James “Whitey” Bulger.
Credit: US Attorney’s Office
Alleged mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger provided such bad information to an FBI agent in the early 1970s that he was closed as an agency informant, a special agent testified Friday.
James Marra, a special agent with the federal Inspector General’s office, took the witness stand Friday on day eight of the Bulger trial.
Marra’s testimony came from his office’s review of the corrupt relationship between Bulger and his handler, disgraced FBI agent John Connolly.
But Mara said that in 1971, before being listed as an informant for Connolly, Bulger was listed as an informant for another agent – Dennis Condon.
But shortly after being listed as an informant, Bulger was delisted because of a “lack of productivity” on information Bulger provided, Marra said.
However, Bulger was again listed as an informant and his card was dated May 4,1979 and listed Connolly as his handler. It also listed him as an organized crime informant and he was later elevated to “top echelon” informant. Bulger’s employment was listed as working in the maintenance department for Suffolk County.
Prosecutors also introduced the informant cards for Stephen Flemmi and Richard Castucci. Castucci was allegedly killed by Bulger’s gang for going to the FBI with information on the whereabouts of fugitive Winter Hill Gang members. Prosecutors said they’re trying to show that Bulger and Flemmi’s relationship as informants led them to kill Castucci because of the information he gave.
Bulger’s lawyers have said that the information contained in Bulger’s informant file is not true and that Connolly made most of it up or used information from other sources in order to bolster his own reputation.
The 83-year-old Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011 after 16 years on the run.Bulger fled after Connolly tipped him off just before his indictment for various crimes including racketeering, extortion and 19 murders.
Marra will continue his testimony Monday.
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