediately come forward.

  4. Yes, the lesson, however, was not learned that even career criminal gangsters must be given due process and fair trials, and witnesses making up stories should not be condoned by anyone, State or FED.
    But the FEDs in Boston, alone, have persecutorially prosecuted many with perjurious witnesses.
    And today in DC, we see a nominee to the highest court being Bold Faced lied about by vicious media, cowardly Congresspersons and other cowardly Pols, based on the uncorroborated, manufactured, vaguely recollected, 35 year old memories of FEMs with Axes to Grind.
    It is Orwellian . . . how the Leftist’s Propaganda machines seek to destroy good men.

    Off with their heads, those men who used the phrase “pubic hair on coke cans” or those drunken teenagers who tried to get to second base or who dropped trow, or who were a bit too quick on the draw or too quick with their hands. Let them all be fired from their jobs and/or resign from their Offices those conservative men (not liberal men) who in the heat of the moment in their teenage years, especially in high school and college, have dared put their bodies next to a coed. And let’s broaden this sanction and apply it across the board to all men and all women who while teenagers engaged in any offensive act . . . .these acts should disqualify all from Office and Job . . .the All the Leftists decide to single out at any given moment.

    It is Animal Farm, it is 1984, it is Camus’ framing/persecution/pilloring, execution of the innocent, and the Masses echo the Queen: “Off with their heads.”

  5. Tough room !!!

  6. Salvati the only innocent !!

    None of the others were involved in the murder but apparently because of their other suspected activities it’s ok to send them to prison for s crime they didn’t commit.

    And you were a prosecutor, frightening.

  7. Matt :

    Marinick is the ex-Statie who wrote BOYOS , which was one of the first of the books to exploit the market for all things gangster and South Boston in the late Nineties.

    I believe he left the Staties late Sixties because he got sick of the pay. He did time for some sort of bank or armed robbery heist where he got chased through the Berkshires in a hotbox at three in the morning. He says he wrote the book , a startling literary production some considered , sitting up in M St. Park on sunny afternoons and communicating with his muse . In any event he is not the grifter and serious liar Mackenzie is, but he is a …. Boyo …. by his own account.

    Not the worst guy in the World by any means. Look who he’s up against !!!