Digging down through these matters attempting to come up with some consistent version of the truth has been my goal. I did not get involved in this matter with the intention of doing it. I slowly got dragged in. I was so naïve in the beginning that I thought Gerry O’Neill and Dick Lehr were on the level when I read their book Black Mass. As time passed I understood they had taken a certain perspective and used the book as a vehicle to justify it. I would eventually begin to recognize it as a good piece of fiction.
As for Howie Carr’s book about the Brothers Bulger I knew that would be the usual stuff by Carr which would mirror much of what he talked about on his afternoon show a diatribe against Bill Bulger so I placed little trust in it. The attack on Bill, I should mention, was also in part the thrust of Black Mass as was the prosecutor’s idea of making Whitey the heavy.
As you know I attended the John Connolly trial. I concluded it was staged for the purpose of whetting the media’s appetite for some red meat to chew on which would hurt Bill Bulger’s reputation. It was also put on as a show to make Connolly into a rogue agent so the FBI could put the embarrassment of having two of its top echelon informants exposed. My book, Don’t Embarrass the Family, talking about this was written right after the trial in 2002.
I sat on it for ten years until after Whitey Bulger was arrested in 2011. I put it out because much of the reporting that followed his arrest seemed wrong. At that time I knew very little about the true facts behind these matter.
Because my book was self-published and would most likely never be read by anyone my son suggested I try to publicize it by starting a blog and writing about Whitey and his trial. With his help I set this up and have been at it since. In doing it I have strayed from the subject of Whitey much to the irritation of some people but continually returned to it.
Looking back I was slowly learning to understand things better. Contributing greatly to this were the comments I received from those who read the blog. Also, discussions with people with first hand information added to my store of knowledge.
One of the best books written on the matter is that of Deadly Alliance by Ralph Ranalli written in 2001. Unlike most other authors he came at the subject with a somewhat open mind. His goal in writing it was different from that of other people. I have read his book at least parts of it a couple of dozen times. Amazingly each time I go back having learned more about the matter in the interim I find new gems and understand things better or at least differently.
That is the way things work for us. When we first learn something about a subject matter we understand it only to a certain level and make conclusions based on that information. As we study it more we learn other things and often we have to go back and reconsider what we first believed. The more we study and discuss the matter the more we understand it.
The matter involving Whitey has had few people who have really considered it in-depth. What happened is biased people in the media and prosecutor’s office intent on telling one story got it out first. That has been accepted by the public, the media, and the judiciary. That story was then used as a basis for everything that was subsequently learned. Where facts totally contradicted the story they were squeezed into it, ignored or changed.
That is why you see a highly respected and intelligent judge like William Young of the federal district court believing one thing Flemmi says about an incident but not another. He did not believe Flemmi’s testimony that he murdered Debbie Davis because Bulger told him to do it (he got that right); he did believe it when Flemmi said Bulger strangled her (he got that wrong – Flemmi told Martorano he ‘accidentally straggled her.) He appears not to have even considered that if Bulger had no motive he would not have done the act. Young would also do that in matters relating to Louis Litif as I explained before.
The common theme among the judges is Bulger is, as one judge said, ‘a monster. It follows that all murders are attributable to him even after the reason given for his alleged involvement is totally discredited or undermined he must still take the blame. Likewise, all people who associated with him are likewise little monsters which resulted in Catherine Greig’s outrageous sentence which is the highest any woman without a criminal record received for a non-violent crime not involving drugs in the history of the United States.
I will never know the full truth but will keep trekking toward it. I do know what is out there is not near the truth. I do know some good people have suffered grievously because of it. I am hoping to be able to show that in one book at some point soon.
In the courtroom. And his bestselling book. Weeks talks about knocking out guys. TWO HUNDRED GUYS HE KNOCKED OUT. He knocked nobody out. Not even a wino. In his whole life. Weeks knocked nobody out!
We grabbed coins off an African ship. Billy O’Sullivan took a bag home. Same size as a quarter. Billy used them for cigarettes. Getting packs of cigarettes. From the cigarette machines. Billy smoked cigarettes.
Weeks’ book got Whitey killing Paulie McGonagle’s brother. Killing Paulie’s brother by mistake. Whitey went to Billy’s house. Told him what happened. Billy said, “Don’t worry about it. He wasn’t healthy anyway. He smoked.” ALL MAKE-BELIEVE. More propaganda!
Like the Michael Donahue. And Brian Halloran murders. Weeks testified Whitey wore a wig. Whitey’s partner wore a mask. Your brother. He seen them murders. Whitey wore NO WIG. And there was NO MASK.
Weeks was watching the Pier Restaurant. From Anthony’s Pier 4 parking lot. Weeks had a walkie talkie. When Halloran come out. Weeks said, “The balloon’s in the air.”
Donahue’s car was hit with a machine gun. Burst of six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Maybe let thirty pieces go. Machine gun used a silencer.
Donahue’s car drifted across the street. Stopped in front of three buildings. It hit a parked car. Almost hit your brother’s car. Whitey. And his partner. Walked past your brother. Whitey carried an AK-47. Your brother recognized the AK-47. Because he legally owned an AK-47.
Halloran leaped out the passenger door. Whitey’s partner jumps on the hood. Shoots Donahue through the windshield. With a forty-five. Whitey went after Halloran. Tortured him with bullets.
Weeks was inside Anthony’s Pier 4 parking lot. Watching the Pier Restaurant with binoculars. He couldn’t see them murders. Unless he’s SUPERMAN. With X-RAY vision. And can see through buildings!
The FBI knows Weeks committed perjury. Weeks testified Whitey stayed in the getaway car. Never mentioned him leaving it. Your brother’s police witness statement. It’s COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
Instead of showing your brother Whitey’s picture. A federal judge seals his police witness statement. Sealing your brother’s witness statement. That’s PROOF. They know Weeks committed perjury.
Helping Barboza frame four guys for Deegan’s murder. That’s considered one of the worst things in FBI history. What about this? A known serial killer. A KNOWN SERIAL KILLER. Letting him walk free. Knowing Weeks is a liar. And using him like Barboza. Using a serial killer they know committed perjury. As a government witness.
Weeks is a phony. And Whitey’s a REAL PHONY. That’s why Weeks went with Whitey. Shit attracts shit.
Dear Jeome, I’ll give part of the “‘Gaga’: The Real Whitey Bulger/ Irish Mob Story” “Kevin Weeks” chapter. You wanted the truth, so I’m giving it to you. But the book’s “Boston FBI Corruption” chapter contains the most important information.
Dear Jeome, I grew up in Southie. John Connolly’s hands weren’t clean, but he’s definitely the Whitey saga scapegoat. I’ll give some information that’s not in the Gaga book. It comes from a federal lawsuit never mentioned by the press (case# 1:2007cv12165). The “Committee” refers to the November 20, 2003 Committee on Government Reform approved report titled, “Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI’s Use of Murders as Informants.”
23. This institutional reluctance to accept oversight was particularly apparent when the Committee staff asked for a list of Boston U.S. Attorneys from the 1960s until the present. Although a staff member of the Executive Office of United States Attorneys indicated the information was readily available, a list was never provided to the Committee
34. FBI Director, Robert Mueller, was on the list of Boston U. S. Attorneys never provided to the Committee.
35. Robert Mueller served the Boston Office of the U.S. Attorney in several capacities: Chief of the Criminal Division, 1982-1985; First Assistant U.S. Attorney, 1985-1986; U.S. Attorney, 1986-1987.
46. Robert Mueller was Chief of the Criminal Division for the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney, and subsequently was the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney, during the investigation of the Michael Donahue and Brian Halloran murders.
82. Congress needs to conduct hearings aimed at examining what, if any, involvement FBI Director Robert Mueller had in the Bulger Group scandal, and why a federal judge cited a compelling government interest and a good cause for secrecy when sealing public information that protects Winter Hill Gang member Kevin Weeks from perjury prosecution.
Dear Jeome, Here’s part of the truth in a nutshell. Robert Mueller feared Whitey Bulger and never did anything to stop him. John Connolly takes all the federal corruption heat.
I only hope John lives long enough to tell his side of
The story. I’m sure there are a few people who are awake at
night thinking about such a possibility.
P.F.
I am not sure there is much to his story that is not already out there. As I see it he was operating pursuant to the FBI’s Top Echelon Informant program which everyone accepts but no one wants to admit that the purpose of that program was to keep people like Flemmi and Whitey on the street. He has admitted he was dealing with murderers but that was what he was supposed to do. He has said if he knew any of his informants were involved in a murder he would have arrested them. The Beck’s beer incident shows that. He has denied taking any money.
The problem is no one believes him. He’ll always be called a “corrupt agent” which will take away from him any forum he might have. The real problem is that he will never come out alive. The decision by the Florida Appeals court keeping him in is atrocious. The reasoning is that at any time during the commission of a crime if a person has a gun or weapon and even if the gun or weapon has no relationship to the crime the person can still be convicted of using the gun or weapon at the time of the crime. As I noted before if you and I were having dinner on Thanksgiving at my house on the Cape and you had the honors of carving up the turkey and during that dinner we planned to fly down to Sarasota the next day on Friday to poison my former girlfriend for dropping me before our prom and we did then if those facts could be shown we could convicted of having murdered her with the weapon, the carving knife, since we carried it during the crime. If a court reasons like that then you know something sinister is operating in the background which means it will also control the Florida parole board which means Connolly will never get out.
Sorry to read that you were late in learning the true motives of Oneill and Lehr. They’were looking for anything but the truth about Bill Bulger.His impending downfall was going to be their Pulitzer for 75 State. All sizzle,no steak when it was over. Even with all the hype with Black Mass the movie passedinto oblivion. It could have been nominated for worst Boston accents since the The Town,which was otherwise entertaining.
P.F.
I preferred to believe in Bill Bulger’s integrity all along. I knew they were suggesting negative things about him as it came to 75 State Street but I was not that interested in it at the time so I had no idea of the extent of their animus. I did assume they had a good idea of what happened between John Connolly and Whitey Bulger and that the story in Black Mass was fairly objective. It was not until I started to pay attention that I realized how wrong they were even with respect to Whitey. I guess that happens to most people who assume the media is on the level and do not have the time or desire to go beyond the headlines.
As for the movie, I just happened to watch it as I was flying overseas. It was horrible and laughable. It got most things mixed up as had to happen because it was based on a book written out of malice rather than one where the authors made a decent effort to arrive at the truth. The best book and one that would it would be very telling and if a movie were made of it would win the academy award, would be one where the true story was told which included the hostility of both the prosecutors, some in the FBI and the media against Bill Bulger.
Matt
A couple of things. First can you expand in a post or here in the comment section, but preferably in post, what you mean when you say you will never know “THE FULL TRUTH”. What questions still loom for you? What holes have not been filled? What pieces of the puzzle are still missing?
Also, do you think the U.S. vs Salemme document has more facts and insights and explanations which a much more thorough explanation than the media books? I know you have already stated that Judge Wolf made some erroneous conclusions but besides his incorrect conclusions I am wondering if that document is beetr read for the layman than Brothers Bulger/Black Mass etc
“‘Gaga’: The Real Whitey Bulger/ Irish Mob Story” answers many questions (Kevin Weeks, Billy Bulger, etc.). I would recommend reading the first 50 pages free (1/10th of the book) on Amazon.
Mr. Connolly
I am glad I had a chance to meet you and get an alternative opinion about the Bulgers and the FBI, the best thing about this is you are a former prosecutor and not some conspiracy theory guy with a pick up truck and shotgun. Frankly, I always did just accept the popular version of events, that being said I feel a lot safer with Whitey and friends behind bars, except maybe FBI agent John Connolly (no relation except in Ireland right?). It seems like he could of took a plea and testified on Whitey but stayed loyal, which I am sure he is regretting now. Anyway I am planning on doing a extra reading and investigating to get a better understanding and viewpoint.
Thanks
Dan the Insurance Inspector
Dan:
It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed your views. You have the natural born insights that go with the Sicilian blood that flows in your veins. Connolly had no chance for a plea because they wanted him to talk about Bill Bulger and not Whitey and he had nothing to give them unless he wanted to lie. You should know all of Whitey’s friends are back on the street. The one guy who was on the lam for 16 years, who is not alleged to commit any murders for ten years before that, was probably the least dangerous over his last 25 years or so. Yes, I have no relation to Connolly. Best to keep an open mind and recognize the media and prosecutors took an early slant on this and set out a story which most buy. Unfortunately it is far from the truth.
Again enjoyed our chat and thanks for following up.
Nice post, Matt. I trust that, by and large, your continued blogging on topics both related and unrelated to Whitey does not interfere too much with your finishing and publishing this book?
GOK:
Thanks The blogging, to tell you the truth, is to the book as the hoodlums protected by Freddie Why are to the people of Boston; in other words it is murdering it. I’m making up on my promise to finish up on Whitey’s murders and some odds and ends and then I have to cut back significantly. I have recently thought how amazing it is that so many murders are going to go unpunished by Freddie. As part of that with the suggestion that the FBI was protecting Flemmi since the 1960s and that Buddy McLean was an FBI informant and Flemmi/ McLean were partners of Martorano and add in Nee who also is probably an FBI informant there are tons of victims out there who should be treated as the alleged victims of Whitey.