New England Legendary Criminal, 82 Year Old, Whitey Bulger Arrested in Los Angles – Tales of the Boston Mob and Massachusetts Politics

Whitey Bulger, Most Wanted Fugitive, image Boston Phoenix

This is one for the books, (the best one goes to Howard Carr:, entitled ”The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century” - Whitey Bulger, , dubbed by the Boston Herald, as the “most wanted man in the world”, was arrested in Southern California last night, after years of sightings both in the U.S. and around the world.

The tale of murders, corruption, politics and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts crime is well chronicled in Carr’s book, a fast read, complete with photographs, and worth the read if one is interested in the “mob” in New England, and its ties to the political landscape. What is most interesting perhaps is how this particular man managed to elude capture and long-term prison for decades. His brother, William Bulger, was the President of the Massachusetts Senate, as well as going on to become the President of the University of Massachusetts, articles on one of the most powerful politicians in Massachusetts, and his brother can be found here: under topics: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/b/willimam_m_bulger/index.html. William Bulger vehemently denied knowing the whereabouts of his brother, and this close South Boston family, apparently did not know the whereabouts of the proverbial black sheep, during his years on the “lam”.

Other sources: Boston Magazine

Best(Almost Obsessive): The Boston Herald Archives

The FBI’s most used motto: ”We always get our man”, is appropriate here. What is probably the biggest question on everyone interested in this particular elusive criminal is how he managed to stay “underground” for so many years, and who helped him to avoid capture.

Also worth reading: Jon Keller’s ”The Bluest State: How Democrats Created the Massachusetts Blueprint for American Political Disaster”

So Long Sal, Another Massachusetts Speaker Bites the Political Dust

On the 27th of January, Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, “retired” from the Statehouse after having been recently re-elected Speaker. DiMasi, is said to have resigned over a slight incident involving a lobbyist and some ticket-scalping legislation.

Proposed Legislation approved by both Attorney General, Martha Coakley and Governor Deval Patrick, calls for ethic reform in the Massachusetts body politic with high penalties for those caught taking bribes (see Lobbyists). This just weeks before DiMasi resigned - makes one wonder what took so long? Patrick, who is up for re-election in 2012, and DiMasi had butted heads over the Governors proposed Casinos Legislation - , DeMasi prevailed at the time – and now, with DiMasi’s “retirement”, that legislation may become a reality. Convenient ethics reform from a State well known for its lack thereof.

Former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran, exited the office due to a conviction of obstruction of justice. Finneran is now a radio talk show host on on Boston’s WRKO, and is frequently referred to fellow WRKO host Howie Carr, as “Felon Finneran”. One thing is certain, Massachusetts, a state controlled by Democrat lawmakers, has continued to produce one scandal after another; and that pattern does not promise to change anytime soon.

The Boston Globe is noting that the new Speaker, Bob DeLeo, is “cut from the same cloth” as DiMasi. In the article, it was suggested that the House was run in a similar fashion to a “crime family”. What is of interest is that the The Globe, a longtime supporter of Boston’s top ( ,politico’s, (the Bulger’s for instance) – would write such a savvy “connect the dots - criminal family like atmosphere at the Statehouse” article regarding a man (DiMasi), who they so long supported. Of interest, how the Globe treats DeLeo, should he decide against supporting one of the Governor Patrick’s “favored legislation”. Ethics or expediency?