Maybe a Change in Store for the Blog: Letting You In on My Ideas

() wisecat“mattofboston.com”as you know is the address of this blog.  That trial happened back in 2013 and an appeal is pending so in a sense the trial goes on until the court decides his appeal. But when that happens, the name of the blog will have little meaning.

You also know the blog has gone  into many other matters than just Whitey which makes the present title misleading.

I have heard that Whitey in not too well. That got me wondering whether if he died before the Appeals Court confirmed his conviction then the guilty findings in the trail court would be vacated. I’m not sure of the federal law on that. I know that in the John Salvi case (Brookline abortion clinic homicides) his convictions were wiped out by his death because he committed suicide before a decision on his appeal was rendered.

There are some matters relating to Whitey that I have to still address like finishing off writing about his murders but aside from that there are not too many.

Also, as I’ve written before, I am in the process of writing a book about all these matters. That too will take me away from blogging because I find that it is highly difficult to do both and the book suffers. There is only so much time one can devote to the enjoyment of writing before other matters of living demand attention.

With all that in mind I may start a new blog under a different title. I’ll still talk about the same matters as I do now including Whitey if necessary but I will not feel pigeon-holed by the blog address. I am only in the early stages of planning this but I thought I’d throw it out there for any of you who many have some ideas on the subject.

I’ve been working on the title to my new book. At one point I was considering “Boston Bamboozled” but the way the writing has gone I’ve moved far beyond Boston. I am convinced that you cannot understand the Whitey saga unless you first understand how it was he came into his relationship with the FBI. Keep in mind how the public was shocked that Whitey had been an informant but all the FBI agents in Boston, and many in other parts of the country, knew he was one and not only did not blink an eye at this but actively protected him. I find it is interesting to tell how it was that something so abhorrent to a normal person was treated by the FBI agents as business as usual.

In my mind writing a story of Whitey without telling the FBI part, as many have done, is telling only half the story. As I’ve said many times there is nothing special about Whitey – he was not a super criminal who was able to avoid capture through his cleverness and wily ways. He was a guy with a brutal streak who was protected by the FBI – if the FBI protects you then you can run wild.

Believing the FBI an essential part of the story meant I had to look at its long-term director, J. Edgar Hoover. He is the one who decided how it would operate. He headed it for more than 48 years so I had to look back at him to see what made him tick. That meant going back to the 19th Century to understand what was happening in America at the time he was born, January 1, 1895, and up to the time that he became director. Those years were made him what he was and what made the FBI into what it still is today.

As you can see I’ve gone far beyond the Hub with its parochial view of matters as shown by those in Boston media who made Whitey into something he never was. There’s a big story here to be told and I have to spend the time trying to tell it and correcting the record.

Oh, one last thing, I’m considering the following as the title to my book: “Feds, Reds, Blacks and Whitey.”

 

30 Comments

  1. I think the Globe and the Herald went way overboard on the masturbation story. Bulger is a murderous thug, but common decency should have ruled here. I don’t think this story should have been published in either newspaper.

  2. Even his name is a double entendre…………”Whitey Bulger”

  3. Doubting

    down here in the whisper stream rumour has
    it Bulger beat it until it bled

    Then he beat it for bleeding!

  4. Doubting,

    Newsflash……James “Whitey” Bulger, hardened criminal, had a stroke in prison.

    Pun intended.

  5. Best Blog community i have ever been involved with. Matt, you have taught me so much, aswell as your commentators. Times are changing. Kind of, Whitey was caught in his cell sparring with the champ in his pants, Bulger stated he was applying powder to a sensitive area that was infected.

  6. “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” is what you want to know.
    However, to describe what we are told by the government and the media as a “half truth” would be a generous over estimation.
    So how about this for an honest Web page name?

    “halftruthwouldbetoomuch.com”

  7. Matt,

    I think that is a great idea. I think the book is an AMAZING idea. You have so thoroughly picked apart each previous books and Globe articles myths and have truths on the subject. Do plan on dedicating any part of your book pointing out the obvious lies the government witnesses testified to? I think it would interesting for you to cross reference many of the inconsistencies in the Globe’s and Howie Carr’s books, as well as the inconsistencies of Weeks, Flemmi, Martorano’s etc., testimony about how various murders went down.

    Here’s a suggestion for a title
    “The Boston Media’s Greatest Myth: Whitey Bulger and the FBI’s Top Echelon Informant Program”

  8. A title suggestion: The Way Of Sejanus. A reread* of relevant passages of The Annals of Tacitus might provide you with insights that have proven true through the ages. It includes a prototypical tale of the corruption of a police, intelligence and security service. Step by step. The parallels will abound and may even help you with the architecture for your work.

    * Am confident you have read it. If not, you will enjoy it.

    • Tazdio:

      You are being kind with your “reread.” Unfortunately I have not read The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus but your suggestion intrigues me so I will have to get it from my source at Abe Books. Thanks.

  9. Matt: Why not proudly put your name on the blog? Matt Connolly’s View or the like. Web hosting is very cheap these days as is domain registration. i can point you to a great company for domain registration at $12 and unlimited domain hosting for $99 a year. I have a dozen websites now and the $99 a year is a real savings over what some companies want. Don’t forget there are now 2,000 or more domain extensions–no longer just dot com as we began in 1998.

  10. Hello Matt, Today you used the photo of a very astute looking feline in your blog. Might I suggest a title for your new book be “The Cats Meow”Of All Federal Malfeasances.

    • Ugh!

      Scary to think one of few places on the
      internet that provides a safe milieu for
      the political down and out might be closing.

      Where else can one go on the net where they
      practice safe thinking surrounded by unconditional
      love.

      I surely will miss the daily roscharch test followed
      by a group hug.

      I think each poster at this blog should
      be allowed to temporarily name Matt’s
      blog for 1 month.
      Then Matt would blog material for 1 month
      dealing with the subject.

      FBI WATCH MAKING CRUELTY VISIBLE

      in other news
      why not end your blog with this story

      Whitey Bulger caught masturbating with lights on in Florida jail cell, says he was ‘set up’ by correction officer
      BY GINGER ADAMS OTIS NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, February 25, 2016, 8:21 PM

      South Boston crime lord James “Whitey” Bulger was caught masturbating with the lights on at 3 a.m. last June, according to documents obtained by the Boston Globe.
      You gotta hand it to Whitey Bulger — he has a gift for doing what he pleases.

      The 85-year-old incarcerat

    • JRC:

      The cat reminds me of a cat my mother used to have. I’d write down what I thought its name was but if I’m wrong I’ll be chastised by my siblings. Our cat by the way the smartest member of the household. I’d consider your suggestion but putting the word “malfeasances” in the title would chase most readers away. Hope you are enjoying the sun – Give E our best.

  11. The threat of radical subversion in the 1920s was real. Sacco and Venzetti were anarchists and killers. The Reds had just taken over Russia and were attempting to spread it’s revolution. The Reds were not benign An anarchist placed a bomb outside J P Morgan in NYC and killed thirty. An anarchist put a bomb at the front door of Attorney General Palmer’s house in D.C. It exploded killing the anarchist and almost killing Palmer’s neighbor FDR. The claim of a red scare is fake. BHO always tried to down play the threat of terrorism. Some future revisionist will claim it was a manufactured scare as they have with the red scare. Public safety was essential and confronting the anarchists, radicals and Reds was required. 2. How about Mafia Court for a title. How gangsters and the media co opted the DOJ and judges in Boston to release all top Mafia hitmen and ignore the Mafia’s heroin trade?

    • NC:
      1. Much of what you say is true – it important to go through that history to explain what was happening in the country at the time and point to it as an influence on Edgar. By the way FDR was not home when the bomb exploded – he came home right afterwards but he did live on the same street as AG Palmer and saw the devastation. He spoke to Palmer on the front lawn of his house as I recall.

      In 1905 the Wobblies (IWW) union was created whose leader Big Bill Hayward had suggested they model themselves after the Russian example. The Russians had just had their first revolution by the workers . The Wobblies would then get into the business of union violence or as they called it propaganda by deed.

      The claim of a Red Scare was true (I don’t know why you say it was false) – it was under the cover of the American people being upset by the tactics of the anarchists that Edgar was able to pull off the Palmer raids – which by the way he was the moving force behind. Americans were more scared of the Reds around 1919 (by this time the Communists were rearing their ugly heads in conjunction with the anarchists) than they were of the terrorists in the present day. The 1917 Russian Revolution had happened. Lenin sent a letter to the American workers suggesting they emulate the Russians. It was a time of great fear because some thought the Russian example could play out here.

      In on way BHO did not downplay terrorisms threat. He just did not want it associated with Muslims. Where he missed the boat was in handling the whole Middle East situation. He was forced into a split with Israel because he did not want to bring the country into war with Iran which was the Israeli goal. He has tried to bring Iran into the world of civilized nations which may or may not succeed. Judging from the candidates who are eligible to run for office the people only have a choice between the hard liners and the very hard liners. He may have been naive in his dealings but that is a lot better than having another war in our lap and he removed Iran as a nuclear threat for at least 15 years. He did screw up Syria but I don’t know how much of that is on his plate or the military’s plate. He continues to screw it up especially since his Secretary of State believes that his friendly relationship with Lazrov will pay dividends.

      Public safety is important but it must be balanced with Constitutional rights. During the Palmer Raids that latter concern was ignored. You can see with the FBI’s attack on Apple the government uses the fear of the public to gain things it could not otherwise have.

      2. The Mafia plays a little part in the overall story. it will not be neglected. There will be a chapter on what is a Sicilian belief that revenge is best served cold: the two FBI agents most responsible for taking down the Mafia, Rico and Connolly, ended up suffering greatly; two Mafia lieutenants who gave the OK for a hit on Teddy Deegan got 25 million from a federal judge; while other federal judges spent too much time watching the HBO series The Sopranos or the Mafia Movies like Godfather and started identify with the Mafia.

      2.

  12. We’ve had our differences … and continue to, but you have done a lot of good de-mystifying and debunking a lot of the ” atmosphere ” of ” matters FBI/BULGER. ” This is a fact.

    Just finishing L.A. NOIR by John Buntin . Benny Siegel’s wild Capitan, Mickey Cohen, loved ” The Fix. ” BOSTON BAMBOOZLED is not a bad title. It implies collective gullibility however. People ara reluctant to admit to such ; so the title is a little off-putting. I propose. .. THE BOSTON FIX … My gift to for your earnest efforts. Saluté

  13. Matt, thanks for throwing this idea out there early. IMHO, it’d be best to skip most or all of the blog writing in favor of writing the book.

    You write “…but I will not feel pigeon-holed by the blog address.” Well. I’ve often wondered why you wouldn’t simply set up a new web address, say, MattConnollyAuthor.com. Anyone going to that new web address would see all your new stuff. But (as far as I know) with a tiny bit of website coding, anyone trying to visit https://mattofboston.com would be “redirected,” as they say, to your new web address. On that new site, you could provide a link to an archived version of your old website. Heck, you could do the same for HubGab if you wish.

    Alternative title: “Feds, Reds, Blacks and Boston” (Globally, Whitey is such a footnote; globally, “Boston” sells.)

    Best of luck!

    • José

      I like the suggestion of replacing Whitey with Boston and will consider it. It will allow me to get beyond Whitey into other things that may have happened that may be of enjoyment. Also, just putting my name as you suggest as an address might make the most sense. Within the website created under that name I could list “Feds, Reds, etc” on a side bar or something like that. Appreciate the input. Thanks.

  14. Matt,

    What a long, strange trip its been………….

    Best wishes for continued success.

    R.N.

    • Rather:

      True – it has been long and strange but a good journey and hopefully it is far from over but no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

      • Matt,

        Truer words were never spoken. Davis complained and they caved and sweetened the pot……..a pyrrhic victory still.

        http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/peter_gelzinis/2016/02/gelzinis_whitey_victims_families_receive_glimmer_of_hope

        “…..victims would indeed divvy up any part of the gangster’s hidden treasure the feds should find BEYOND the $822,000 they pulled out of his Santa Monica hideaway — even AFTER his death.”

        Not a bad idea to sell the guns,…..maybe they should auction off his esoteric manuscripts too.

        I wonder if he dies before the appeal is decided , is this deal null and void?

        R.N.

        • Apparently, the doctrine of “abatement ab initio” applies to the convictions,…..but we will have to wait and see if it applies to the settlement.

        • Rather:

          I noticed in the Herald article the big complainer was the widow of John Callahan. Will you someday explain to me how a guy who hires another to do a hit on a business man becomes a victim. I don’t figure it.