Bulger's Goods Auctioned Off

Irish Mafia leader James Whitey Bulger, the inspiration for Martin Scorcese’s The Departed, was finally convicted of murder, racketeering, etc. in a federal court, although he still attempted to intimidate witnesses, and former moles came forward and snitched on him.

For eighteen years, Bulger was living it up in rent-control Santa Monica with his long-time mistress. Other than Bulger, more people are leaving California than coming.

Why it took the FBI nearly two decades to find the man is anyone’s guess. But no one has to wonder why he sought Santa Monica: the rent-control haven.

For the past six months, I have been writing guest columns to the New England press, including Worcester. They covered the Bulger trial until the verdict, and local journalists could not resist admitting their shock and horror. When I told one of my colleagues that James “Whitey” Bulger was living incognito in my backyard, all she could say was “Creepy!”

Now Bulger’s back in the news: not just himself, but his stuff, including a mannequin with a fedora hat. According to the Associated Press, the feds will auction off his goods and the proceeds will go to victims’ families. Now I have something to write about for New England this week.

While no indemnity can restore what Bulger took from aggrieved families, at least Santa Monica leaders can consider one reform: get rid of rent control, and make sure that no convicts, suspects, or other criminal element finds a hiding place without paying top dollar.