Whitey lets nature do his dirty work
Bulger’s best shot is witnesses dying from old age
By Howie Carr
Sunday, October 7, 2012 - Updated 8 hours ago
The feds have it wrong. Whitey Bulger isn’t trying to stall his trial until he dies.
He’s trying to stall it until all the witnesses against him die.
“Won’t work,” said one of his former colleagues. “Too many witnesses.”
But they’re very old, most of them. The Winter Hill Gang is now the Over the Hill Gang. And sure enough, one of the ex-cons the feds were hoping would testify against him has just passed on.
TOMMY RYAN
Tommy Ryan was 81, a mere whippersnapper among the bookies the G-men are planning to use on the witness stand next year against the 83-year-old serial killer now incarcerated at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.
Ryan, of Winthrop, died late last month. He was for many years the biggest bookie in Cambridge, operating out of his barroom, Joey Mac’s Lounge on Warren Street, just off Cambridge Street.
Ryan was just paying “rent” to the boys at the garage. But he was big enough that when the feds put together their Winter Hill Gang organizational chart back in 2008 for the Zip Connolly murder trial in Florida, they put Ryan on it.
Sure, it was near the bottom, and maybe it was just because they had his mugshot, but still, Ryan made the chart. He was an ex-Marine, just like the boss, Howie Winter, 83, who is currently under state indictment.
On Friday a federal judge again refused to give Whitey’s lawyer, J.W. Carney, more time to prepare for trial, not to mention funerals. Jury selection is still scheduled to begin March 4. It will take place at the Moakley Courthouse, although a better location might be Marian Manor, or even a hospice with easy access to defibrillators and oxygen.
Forget St. Petersburg, Fla. Starting late next winter, the Bulger courtroom is going to be God’s waiting room.
Ryan’s last stretch came in 1996, when he was found guilty on criminal contempt charges. He’d refused to testify in front of a grand jury investigating organized crime in Boston. A lot of the senior-citizen bookies on Whitey’s witness list did 18 months for refusing to testify. It was a very popular decision, until Whitey Bulger and his pal Stevie Flemmi were outed as rats in 1997.
After that, it seemed rather pointless, going to the can for refusing to rat out a rat. Everybody started testifying. No hard feelings. Even Stevie Flemmi is going to take a turn on the witness stand against his old partner. Stevie’s 78, and he’ll probably make it to March. His father lived to almost 100.
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chazbo
? +20
Howie, you should be wrting comedy...hey, wait...this stuff is all true!!
Posted 10 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
saintpetersboy
? +10
what a waste of money this trial is ,and Carney is trying to squeeze every nickle he can from the government.
Posted 8 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
moonbatter
? +1-9
Nobody cares about the geriatric gangster anymore, Cap'n. Nobody.
Posted 8 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
anotherdave
? +7-4
Why has the media gone quiet about Elizabeth Warren's practicing law in Massachusetts without a license? A Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly poll found 80% of respondants thought Warren should be investigated.
We can be confident Marsha won't lift a finger.
Posted 6 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
larryfine replying to moonbatter
? +80
So so WRONG! There are many that still do care and we are not all on Howie's Death List. See - brothers, sisters, Mom's and Dad's became a part of the thing. The survivors want closure. Knowing Whitey will die in jail is fine. If it happens? Martarano and Weeks can't be sleepin well at this point. The feds let this pos operate for years shame on them.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
steve5150
? +3-8
Howie could you wait until November 7th to write about Whitey. Right now their are far more important criminals who haven,t been arrested yet. In fact the biggest is currently sitting in the white House. Stop phoning in articles till after the election.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
YKnot
? +6-1
Howie, don't knock it til you've tried it. Another Bulger column. CUT, PASTE, SEND, EAT A GALLON OF ICE CREAM.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
pompanojohn
? +4-1
Howie, the prune juice gang has run its gamut.
Give it up.
Posted 4 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
localman
? +1-1
What the defense lawyers are doing is typical defense, drag the case on until witnesses die, move, just forget and the public opinion diminishes. How many case do not proceed until 3 or 4 years later, which by that time people have moved on.. Even people commenting are saying forget about this multiple murderer.
Posted 4 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
jlynn
? +3-1
And that can't be soon enough. Agree with "Saintpertersboy...what a waste of money.
As for a waste of money...In 5 minutes, Romney "undid 1 million dollars in adds by Obama". Unfiltered by the media, Romney was able to expose falshoods, show he has the right stuff, and people saw he didn't have horns!
Mitt wiped out a 5pt deficit to a 3.5% advantage.
Things are looking better Nationally, not so good her in Massachusetts. We have Whitey and the Democratic machine. How's that looking?
Posted 4 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
boazrg replying to anotherdave
? 0-5
Sceptics can verify this for themselves on the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers website!
Posted 6 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
boazrg
? +10
Every night in Massachusetts, strong men pray that a "cardiac event" will take Whitey before trial! If Whitey decides to go out "hollywood" and tell everything he knows,there will be the biggest waves of suicides since the market crash of 1929! Both Whitey and his paramour are lucky to enjoy the protection of Uncle Sam!
Posted 6 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
LongRunOne
? +20
The old timer is in the can right? He's not getting out, so what's the hurry? Witnesses die? The guys 83, forget trial, if he pleads to anything, even perjury, he's likely gonna die in the can. Millions spent on a bunch of wrinkled up old has-beens, while MS-13, Asian Boyz, Latin Kings, Mexican Mafia, etc., grow like weeds, they are the real threat, wasted resources.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
john10p
? 00
EX-CON, EX-CON just kind of rolllls of the tongue, the question: when a man has multiple arrest and at the moment he is breathing free air, he qualifies for the title of EX-CON.
EX-CON, with multiple arrest, EX-CON, yes just rolllls of the tongue, and just what did this EX-CON have to say to receive this TITLE of EX-CON ???
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
MataHarry
? +2-3
Another Whitey article by the Common Man from Wellesley, Howard Carr III. Tomorrow should we expect another expose on the Cheese Man? On EBT? On Mumbles?
More likely another powder puff butt lickin' PR piece for Scottie, Howard's riding buddy at the Myopia Hunt Club.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
GomerPyle
? +80
This time, when a witness testifies that "I don't recall," we'll probably believe him.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
taxed
? +20
It's Whitey who does not want to make it. Not doing so hot I hear.
Posted 5 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
DLrealife
? +10
Maybe Whitey will request a transgender operation too just to push it in our faces re justice...as in he's the victum
Posted 4 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
OnionChex
? 0-3
Great column, Howie.
18 replies in ten hours - even Graham does better that that.
Posted 4 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
Sorry, but the post that was in this spot has been removed as it did not follow our guidelines.
#3084167 - Oct 7, 2012 9:19 AM EDT
trpbob1
? +20
Carney like All Lawyers want to suck out the Money
using the Your TURN -to WIN then my turn to WIN.
the TAXPAYERS are paying so it\'s DEEP HOLE ..This is a Bleed the TAXPAYERS ..CASE for the LAWYERS......
Posted 3 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
YKnot replying to jlynn
? +10
What color is the sky in your world? Red, huh? One-month from today, all you snakes can crawl back under your rock until the next cycle in 2014. The good news is Obamacare does cover rump beatings. Be prepared and get your name in early for treatment.
Posted 3 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
undone
? +10
There is on job Whitey should have done himself. Can you guess which one howie?
Posted 3 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
undone
? +20
Howie, How does it fell being the provider for whitey? It`s the least you can do since you profited from his crimes!!!
Posted 3 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
speedy49
? 0-1
Hey Howie. It\'s long past old. Your beating a dead horse again. Try writing about real gangsters fo a change. This guy was not a gangster he was a little rat. We all know it. Must be a slow news week so you decide to fall back on the Whitey crap. Dead....Old.
Posted 2 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
jlynn replying to YKnot
? 00
What I post, was true. Can't deny it.
Polls right now are showing more than I post. It appears Romney is getting a significant boost from the debate.
I live a life of reality. It isn't always pretty, but it's a good way to conduct yourself.
I've been a registered Independent for years, and have vote for the candidate, not the party.
I have to say, this is easiest choice I will make in my loooong lifetime.
Posted 2 hours ago Reply Link Abusive
buddy40
? 00
Whitey is going to die in prison anyway,so this waste of taxpayers money trial is going to be about who else was involved.Now really at this stage of the game who will believe the witnesses.I know i wont.
Posted 1 hour ago Reply Link Abusive
whynot11 replying to jlynn
? 0-1
What I post is true, even you can not deny it. Obama is not qualified to be President of the United States.
Problem is his major opponent is also Not qualified to be President of the United States. Mitt Romney is a yellow belly draft dodger who took 4 draft deferments during the VN War and then claimed he had asthma. He is no more fit to be the Commander In Chief than Draft Dodgers, Bill Clinton, Bush JR, and Dick Cheny! They are all disgusting Yellow belly Draft Dodgers--and them is the facts!
Posted 58 mins ago Reply Link Abusive
clambelly
? 00
Tommy looked like he was a nice guy, plus he paid his \"rent\" on time. :)
Now to get the REAL CRIMINALS strung up!
WorthingtonGate ... A NEW MOB Assassination;
Posted 1 min ago Reply Link Abusive