Mob Boss James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Found Dead In West Virginia Prison

Notorious Boston mob boss James “Whitey'” Bulger was found dead at 89 years old. He was found dead in a West Virginia prison the day after he arrived there. The FBI has now launched an investigation into his death. No news yet on what caused his death, although it was said in the past he had medical issues.

Bulger arrived at the high-security USP Hazelton Penitentiary in West Virginia on Monday, October 29, 2018, and was pronounced dead by Tuesday morning. Life-saving measures were initiated by the staff but he could not be saved. No other staff or inmates were injured, according to officials.

Early in his criminal career, the local police gave him the nickname “Whitey” because he had blond hair. He hated the nickname and wanted to be called Jim, Jimmy or Boots. He often wore cowboy boots and hid a switchblade in those boots.

Bulger was part of FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives for about twelve years. He was only after Osama Bin Laden on the list. He was the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang. He had been in and out of prison for much of his life but was finally convicted for good in 2013 for his participation in 11 murders in the United States. He was serving a life sentence at the time of his death.

This relocation to a new prison was not Bulger’s first. He was previously relocated from a Florida prison to one in Oklahoma and it was not clear why he was being moved around. He was also charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit extortion, narcotics distribution, conspiracy to commit money laundering, extortion, along with murder.

The FBI says that Bulger was a confidential informant for the Bureau beginning in 1975. However, Bulger denied this claim. Bulger’s first term in prison was in 1956 in Atlanta. He was later transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. He was granted parole in 1965 and would not be arrested again for 46 years.

He was arrested in 2011 with his girlfriend, Catherine Greig. Greig is still in a federal women’s prison in Minnesota. She pled guilty in 2012 to identity fraud and harboring Bulger. She is currently 67 years old.

He inspired characters in many shows and movies such as The Departed, Black Mass, and Law & Order. There was a documentary called Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger in 2014. Have you seen it?

If you found this article about James “Whitey” Bulger interesting, please SHARE the news with your friends!