§37 The Marriage of Likes : [Re-Examining Whitey Bulger: The Learning Years:]

I’ve labeled these times in Whitey’s life as the Learning Years which will end at the time all the leaders of the Winter Hill Gang are no longer around except for Whitey and Stevie. At this point in time these men are planning for the future. Having decided to work together under the umbrella of FBI’s protection, there were other matters that had to be attended to before they could truly enjoy the fruits of their union.

Whitey will be charged with six murders that occurred between uniting with Stevie’s and their ultimate take over of the Winter Hill Gang. I’ve told how Whitey back in late 1972 went to Howie Winter looking for his protection from the Mullen gang who were intent on taking over his South Boston operations. Winter, with help from the North End, brought about a peace of sorts which involved Whitey giving over 50% of his business profits to the Mullens.

Keep in mind these are all thieves dealing with each other. You’ve heard it said “there is no honor among thieves” which basically means a thief is never satisfied. That was the situation here. Whitey resented the split but to stay alive he had to make the deal; the Mullens resented having received only half when they could have had the whole cake. Despite the peace, each side continued to covet the other one’s half and plan how to snatch it.

Until Stevie came in to replace Billy O’Sullivan, Whitey’s former partner who was killed by the Mullens, Whitey would restrain himself. Having bonded with Stevie, he was ready to take back what he thought was rightfully his.

Then and there Whitey and Steve were probably making plans to undermine the rest of the Winter Hill Gang. They were of the mindset that it’d be best not to  share the booty when they could have it all for themselves. They worked together to figure the best way to do this.

In my book Don’t Embarrass The Family you’ll find the testimony of Martorano and Salemme about their monetary relations with Whitey and Stevie.

John Martorano testified: “I always tried to find out how much [Stevie] was holding for me but I never could. I learned they had been cheating me but there was nothing I could do about it.”  He’d go on to testify, “I gave $20,000 toward buying the Marconi Club. I figured they sold it for a lot more so I should have received more but I didn’t. I couldn’t monitor the profits from Florida.” 

I noted in the book that Frank Salemme testified: “me and Stevie agreed to split the money fifty-fifty. Flemmi would split his half with his partner Bulger; . . .  I came to realize that over the time Flemmi was skimming money away from me. He took about 300,000 dollars of my money.”

It is important, I suggest, to have a clear understanding of what motivated Whitey and Stevie, it was money and women, but mostly the former. Whatever it took to get them, they would do. Whatever it took to keep them, they would do, it. Flemmi was so covetous of things he possessed that he viciously murdering a young woman who had given up her youth to him when she threatened to leave him.

If Whitey and Stevie had to cheat their close friends they did it in a heart beat. If they had to kill people who threatened or could enhance their financial well being so too they did that without a second thought. It was a marriage made in Hell.

Stevie would eventually betray Whitey over money. He’d agreed to testify against him if he could keep about half of his properties. He forfeited some seven properties and the funds in three bank accounts but was allowed to keep the funds in three bank accounts, a business called the Commonwealth Laundries and Cleaners, a condominium at 362 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, a condominium at 151 Tremont Street, Boston, a condominium at 661 Pleasant Street, Weymouth, a condominium at 46 Tinson Road, Quincy, the real property with all buildings at 260 Sumner Street, Norwood, and the real property with all buildings at 832 Third Street, South Boston.

It is hard to believe the prosecutors let this vile man escape the death penalty, do easy time and keep half of the proceeds of his murderous rampages.  But I’m jumping ahead. I have to get back to the late summer or early fall of 1974 when the two newlyweds were figuring on how best to consummate their marriage. Stevie decided they should do something he was an old hand at. Whitey although not for lack of trying had never done it before. They’d start to murder some of the people who were getting splits out of their proceeds.

There’s nothing better than a murder to cement such a relationship.