AP+Whitey+Bulger

//**Historical -**// Chantal Pelzer Whitey Bulger was born James Joseph Bulger on September 3, 1929 in Massachusetts. His early criminal career started by the age of 14 when he joined a street gang by the name of the Shamrocks. His first arrests were for assault, batter, and armed robbery. He was sent to juvenile prison and when he was released he joined the Air Force for four years. After a string of armed robberies he was sent to a number of prisons before being released after nine years. After his release is when Bulger’s status in the crime world began to rise, he eventually worked as “an enforcer for Donald Killeen, the leader of the dominant Irish mob in South Boston” (Wikipedia). After a gang war between the Irish Mob run by Killeen and the Mullen Gang, a truce was made and Bulger and Mullen eventually came in control of South Boston’s criminal underground.

He eventually rose in the ranks of the Winter Hill Gang. Where he was described as a “shrewd, ruthless, cunning mobster” (Bio.com). When Howie Winter himself was sent to prison, Bulger became leader of the Winter Hill Gang, “over the next 16 years, he came to control a significant portion of Boston's drug dealing, bookmaking, and loan sharking operations. Under his reign, more than 18 murders accumulated in all” (Bio.com). After his years in charge, the FBI launched a search on his whole operation. During the search, him and his wife fled and Bulger was put on the FBI’s most wanted list in the late 90’s and 2000’s second, only under Osama Bin Laden. His hiding eventually came to an end in 2011 where he and his wife were arrested in Santa Monica, California.

"Whitey Bulger Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. “Whitey Bulger”. Wikipedia. 22 March 2012. Web. 28 March 2012.

Cultural --- Hunter Kennedy Whitey Bulger was a very famous criminal who had strong connections to gang activity in Boston. Gang activity is the core of organized crime, and was something that shaped the culture in south Boston. Bulger is responsible for illegal acts such as drug distribution, money laundering, and murders. Because of one of his earliest crimes, “He spent nine years in federal prison for bank robbery, from 1956 to 1965, then returned to Boston to pick up where he left off. Whitey (or Jimmy) Bulger worked his way up to boss and ran the gang during the 1970s and '80s...” (James ‘Whitey’ Bulger). That “bank robbery” was only the beginning of Bulger’s activity surrounding Boston. As seen in the quote he was content to “pick up where he left off” and develop and even greater influence on the crime rate, and gang behaviors that were so prevalent in south Boston. The years that he was being sentenced for his crimes only continued to grow and grow. Bulger is an example of the environment in Southie. Crime is the key theme that surrounds life in Southie, and this heavy crime is shown through the real life events Whitey Bulger was involved in. Another key thing about Bulger’s character is that he was smart about his crimes, “Bulger helped bring down Boston's Italian-American Patriarca crime family while simultaneously building a more powerful and arguably more violent crime network of his own” (Whitey Bulger Biography). The connections that Bulger maintained by being an FBI informant made him even more devious, harmful, and challenging to cath. By “bring down” another “crime family” and thus grow his own level of supremacy in the organized crime world. Boston’s poverty and crime levels would not have been the same without the development of a culture that was familiar with gangs, murders, and drugs because of individuals like White Bulger.

Works Cited

"James 'Whitey' Bulger." //Infoplease//. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. "Whitey Bulger Biography." //Bio.com//. A&E Networks Television. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.

Audience - Alli Griffin

**"Southie" Boston, the audience of Michael Patrick MacDonald** James “Whitey” Bulger, an infamous leader of the Italian Mofia in “Southie”, has recently been captured. This man has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for the past 16 years, and exemplifies one of the largest successes for the FBI. He was wanted for 19 counts of murder, corrupting organizations, extortion, and much more. For the people from Southie, or the Southern Boston area, he represents much more than a wanted criminal. “State and federal agencies were repeatedly stymied in their attempts to build cases against Bulger and his inner circle… Fear of wiretaps, South Boston's code of silence, and also corruption within the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation” (Whitey Bulger). The people of Boston know this “code of silence” that the author speaks of. they know the “wiretaps” and the “corruption” within the police force. Whitey represents this “corrupt” area of Boston that the people can relate to and know well. The audience that Michael MacDonald, author of All Souls, is affecting with Whitey is the people of the South Boston area. He is a relatable figure. Additionally, Whitey Bulger was known for being close to those in power. He has the system wrapped around his finger, giving the people of Boston as sense of security in their homes. Whitey, according to an author of the New York Times was an example of, “A Congressional investigation found that F.B.I. agents in Boston became corrupted by recruiting underworld informers in their war on the Mafia… Some of the gangsters, notably Mr. Bulger and his deputy, Steven Flemmi, regularly entertained their F.B.I. handlers or gave them gifts, while continuing to commit crimes with the agents’ knowledge” (Associated Press). Whitey was seen as an “underworld informer” to the media. He was a “gangster” that “entertained” the FBI agents with information while still murdering people and “[committing]” other “crimes”. The Boston people get the image that there is a mafia member and head honcho that can be so close to the government and still get away with heinous crimes. The people of “Southie” feel safe because of people like “Whitey”, they feel safe knowing that people who know how to work the system are in a place of power. MacDonald uses Whitey, not only by a means of being relatable, but as a feeling of comfort. Yes, the people of Southie know Whitey not only in a mass media way but also as a feeling of comfort.

Works Cited

Associated Press. “James (Whitey) Bulger”. 15 March 2012. Web. 27 March 2012.

“Whitey Bulger”. Wikipedia. 22 March 2012. Web. 27 March 2012. Aim - Taylor Rosenow James “Whitey” Bulger was a well-known man who created an image and reputation for himself in South Boston. He had an extensive criminal record that started to build at a very early age, which contributed to this reputation. “Bulger is now wanted for 19 murders, as well as for money laundering, extortion, and drug dealing” (“Whitey Bulger Biography”). This man, who has committed “murder” as well as a slew of other crimes, played a large partin crime throughout his life. Despite various prison sentences and having to leave his children and wife behind, he would not give up his life of unlawful action. He represented the ultimate mobster and organized crime boss and was a large figure in the neighborhood of Southie, or South Boston. He was considered the ruler on the streets of this community and was someone that the people respected and even adored in some cases. He was often portrayed and thought of as a good man who helped his community of South Boston. One article states, “To this day, many Southie residents speak of Whitey with misty-eyed nostalgia, portraying him as their own Irish-American Robin Hood, recalling how he would buy groceries for widows and distribute free turkeys to the poor at Thanksgiving” (“James ‘Whitey’ Bulger”). Although Whitey Bulger was far from a role model, he was recognized in South Boston as their “Robin Hood”. He made the people believe that he was a good guy and made the neighborhood his kingdom that he ruled over. He owned the people of South Boston in many ways, but was still able to convince some of them that he was a helpful and generous man. He was a master at creating an image and name for himself, and that is exactly what he did with the people of South Boston. Works Cited “James ‘Whitey’ Bulger”

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/james_whitey_bulger/index.html (Okay, so I used this website yesterday and it had a lot of information on Whitey Bulger. Today, however, the site is blocked by iPrism so I just was able to list the title of the webpage and the url of the website.) “Whitey Bulger” //Bio//. A and E Television Networks, 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.