AP+2014+P3+Whitey+Bulger

Lizzie: Cultural

Whitey Bulger's impact on American culture was one derived from his notoriety as a gangster and from his corruption of the FBI. A Boston newspaper of the time stated, “ James (Whitey) Bulger, the mobster who terrorized South Boston in the 1970s and ‘80s, holding the city in his thrall even after he disappeared, was convicted Monday of a sweeping array of gangland crimes, including 11 murders” (Seelye). Whitey Bulger’s crime spree was drenched in media, as well as his reputation as a mob boss. His popularity among mobsters was equalled only by the terror that he caused in those who lived around him. An example of those who cowered under his wrath, June Barry, who lived in his area at the time, said, “We always said, ‘Well, Whitey might be listening, we’d better behave ourselves'” (Seelye). This reputation of being the most powerful, most feared mobster in all of Boston gave Bulger a living legend, one that was not to be stopped. This theme of omnipotent power was supported by the FBI’s willful ignorance of his crimes in exchange for information, Bulger’s power only grew. His growth is expressed, “Bulger and his FBI handlers orchestrated the crippling of the local mob family, which allowed him to take over a large chunk of the Boston rackets” (Bruno). In addition to a corrupt FBI agent’s choice to inform him of his impending arrest and thus clear the way for his escape, the FBI’s unwillingness to arrest one of their top informants gained him territory and power. His reign of terror and corruption showed the people of Boston how powerful one man can really be.

Blake: Historical Whitey Bulger was a crime lord of the late 1900’s. From the very beginning Whitey descended into a life of crime,“Whitey Bulger was first arrested when he was 14 years old, for stealing, and his criminal record continued to escalate from there” (Biography, page 1). Even before then Bulger had still been a problem child, having run away from home and causing trouble for those around him. His early arrest did little to dissuade him and he continued to commit crimes even going up to armed robbery. Despite all this the military still somehow accepted him into their fold, where he promptly was honorably discharged for going AWOL. Eventually Bulger’s criminal life continued into the realm of organized crime, “By the early '70s, Bulger had teamed up with veteran mobster Stephen Flemmi and was muscling his way up the ranks of Somerville's Winter Hill Gang...In 1975, Bulger was enticed to sign on as an FBI informant by John Connolly” (Boston News). The swell in Bulger’s reputation among Boston residents was only bolstered by the aide they gained from the local law enforcement, who had convinced Bulger to work for them as an informant in return for tip offs in sting operations. Using his status as an informant Bulger gave away his opponents to the police and strategically maneuvered his way into being a crime lord within his gang and helping to dismantle the hold of rival gain, the Italian Mafia. Eventually Bulger was arrested after being put on the run for several years and was scheduled to undergo trial in 2013.

Sean: Aim



Whitey Bulger’s motivations for his actions of murder and a life of crime were to both become a notorious and reputable gangster, and to uphold his own reputation. According to Kevin Cullen, author of Whitey Bulger, “He went out of his way to build this reputation, the idea that he was a benevolent gangster, that he was a good bad guy” (“Most Notorious Gangster”). Bulger accrued millions of dollars through his criminal dealings in Boston. Bulger murdered to get to the top of the criminals, and he dealt drugs throughout Boston, basically controlling the majority of crime in Boston and Southie. Whitey desired to get his money to appear a gangster. He wanted to let everyone know he had the power to end their life at any time, as well as help them out if they have the right connections. Additionally, Whitey desired to uphold his own reputation as a self-serving gangster. During his defense trial, Whitey’s defense attorney, J.W. Carney, stated, “The worst thing that an Irish person could consider doing was becoming an informant” (“Legal Strategy”). According to Whitey and his lawyer, Whitey had no problem admitting his crimes against the law. He admitted to murder and to drug trafficking, yet refused to acknowledge being an FBI informant. Whitey would rather be known as a notorious criminal who murdered many and sold drugs throughout Boston than a nark, showing Bulger’s believes his reputation as a criminal is a strong goal

Elijah: Audience Although much was made public about Whitey Bulger and his criminal acts, the man himself had little audience in mind when it came to his crimes. When he was still an active criminal and not behind bars, he was the one person that was able to benefit the most from his actions. Even while working as an FBI informant, Whitey, “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” (Bio). Most, if not all of his actions can be labeled as “selfish”. However, Bulger always had a greater audience in mind, as he tried to make a living legend out of himself. His methods are best described by author and reporter Kevin Cullen of The Boston Globe, who interviewed Whitey after his arrest. Cullen, in an interview with NPR said, “[Whitey Bulger] went out of his way to build this reputation, the idea that he was a benevolent gangster, that he was a good bad guy... He would give turkeys to poor people. He would do things for people who were down on their luck” (NPR). By doing these things, Whitey expanded his audience over time. What may have started out as solely selfish intent with as little of an audience as possible matured into a nationwide recognition. As his life nears its end, he wants the entire world to know and remember who he was and what he did in this world. His audience is any individual that will listen, or even take notice.

Bruno, Anthony. "James 'Whitey' Bulger." James J. Whitey Bulger, the Notorious Head Mobster of South Boston — A Man of Contradictions — Crime Library on TruTV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. Cullen, Kevin. "Whitey Bulger Bio Profiles Boston's Most Notorious Gangster." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. Seelye, Katharine Q. "Bulger Guilty in Gangland Crimes, Including Murder." New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. "Strategy for ‘Whitey’ Bulger’s Defense Unfolds." BostonGlobe.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014. "Whitey Bulger Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.