If you murder someone and you’re caught, you should be willing to go to prison for doing it, especially if it is a planned murder, like the ones we have seen in this case. If you’ve murdered five or more people there should be no question of that happening although I’d suggest if you did that you should be willing to have your own life taken by the state. I’m not usually an eye-for-an-eye person nor much of a death penalty advocate but there are exceptions in my mind.
Charlie is Charles Manson of Helter Skelter fame. He’s now 78-years-old — the same age as Stevie Flemmi. I know he was a little mentally deranged but one thing he never did was to betray his friends. All our Boston born hoodlums quickly threw their friends overboard to save their own skins, sort of a cowardly bunch when you think of it, yet they’ve capture what is best described as a non-sexual prurient interest of many in the Boston area.
We’ve all heard the old saw: “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.” Kevin Weeks told us Whitey had his own saying: “The idea of committing a crime is not to be caught.” Somehow I think that was the idea of the whole Winter Hill gang after the Race Fixing indictments scattered them to the wind. They had the idea they would never be caught; depending, of course, on their helpers in the FBI and state police to watch out for them.
Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for society they did get caught. After their arrest each one of them had a chance to show us his true character. Each one turned out to be a betrayer and a rat. That’s the one thing low life Manson did not become. Pause and give that a thought.
The cream of the crud is Whitey, Stevie and Johnny – without doubt the the worst threesome in American history. All have turned into rats; a couple were rats all their lives. But there is no question that they are first class rats.
Whitey screams “I’ve never been an informant.” But he’s one now despite his shouts of denials. Whitey knows he’s going down. If not in this case in some other case but my sense now is it’ll be in this case and the fall will be hard. Whitey’s problem is the worse his lawyers make Martorano and Flemmi look, the worse he looks. After all they were his partners.
So since he’s going down wouldn’t you think that he would summons up just a little bit of decency that may have been hidden somewhere in his body and not betray the one guy who helped him all those years, especially the latter 16 when, as his lawyer said, he was living openly in Santa Monica, California, rather than turning on him.
John Connolly protected Whitey. He had the whole FBI office in Boston and FBI officers in DC protecting him. What did Whitey gain by turning on him, a Southie guy and the best friend he probably had? He could have just as easily said I was never an informant but a good friend of John Connolly’s who protected me because of our friendship. He didn’t have to have his lawyers say he paid him $50,000 (which never happened because he was too cheap to do that) or any other amount. But no, he ratted him out for no reason at all but he made Connolly’s attempt to get relief that much more difficult. So much for Southie idea of never forsaking a friend. Whitey left Connolly dying on the battlefied in a futile attempt to save himself.
Flemmi, his partner, is even worse. He lies about who his source was on the state police to protect his real source. He lies about the two FBI guys who tried to protect him over the years. But worst of all he blames Whitey for killing the two women he was involved with. He has this idiotic notion that somehow it doesn’t look bad for him that he stood by unmoving and unhelpful while someone else murdered the two women he was intimate with. At least Flemmi didn’t claim he wasn’t an informant but that was only because he admitted when he thought it was the key to the doorway of freedom.
Martorano who brags about his murders and dealt with a prosecutor who lets him make big money telling how he murdered people clung to the idea he was not a rat, because you can’t rat on a rat. He likens rats to Judas who ratted out Jesus and felt it was his job to be an avenging angel who would kill people who were present day Judases.
Now we learn that he ratted on his brother for a murder and on Howie Winter and Pat Nee for other murders. Perhaps he should put back on the Judas disguise and take care of himself.
Weeks is the baby of the group but not when it comes to ratting. He gave up all that he knew so as not to do time in record time.
It turns out crazy Charlie Manson had more courage than these four. Pretty sad commentary on our local tough guys.
One more thing: although his crimes were reprehensible, Manson never killed any of his victims. Whitey was believed to have killed or at least brutally covered up his victims
Patty I could not agree anymore.
Catherine Greig deserves to be in prison. She helped a fugitive rat informant mass murderer hide.
Bobo,
Under your rationale, Martorano’s common law wife who hid him out for 16 yrs in Florida should get the death penalty. During the years she hid him out, he killed Wheeler, Callahan and another guy in FL. He also ran a bookmaking and Shylock business. Instead of charging her with aiding a fugitive, Wyshak reversed a forfeiture order and gave her all the proceeds from Martorano’s crimes.
You can’t be objective and think Greig was dealt with fairly. Her sentencing was obscene. She was vilified not for her actions, but only to hurt Whitey. It was an unethical and inappropriate use of prosecutorial power.
Patty:
Martorano’s wife was estranged from him when he was in Florida but got her weekly or monthly child support money. She got the house. It was Martorano’s girlfriend who did what Greig did and she got the pass, another benefit that wasn’t talked about on cross. IN fact, I thought there wa a ton of stuff in his book that could have been used on cross and none of it was. Nor did the jury get to see his book.
Bobo:
You are right.. Maybe for a year or two since she harbored a criminal and the guidelines provided for that. She was in her fifties and had no record. How do you justifying her getting more than Weeks who murdered five people and whose evidence was only cumulative except for the bodies that he helped bury. How about more than several Mafia leaders who led lives of crime and murder and got 5 or 6 years.
She should be given credit for helping to catch Whitey. If he went off by himself he might never have been found.
For the Justice Department this sickening affair is the quintessential Pas de Deux even if their partner, the defendant, is a reluctant dancer. For the prosecutors, this high profile media juicy case that any knucklehead could make will not be settled for any price. They have dreamed about this glory for years and will milk it to a fair thee well. A man with any honor would have taken himself to meet his maker.
so after flemmi testifies the ausa wont be giving him a 5k letter? or did he already get the letter. why should he take the stand if he’s already sentenced and gets nothing else.
They can give him a sentence worse than death. The Bureau of Prisons is an ugly and duplicitous operation that serves up its own kind of justice for many reasons. In this case the Wyshak will tell them to make Flemmi’s life a living hell if he says anything wrong.
Ernie:
That’s another good reason why Flemmi will continue to cooperated
Pat:
He got to keep half his property – he doesn’t want to lose that – plus he’s doing easy time when he should be in ADX – and also he’s hoping the prosecutors will manage to get him out when people stop watching.
Something else just occurred to me…..for all his good-guy posturing, if Whitey wanted to put his money where his mouth is, he could plead guilty and end the trial immediately to get a deal for Catherine to get out (and if he felt like it, Connolly too.) That is about the only, even slightly redeeming possibility left for him. He supposedly was tested and scored 113 (high, but not that high) on an IQ test. You think that would be obvious to him. But we will have to wait to see….. the slow, disgusting descent into the maelstrom continues……
I read somewhere that he requested exactly that deal (plead guilty to everything in exchange for Catherine’s freedom) and was refused.
Pam:
I read the same thing but that was Whitey talking (I think in his letters to Billy Sunday’s nephew) trying to look good. There was no way Whitey would ever plead guilty, especially to the murder of the two girls, and Stevie Davis – who has a lot of clout in what’s going on – will demand that.
Whitey offered to pled guilty if the feds would let Catherine Greig out. Including the crimes he didn’t commit. They said no.
Weird because the media plays to the perception that Catherine Greig has something to offer. What could she offer?
Disgraceful what they did to her. Including an AUSA lying to a federal judge about Greig’s knowledge of her property.
Ernie:
Don’t believe Whitey ever offered to plead guilty. He’d never admit killing the girls or Wheeler. He might have said it but he would only do it on his terms and they were not the prosecutors terms. Greig had a lot to offer and that is why she was nailed. She knew how they stayed in contact with the people back home. The prosecutors weren’t interested in how she stayed in touch with her family but in how Whitey stayed in touch with Billy. In the feerals mind Billy is the kingpin and if Greig came up with a story implicating him (I bellieve he testified he had no idea where Whitey was) the federals would charge him with perjury and obstruction of justice. He is Freddy’s Moby Dick.
Ralph:
I agree. Whitey is a fraud. An absolute fraud. And as much as I give the prosecutors or defense counsel a hard time, it’s not because I’m at all cheering for Whitey. I’m trying to figure out what went on. Whitey could be a stand up guy and tell the truth about Connolly and also Greig; but no, he’s burying Connolly with his lies (and I’m no friend of Connolly’s) and that shows what a low life he is – a life devoid of any honor –
Great post Matt. It made me think just really how low and devoid of conscience these cowards really are. True sociopaths. Their brains should be preserved for study of sociopathic tendencies and the data can be used for early detection and possible prevention of any more little Whiteys,Stevies, Kevins, or Johnnys running amok in our society. Connolly should be walking the street, and they should be sharing a four-man cell, until they all die off one by one.
Rather-
True sociopaths accurately describes what we have walking the streets while one is on trial. I’d have them in a six man cell and give them five knives.
Not too much else needs to be said ….. This commentary just about sums it up. Well done !
Gus:
Thanks – we’ve got a lot of fake stand up guys here in Massachusetts – thank God for a Ralph DiBona and the other guy, Capizzi. At least there are two guys willing to tell the truth without giving up anyone else.
Now I understand why Flemmi and Martorano declined the offer to become made members of LCN. They didn’t want the responsibilities of answering to the bosses and abiding by omerta. These guys answered only to themselves, with not an iota of conscience or honor.
Jon:
They were better off keeping what they made without cutting in others. They were greedy. But they always maintained a close association with the Mafia.
I was wondering if we had a number on how many bodies jimmy martorano has been formally charged with in his criminal career, that is still alive and well today.
Doubting:
Jimmy Martorano was charged with less than one murders.
I don’t know if this is a coincidence or not but I read Martorano has a condo on Country Club Lane in Milford. So I did a property search of the entire Country Club Lane but didn’t find his name. Of course he’s not going to use his name if he’s being protected but I did find a John Callahan who bought a condo there around the time I’m told Martorano did. I checked the sales record and this ‘John Callahan’ bought it from a Carneglia. I guess the Carneglia families are NY mobsters too as seen below
“John Carneglia
John ‘Johnny Carnegs’ Carneglia (born 1945 Ozone Park, Queens ) is a New York criminal with the Gambino crime family ”
I wonder if Martorano is using this guys name he killed ? Would he do something like that being the “nice guy” he claims to be?
Did he have any dealings with the NY Mob as well? Seems like a strange coincidence but I went thru every owner at that complex and there weren’t that many who moved in around the same time.
The only other one had a name of Federal associated with it. LOL.
I looked out of curiosity but now I’m wonder if he had NY Mob connections.
Question:
Good research. Maybe someone will drive around through that neighborhood and take a peek and we can find exactly where he lived. Maybe he didn’t kill Callahan because he was going to be a rat but because he wanted his condo.
Are there any condo’s there listed under the name Wyshak?
Matorano is not supposed to be being protected. We never heard another thing about the state cop who said he was being protected; that seemed to have vanished quite quickly. I don’t see Martorano invovled with the NY Mob although his brother is supposed to be a made man n the Boston mob.I wouldn’t put it past Martorano to use the name John Callahan – after all he was his best friend until someone killed him.
Well if he was being protected everyone knows where he lives now. They say his silver Mercedes is parked behind his condo on CC Lane. Didn’t see any Wyshaks. LOL
Question:
Protection? Johnny can protect himself quite adequately. I wonder if he has a gun permit? I wonder if he carries?
I guess the Carneglia guy was a hitman as well. This is what he said in court after found guilty.
“Finally given the opportunity to speak, Carneglia showed his creepy true colors. Grabbing the microphone, he complained he did not receive a fair trial.
“Liar after liar testified against me and they all had cooperation agreements,” Carneglia said, then plopped back down.”
Sound familiar?
Question:
Isn’t it odd these guys have associated for years with these “liars” who testified against them. Maybe they should be in prison for not choosing better companions.
Fox 25 aired a video of Martorano’s condo unit on Country Club Lane. Neighbors were interviewed and confirmed Johnny lives there with a woman and two dogs. That same day, the Globe again printed that Martorano lives in Cambridge. Very odd, maybe the Globe is just protecting his privacy with misinformation. How accommodating.
The Government Team should publish an immunized serial killer registry similar to the sex offender registry.