William M. Bulger

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William "Billy" Michael Bulger (born February 2, 1934) is a retired American politician from South Boston, Massachusetts who rose to become President of the Massachusetts State Senate and president of the University of Massachusetts. He is the brother of James J. Bulger, a fugitive gangster currently wanted by the FBI.

Contents 1 Education and early career 2 Political career 3 Political milestones 4 Controversies involving James J. "Whitey" Bulger 4.1 Suspicions raised in public about Billy's possible support of Whitey's criminality 4.2 John "Zip" Connolly: mutual acquaintance of Billy and Whitey 4.3 A criminal gang's headquarters next door to Billy Bulger's home 4.4 Questions about retribution against state law enforcement officials 4.5 Conclusions from the committee report 5 President of the University of Massachusetts 6 Active retirement 7 Bibliography 8 See also 9 Footnotes 10 External links

[edit] Education and early career

Bulger was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Irish immigrants James Joseph Bulger and Jane Veronica "Jean" McCarthy, the third of their six children. The Bulgers grew up on Logan Way in South Boston. Congressman Joe Moakley was a close childhood neighbor.^[1] Although the Bulger family was poor, William successfully matriculated into Boston College High School. He enrolled at Boston College in 1952, but his undergraduate career was interrupted when he joined the United States Army in order to become eligible for the G.I. Bill and served from September 1953 to November 1955. He returned to the college and completed his undergraduate degree in English. Then he entered Boston College Law School, from which he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1961.^[1] During school, he was a key lifeguard at 'Southie's' "L" St. beach and bathhouse noted for its Brownies who annually trek into the icy waters there.

As a graduate of Boston College High School, Boston College (as an undergraduate), and Boston College Law School, he is what is commonly referred to as a "triple eagle." He is also the recipient of over 20 honorary degrees from a variety of academic institutions.^[1]

[edit] Political career

Bulger became interested in politics in 1959, a watershed year in Massachusetts politics, following the death in November 1956 of James Michael Curley former Mayor of Boston, Governor of Massachusetts, congressman and two-time convict.^[2] Bulger was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1961 and served four terms. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 1970 representing the First Suffolk District. He was elected President of the Massachusetts State Senate in 1978 and re-elected every two years to 1996, making his time as State Senate President the longest tenure in Massachusetts history.

A consummate South Boston Irish American politician, Bulger became a vocal opponent of Judge Garrity's court order forcing the integration of South Boston public schools through court ordered busing. While this opposition was expected and praised by many of his constituents it limited his political appeal to voters statewide and limited his ambitions to the State Senate. Notwithstanding, after a series of scandals that indicted his predecessors, he was elected by his colleagues to serve out the remainder of their terms as President of the Massachusetts State Senate

[edit] Political milestones

During the 1960s, he led efforts to write the first child abuse reporting laws in the state.

Bulger was among the first advocates of charter schools and public school choice. During the 1980s, he advocated funding of public libraries, the expansion of childhood nutrition services and fuel assistance programs. As Senate president, Bulger led the debate on welfare reform in the early 1990s, with the resulting legislation becoming the model for a national law.

For many years, Bulger hosted the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in South Boston. This was a "roast" of politicians.^[1]

[edit] Controversies involving James J. "Whitey" Bulger

Bulger's elder brother, James J. Bulger (better known as Whitey Bulger), was a member and later the leader of the Winter Hill Gang, a Somerville based, Irish-American crime family operating in the region of Boston, Massachusetts. James Bulger was revealed in 1995 to have been an FBI informant since 1975. In 1994, he fled Boston just ahead of a massive racketeering indictment. He remains at large and was added to the FBI's Most Wanted List in 1999.

The House Committee on Government Reform called Bulger on June 19, 2003 to testify about his relationship with his brother.^[3]

Bulger was asked about an incident in which, while still President of the Massachusetts State Senate, he went to an arranged location in 1995 to take a call from his brother, to avoid police surveillance or electronic eavsdropping. He insisted that accepting the call from his brother without informing the authorities was "in no way inconsistent with my devotion to my own responsibilities, my public responsibilities."^[4]

When Rep. Dan Burton R-Indiana asked William what he thought his older brother Whitey did for a living, William gave this response:

"I had the feeling that he was in the business of gaming and... Whatever. It was vague to me, but I didn't think... For a long while he had some jobs but ultimately it was clear that he was not, he wasn't doing what I'd like him to do."

[edit] Suspicions raised in public about Billy's possible support of Whitey's criminality

Several issues have come up in public (at the June 19, 2003, Congressional hearing and elsewhere) about how much Billy Bulger knew of his brother's criminal activity and whether he aided his brother. These issues aren't necessarily proof of wrongdoing, but they have raised public concerns:^[3][4]

[edit] John "Zip" Connolly: mutual acquaintance of Billy and Whitey

John Connolly is a former FBI agent who was convicted of racketeering and was received a 10-year jail sentence. He is alleged to have had a close relationship with Whitey as an informant for the FBI, which had a detrimental effect on the Italian Mafia. Whitey, meanwhile, received some protection from the government as an informant.^[4]

Connolly was also working on the political campaigns of Billy Bulger, who is alleged to have suggested to his fellow Southie pol Ray Flynn, Mayor of Boston, to appoint the corrupt agent as police commissioner, before criminal charges emerged. Flynn did not oblige.^[4]

At the 2003 Congressional hearing, one congressman asked Billy Bulger: "Did you write a letter of recommendation for him (John Connolly, the corrupt FBI agent now in federal prison and the man Bulger suggested become Boston's police commissioner) to attend graduate school?"^[3]

"I don’t believe so," Bulger initially answered. Then his lawyer whispered something in his ear.^[3]

"Oh," Bulger said. "About the Kennedy School of Government, I am reminded I think I did send a letter over to the Kennedy School."^[3]

In 1994 Connolly informed Whitey that he was wanted, allowing Bulger to flee. The one-time candidate for police commissioner is (as of 2006) an inmate in federal prison.^[4]

“

He's a special, special person," Connolly said of Billy. "He taught me the value of public service.[4]

”

At one point, Connolly was making so much money on illegal activities – more than $200,000 from the mob, according to Carr – that he allowed his government paychecks to accumulate uncashed.^[4]

[edit] A criminal gang's headquarters next door to Billy Bulger's home

Stephen Flemmi, a close associate of James Bulger, lived next door to William Bulger. Flemmi's home became a hangout for South Boston's Irish Mob, and law enforcement officials even called it a "clubhouse." One of Flemmi's girlfriends, 26 year old Debra Davis, was strangled by Whitey Bulger and Flemmi inside the house after she announced that she was leaving Flemmi for a man she met on vacation in Mexico.^[5]

The following quotations are from a report of the public June 19, 2003, Congressional hearing, as reported by Howie Carr in The Brothers Bulger.^[3]

Congressman Martin Meehan asked William Bulger, "How much distance is there between your house and the Flemmis'?"
Bulger: "Perhaps from here to the first desk." According to Carr, that amounted to about 15 feet.
Meehan: "Nothing ever looked suspicious over there?"
Bulger: "No."
Meehan: "You’re aware Debra Davis was murdered next door?"
Bulger: "Yes."
At another point, a congressman asked Bulger: "Did you know that your brother and his crew had stored the largest criminal arsenal ever confiscated in New England in their clubhouse fifteen feet from your home?"
Bulger: "I didn’t know, whoever put them there didn’t tell me."

[edit] Questions about retribution against state law enforcement officials

During the 2003 Congressional hearing, congressmen asked William Bulger about a number of instances in which state employees had been investigating Whitey, only to be transferred, or have their pay frozen, or have staff cut. "Billy said he knew nothing about any of it," according to Howie Carr's description of the hearing.^[3] U.S. Rep. Dan Burton questioned Bulger about one attempt from the state Legislature to punish state police who had investigated Whitey. In 1982, a rider was anonymously added to the state budget that would have forced the retirement of several senior State Police, one of whom had authorized the bugging of a West End garage that Whitey was using as his headquarters.^[3] Carr wrote:

"Burton sighed and reiterated how odd it seemed that the president of the state Senate, a renowned micromanager, could forget a no-fingerprints amendment to the state budget that was aimed solely at destroying the careers of a handful of police officers, including one who was causing 'heartburn,' as Burton put it, for the Senate president’s gangster brother."^[3]

[edit] Conclusions from the committee report

On November 20, 2003, the Government Reform Committee issued a report stating that Bulger gave "inconsistent" testimony to the committee about whether the F.B.I. had contacted him in its search for his fugitive brother. In his testimony, William Bulger said the F.B.I. never asked him if he knew where his brother was, although a retired F.B.I. agent later said he tried to speak to Bulger but was told that Bulger wouldn't talk. The report did not say that Bulger had committed perjury.^[6] The report also said there was insufficient evidence to find that Bulger, when he was president of the Senate, had used his influence to punish law enforcement people who investigated his brother.^[6]

[edit] President of the University of Massachusetts

Although a lifelong Democrat, Bulger was appointed President of the University of Massachusetts by Republican Governor William Weld in 1996.

As President of the University of Massachusetts university system, he invited Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Féin to speak to a surprised graduating college class several years ago.^[1]

On August 6, 2003, Bulger announced that he would resign as President of the system with effect from September 1, 2003. His resignation came due to pressure from then-Governor Mitt Romney. Other factors included the Boston Herald publishing the payroll records of the University of Massachusetts. In the seven years that Bulger had been president, numerous payroll increases occurred for both his role and the patronage jobs he extended to his loyalists. Under his leadership, the five-campus university saw dramatic increases in private support, alumni activity, research funding and the academic scores of incoming freshmen. President Bulger also launched a scholarship program that rewards students who finish at the top of their high school graduating class.^{[citations needed]}

In November 2005, Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Ernest B. Murphy ruled that the State Retirement Board should include items such as Bulger's housing allowance when calculating his pension. This raised his pension to an estimated $208,000. When Bulger retired as president of the University of Massachusetts he received a severance package of $960,000.^[7] This ruling is currently being heard under appeal of the state's Attorney General, claiming that these allowances were "perks", rather than compensation for actual service, and should not be a factor in pension calculation.^[8]

[edit] Active retirement

Bulger is a past president of the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees and continues to serve on the board. He is also Overseer Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is a former member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, Museum of Fine Arts Board of Trustees, McLean Hospital Board of Trustees and Citizens Bank of Massachusetts Board of Directors. He joined the faculties of Boston College and Suffolk University as a lecturer of political science in 2004. Bulger lives in South Boston with Mary, his wife whom he married in 1960. They have nine children (Bill, Jim, Sarah, Patrick, Mary, Dan, Kathleen, Chris and Brendan) and now have 30 grandchildren.

[edit] Bibliography

• Bulger, William M. While the Music Lasts: My Life in Politics. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. ISBN 0-395-72041-9.
• Carr, Howie. The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston For a Quarter Century. Lebanon, IN: Warner Books (Hachette Book Group, Inc.), 2006. ISBN 0-446-57651-4.

[edit] See also

• Alan Dershowitz: Bulger controversies

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Gitell, Seth. "Bulger's Denouement." Boston Phoenix December 12, 2002. Accessed September 11, 2006.

Preceded by Kevin Harrington	President of the Massachusetts State Senate 1978 - 1996	Succeeded by Thomas Birmingham
Preceded by -	President of the University of Massachusetts 1996 - 2003	Succeeded by Jack M. Wilson