Infamous Irish-American mobster and former FBI informant, James “Whitey” Bulger, met a gruesome demise at 89 in a high-security prison. He was brutally murdered on October 30, 2018, beaten to death with a padlock concealed in a sock. The attack was so savage that his eyes were nearly gouged out, and his tongue mutilated, rendering him barely recognizable.
Reports indicate that the assailants strategically avoided CCTV cameras while assaulting Bulger, pushing his wheelchair into a secluded area before launching their attack. A source involved in the investigation revealed to the New York Times that Bulger was so severely beaten that he became unidentifiable.
Bulger’s tragic fate stemmed from his treachery towards fellow criminals. Once the head of Boston’s Winter Hill gang, he violated the underworld’s code by informing on his associates, leading to his violent end. This betrayal eventually caught up with him after his transfer to the US Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia.
Nearly fifty years earlier, Bulger had struck a deal with FBI agent John Connolly, becoming an informant in 1975. This arrangement, influenced by his relationship with Connolly and his brother, politician Billy Bulger, gave him leeway to commit crimes in exchange for intelligence on criminal activities. Bulger’s cooperation led to significant law enforcement successes, including dismantling the Patriarca crime family.
Despite his long evasion of the authorities, Bulger’s secret collaboration with the FBI eventually came to light, tarnishing his reputation among those who valued the underworld’s code of silence. His capture in 2011 marked the end of his years on the run.
In a surprising turn of events, Bulger’s past caught up with him in prison, where he was murdered by fellow inmate Fotios “Freddy” Geas, a hitman known for his disdain towards informants. Geas, along with two others, was later charged and convicted for their roles in Bulger’s killing.
The Department of Justice confirmed plea agreements with the trio, with Geas receiving a 25-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter in connection to Bulger’s death. The murder shocked many, with former Boston police commissioner Ed Davis expressing surprise not at the attack itself, but at the security lapse that allowed it to happen.