On Monday of this week I wrote about the new book that’s coming out today “Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice” by the Globe reporters, Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy. I pointed out how it will reinforce the in-house view of the Boston Globe. I haven’t read it but will at some point. For you real Whitey fanatics, which you probably are if you are reading this blog, you might want to take a look at it or the book coming out next week by the other Globe writers Lehr and O’Neill. By now if you have kept up with me you’ll want to do it just to see if you can pick out the fallacies the Globe wishes to perpetuate.
By the way did you see Howie Carr writing something nice about the Lehr/O’Neill book. I guess the only thing that lessens Howie’s hatred of the Globe is an attack on the Bulgers. Did you ever wonder why the Globe and Herald spend so much time on this issue writing the same things replete with errors? It’s like a scene from 1984 where they hope the constant drone will drown out the truth.
I am able to write about the Cullen/Murphy book because its authors have told us of its highlights. I spoke about how it contains letters from Whitey to fellow con Dick Sunday. I also mentioned how I see no purpose in Whitey testifying. I mentioned that Whitey had to have known his letters would see the light of day. I’ve also indicated how in lock-step the authors are when they follow the Globe’s lead in trying to besmirch Billy Bulger’s reputation.
It seems obvious Whitey is intent on undermining the case his lawyers are trying to present. I can’t figure out why they are at running in opposite directions. Perhaps it is no matter how much you try, a guy like Whitey just has to mouth off despite his lawyer’s advice. They’re clearly not on the same track.
Apparently in his letters he never mentions he received immunity from O’Sullivan. Cullen and Murphy write that Whitey steadfastly maintains in his correspondence with Dick Sunday that he was never an informant. The prosecutors have already mentioned this. It seems to me his letters to Sunday to this effect pretty much close that issue all together. If he believes he was not giving information, what then is the reason for O’Sullivan is giving him immunity. His position is now absurd. He’s alleging he got immunity to murder people in exchange for paying off FBI agents.
Whitey in his mind may not have thought of himself as an informant. The authors suggest Whitey’s confession to his armed robberies to help his girl friend made him an informant back in 1956 is plainly wrong as I’ve shown before. It’s doubtful as I’ll show he was an informant in 1971. As far as his dealings with Connolly, Whitey may have believed Connolly was not filing reports on the information he was giving and may have paid Connolly for protection and information but during their intercourse he was giving him some information which Connolly was recording which makes him an informant, whether his information led to arrests or not.
By the way, if Whitey was paying Connolly for the information, it sort of gives lie to Martorano’s testimony that Whitey told him that Connolly was going to give him information because he owed Billy Bulger a favor. If you buy an iPad Apple isn’t selling it to you because it owes you a favor; so if Whitey was buying information Connolly was not doing him a favor. And further, if Whitey is buying information from Connolly then you can be sure neither man would want Billy Bulger know of that. They would have demeaned themselves in Billy’s eyes.
No use beating a dead horse. The bottom line is Whitey did give information so whether he believes it or not or whether he knew he was recorded as an informant or not, he is an informant, a provider of information. Whitey never had immunity because he never believed he gave information. That is why I suggested on Monday he will never testify because he’ll only make himself into a fool.
In that I have to get back to my main topics, I can’t write more at this time about any of the new Cullen/Murphy/Lehr/O’Neill/Globe books. When I read them you know I’ll have a lot more to say. A few final points.
I doubt Whitey’s offer to plead guilty to the death penalty charges in order to save Greig. He’s complaining about his digs in Plymouth, he knows sitting in a Florida or Oklahoma prison facing a death charge would be ten times worse. If he made such an offer it was couched with so many conditions the prosecutors could not have accepted them. Greig got sentenced so hard because she has information the prosecutors want. That information won’t hurt Whitey but it will hurt others. Whitey says she doesn’t have that information which makes the prosecutors convinced that she does.
Whitey said Greig made him go straight for 16 years. It’s a strange way to go straight when you have an armory hidden in the walls of your hole up. Whitey denies murdering two women, as you’d expect, but they were buried near people who I assume are among those he will admit killing. It’s not going to fly.
Other books had Whitey as a peacemaker during the busing days because he didn’t like the heavy presence of the cops in Southie. Cullen/Murphy have him causing more violence. They impugn the integrity of Father Robert Drinan by misrepresenting his relation with Whitey which I wrote about before here and here. According to Howie Carr: Lehr/O’Neill write “While he was alive, Drinan never mentioned his connection to the mob boss.” If he had such a connection, how can they conclude that he never told anyone? But as we know any connection was trying to help Whitey out when he in his twenties and was in prison which is required of a priest. Christ admonished us to visit people in prison.
If you read any of these books keep in mind they are far from the truth since the authors are restricted by their relationship with the Globe to present the Globe’s side of the story which strangely enough Howie Carr finds comforting.
Matt, Happy Feb 12 and all.
There were two articles in the Globe on Cullen/Murphy’s book about Whitey. A reviewer named Sean Flynn writes: “They are relentlessly even-handed (they duly deny that Whitey denies killing Hussey, just as they acknowledge neither Flemmi nor Weeks has motive to lie about it).” No motive to lie? Let’s start here: Motive #1: If Flemmi and Weeks admitted they strangled, tortured and murdered an innocent girl, they knew they wouldn’t receive lenient deals from the Feds: Weeks would still be in prison, Flemmi on death row. That’s motive enough to lie. We know Weeks was visiting Flemmi in prison. Opportunity enough to concoct a story. Motive #2: Flemmi and Weeks knew the Feds wanted maximum dirt on Whitey;they knew the Feds were on a witch-hunt against Billy; everytime they pilled on dirt on the Bulgers, their federal interrogators smiled. Motive #3: They knew Whitey was on the lam and thought he’d never come back, so who could contradict their fabrications? Even if he came back, its their word against his. I’m sure there are many more motives, but Cullen and Murphy can’t find one. Also, it was Flemmi who allegedly molested and raped his teenage stepdaughter and Weeks who allegedly had a record of battering women and domestic battery charges against him. So, who is more likely to kill young women? Those with a long record of violence against women or Whitey? Remember, both young women killed were Flemmi’s girlfriends.
Cullen himself writes in the second article that Frank Bellotti told him Whitey and Weeks tore down Bellotti campaign signs. Cullen adds, “Trust me, Frank: they were doing a lot worse.” From this tidbit, I expect the book will conclude that not only did Whitey lead the violence against forced busing—as you’ve pointed out Globe writers previously noted he suppressed violence during busing—-but the Globe writers will imply that Whitey played a pivotal role in defeating Frank Bellotti’s run for governor against John Silber. Here’s another lie from Cullen: “Belotti who had the cheek to run for governor against Billy’s pal John Silber.” Bellotti was in the race long before Silber got in; Bellotti was the heir apparent, the odds on favorite to win the Democratic primary; endorsed by the leadership and most party regulars; endorsed by most union leaders; he was the shoe-in to win. It was Silber who was the underdog, the dark horse, the outsider. Silber had the “cheek” to run against Bellotti and the Democratic party machine, not the other way around. The propaganda continues. That scoundrel Whitey: he stole the election from Bellotti!
Oh, one last thought. I don’t believe Connolly took any money. I still wonder why the Feds did not charge him at this 2002 trial for taking any money. All they needed was for Morris to say, “John and I often talked about how much money we were getting; John told me he got $10,000.” You know they allowed in triple hearsay. You know Connolly was only convicted of handing that case of wine to Morris. Why didn’t Morris testify that when he gave me the case of wine he told me there was $1,000 inside? No, Morris says sometime later Connolly asked him cryptically if he liked what was inside. Why talk cryptically. I’m still very troubled by the fact that at his 2002 trial the Feds who pulled no punches failed to charge him with taking a dime. All they’d need is for Morris to say, “he took out two envelopes, one was for me” and for Weeks to confirm that Bulger told him he gave Connolly monthly pay-offs. But the Feds never charged Connolly with taking a dime in 2002. It’s not until 2008 that we first hear Flemmi talk about the $235,000 (exactly) and for the first time Flemmi recalls a 26 year old conversation with Whitey about how Callahan’s a loose cannon. I’m sure Cullen, Murphy, O’Neil and Lehr will clear this all up. I can’t wait to see if each book contains this sentence: In Boston the jury found Connolly committed one corrupt act during his 23 years as an FBI agent: giving a case of wine to Morris. In Miami Connolly was convicted of a crime he was acquitted of in Boston: leaking info that lead to John Callahan’s death.” I can predict how they’ll spin and distort those facts!
Happy Lincoln’s birthday, et al!
Bill:
If Cullen/Murphy say Flemmi had no reason to lie about how he murdered Hussey when he said Whitey who had no motive did it then they are more gullible than I thought. The theme of the story that all the gangsters knew was to reaffirm the prosecutors belief the Whitey was the Big Evil. Their motive was to include him in everything so they could do lesser time. As far as Flemmi and Weeks’s history with women you are correct. Weeks testified he threatened his girlfriend named Connolly that he would murder her and dump her in a land fill. He explained sometimes he got mad. He then pointed out that they had a long relationship after that. I have no doubt their relationship continued for a long while, what choice did the Connolly kid have. Yes, Flemmi and Weeks do have unorthodox relations with women, Whitey seemed to have stayed with two who didn’t have a bad thing to say about him. Only one of the women killed were Flemmi’s girlfriends, one was a young woman he abused and victimized and drove her to drugs. As I said, no one who lived is lower than Flemmi. Bellotti in his 90s. I’m sue his statement that Whitey and Weeks were tearing down signs all over town was not intended to be taken literally as reported by Cullen. They’re really stretching suggesting bringing Whitey into the Belotti/Silber election. It shows how little they are working with. I’m sure if they worked a little harder they could have implicated him in starting the June 17, 1972 Hotel Vendome fire. There had to be one or two gangsters who’d tell them Whitey told them he did it.
What you say about Connolly is interesting. Morris and Connolly worked closely together for at least a half dozen years yet it seemed the only time they spoke was when Connolly was giving him wine or money or at the dinners with Whitey and Flemmi. I didn’t expect Tracy Miner to bring out anything about Connolly,who was her client, taking money. But I did expect Morris to testify about Connolly talking to him about getting money, or about his discussions with Connolly about his nice boat, or his house down the Cape, or why he seemed to have pockets full of cash — something, anything along that line. But it wasn’t there. I figured Judge Tauro told counsel he was not going to let them go there but that doesn’t answer your question,”why wasn’t Connolly charged with it?”
Then there’s the consideration if Connolly hadn’t taken any money why didn’t Miner ask Morris about it? Wouldn’t it have been in Connolly’s interest to show through Morris that he was squeaky clean. In my book I note that during Morris’s testimony I was asked by a lawyer sitting next to me, “Is this case fixed?” I can only agree with you that the feds threw everything they could at Connolly but did not charge him with getting money from Whitey. Perhaps that’s because Morris never told them about it because he didn’t know about it. Why then didn’t Miner bring it up?
one of the things people should understand after they have read this blog for a while is that almost all people put themselves first.by that i mean the globe writers and howie will write what sells , not what is true. that is putting whitey into almost every murder in boston so to speak that they can. howie reminds of a carnival barker and even the sainted boston globe and their pursuit of billy bulgers scalp has worn thin. i am amazed at how people can recall some events from so many years ago with such clarity and yet not recall who sat next to them in a car as someone was shot to death. hope you are enjoying spring training. red sox have some good young talent. regards,
Norwood:
You’re right – teh idea is to make thing up to sell their books. They like to come up with new ideas like taking a letter from Whitey to Father Drinan the Dean of Boston College Law School after he was in prison for three months and suggest that Dean Drinan entered into a conspiracy with Whitey, and his brother Billy who was an undergraduate. They don’t tell us what the conspiracy was about. They want people to believe it was something sinister and Father Drinan kept it quiet from everyone else, something they could not know about because if Drinan had corresponded with Whitey, they have no idea who he may have told about it. It’s really sad to see how these writers who should know better are motivated to fabricate stories. You make a good point about these guys talking about conversations that took place thirty and forty years ago and testifying to them as if they were an hour earlier but they don’t know who was with them when they murdered someone. Like Weeks in his books said he went to shoot Halloran in Whitey’s car but at Connolly’s trial he said he was in his sister’s car. It seems to me if you go to murder someone you have a good idea how you got there but Weeks apparently doesn’t. The weather here is nice. It looks like the Red Sox are well on their way to a World Series Championship but it always looks like that at this time of year. Hope you’re weather is as good as mine.