Records Say Gangster James Whitey Bulger Gave Information to Authorities As Early As 1950S

Records say gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger gave information to authorities as early as 1950s

05/30/2012 1:43 PM

James “Whitey” Bulger’s mug shot, taken when he first arrived at a prison in Atlanta in 1956.

By Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

When he graduated from penny ante crime to the big leagues of bank robbery, James “Whitey” Bulger learned a hard lesson early on: everybody talks.

And so he decided to play the game, too. Not to save himself, as he did in his later notorious role as an informant for the FBI. But to save his girlfriend, Jacqueline “Jacqui” McAuliffe, who had gone to Indiana with him when he robbed a bank.

“Bulger orally admitted who his accomplices were in these bank robberies,” FBI Agent Herbert Briick wrote on July 5, 1956.

Bulger persuaded Jacqui to do the same, with an FBI promise that she would not be prosecuted, according to the FBI memo. Bulger got 20 years; McAuliffe went back to cutting hair.

WBUR-FM (90.9) first reported today that Bulger had identified his accomplices in the bank robbery. The Globe has independently corroborated that report, and developed new information, including why Bulger agreed to talk to the FBI in 1956.

The entire episode is revealing in that it shows how Whitey Bulger learned to use cooperation with the FBI to gain leniency, and why he was so obsessive about insulating himself from potential informants even as he worked for years as an FBI informant.

Bulger agreed to cooperate with the FBI in 1956 after learning that an accomplice, Carl Smith, who had talked Bulger into going on his first bank job, had, as Bulger put it, “squealed on us.”

Bulger told the FBI that he was introduced to Smith at the Stage Bar in Boston’s Theater District in May of 1955. Smith asked Bulger, then 25, to drive for him in an unspecified crime. Whitey insisted to prison authorities that he was duped into his first bank job.

“When he learned that this deal concerned a bank robbery he wanted to back out but did not want them to know he was afraid,” a prison official wrote. “He claims that he was even more afraid when he learned he had to go into the bank since two persons who (were) involved backed out. He stated that the bank robbery was successful and afterwards he was in on three more bank robberies.”

In May of 1955, Bulger walked into the Darlington branch of the Industrial National Bank in Pawtucket, R.I., with Smith and Ronnie Dermody, an ex-con from Cambridge. Bulger pointed a .22-caliber revolver and forced bank employees to lie on the floor. The trio made off with $42,112.

Bulger took his cut from the bank job and told his hairdresser girlfriend, Jacqui McAuliffe, they were going to Florida, where they stayed at high-end hotels. McAuliffe, three years older than Bulger, looked like Jayne Mansfield and had done some modeling. She was the first of a string of beautiful blondes, first Teresa Stanley, then simultaneously, Catherine Greig, who would be his companions, even on the run, over the next half-century.

Carl Smith had once lived in Hammond, Ind., and that was why Bulger’s next bank job was there. Smith had identified a bank in the Midwest town as a soft touch. Smith, Bulger, and another accomplice, Richard Barchard, drove out to rob it on Oct. 29, 1955, but backed off when they saw a police officer stationed inside. As they left Hammond, Bulger and Barchard noticed another bank in town that looked like an easy mark.

They headed back east, and the next month Bulger and a bricklayer from Dorchester named William O’Brien robbed a bank in Melrose. Bulger vaulted the counter and took $5,035 out of the tellers’ drawers. They split the money with Barchard, who had picked out the bank and cased it.

Bulger and Barchard decided to leave town to let the heat die down. They remembered the lonely little bank in Hammond, Ind., and decided to make it a double date. Barchard took his wife, Dorothy, and Bulger brought Jacqui McAuliffe along. The boys left the girls in a motel and cased the bank, then hit it the next day, Nov. 23, 1955.

Bulger pointed two pistols that day. He went to the nearest customer and stuck the gun in the man’s chest, pushing him to the floor. Barchard vaulted the counter and grabbed the cash. They made off with $12,612.

Back in South Boston, Bulger told Jacqui to pack: they were going to Miami. After another round of fancy hotels — Bulger claimed he spent $25,000 on hotels and fine food in the year he was robbing banks — they came home for Christmas.

But in the meantime, Smith had been arrested and started talking. A few days after New Year’s, authorities in Indiana issued a warrant for Bulger’s arrest based on Smith’s statements. Bulger got wind of the warrant and drove cross-country to California, the state where he would later spend most of his 16 years on the run from 1995 until his arrest last June in Santa Monica.

But he missed Jacqui and drove back to Southie and picked her up. They drove south to Delaware, then spent the next two months on the road, trying to stay ahead of the law. But Jacqui got homesick. (Teresa Stanley, Bulger’s companion when he first left Boston in late 1994 after being tipped by his former FBI handler John Connolly of an impending indictment, would also get homesick. Jacqui lasted twice as long on the road as Teresa. Cathy Greig bested them both by 16 years.)

Back in Boston, Whitey Bulger dyed his famous locks black, donned horn-rimmed glasses, plopped a big cigar in his mouth to distort his facial features. But an informant told the FBI that Whitey was back in town, at a nightclub in Revere.

The FBI arrested Bulger at the nightclub on March 4, 1956. The agent who arrested him, Paul Rico, would later be charged with helping Bulger murder an Oklahoma businessman in 1981. And in a memo filed in by the FBI to justify keeping Bulger on as an informant, Bulger claimed in 1980 it was Rico’s kindness to him and his family during and after the arrest that persuaded him to become an FBI informant in the 1970s.

Bulger not only gave up his accomplices in the bank jobs, he persuaded Jacqui McAuliffe to identify Barchard as being with Bulger on the Indiana job and O’Brien as with him on the Melrose bank robbery.

Barchard, now 81 and living in Florida, said he was unaware that Bulger had cooperated against him, but had no hard feelings for what happened more than 50 years ago.

“All I know is that Whitey and I were friends,” Barchard said during a telephone interview with the Globe. “We committed a crime. We paid for doing the crime. He went his way and I went mine.”

Cullen can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter @GlobeCullen.

/ DotDan999 wrote:
SHOCKING!!!
5/30/2012 2:14 PM EDT
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/ 148634 wrote:
yes all the southie clowns who love whitey will now have to worship the biggest rat to ever live in southie.
5/30/2012 2:16 PM EDT
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/ FredQuimby wrote:
He came from a long line of rats.
5/30/2012 2:22 PM EDT
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/ OurEvolvingLeader wrote:
Obviously Whitey never took the cue from another famous Irish mobster, Jimmy "The Gent" Burke, portrayed by Robert DeNiro in "Goodfellas".
As he told Henry Hill when he got pinched for the first time, "You learn two great things in your life. Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut."
5/30/2012 2:33 PM EDT
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/ 57-States wrote:
A career criminal and a career rat. Is there anything lower? Let's save ourselves the time and effort and put him in a cell with the kid of someone he ratted out.
5/30/2012 2:37 PM EDT
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/ lrecliner wrote:
Enough about this guy already
5/30/2012 2:52 PM EDT
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/ msts-1 wrote:
You know, the writers at the Globe could have saved a lot of time by just reading Howie's book.
5/30/2012 2:55 PM EDT
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/ Hammer02 wrote:
Be nice to know how many of those 20 years Whitey actually served.
5/30/2012 2:57 PM EDT
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/ pia3 wrote:
Crime PAYS !!
5/30/2012 3:04 PM EDT
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/ curlyvandyke wrote:
Nothing lower than a rat.
5/30/2012 3:07 PM EDT
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/ TheKidsRAllRight wrote:
So the FBI was in his pocket even earlier? Holy carp.
5/30/2012 3:08 PM EDT
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/ tonyd1958 wrote:
It's to bad that this state doesn't incinerate the rat population.
5/30/2012 3:16 PM EDT
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/ laurapalmer81 wrote:
I am with irecliner. I am originally from L.A. They are not half as obsessed with say Manson or OJ, for example, as the Globe is with "Whitey." The public doesn't need to know/doesn't care about every time this man sneezed in his 82 years. Restrict the coverage to pertinent details of his ongoing court case or don't report on him at all. Enough is enough.
5/30/2012 3:16 PM EDT
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/ chrisgal wrote:
Hammer02- He served 9 years of the 20 for the 50's bank robberies.....
5/30/2012 3:32 PM EDT
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/ mbb12 wrote:
Howie's book??? That stiff copied Black Mass by Dick Lehr and Gerry O'Neil...Globe reporters and award winning at that. Howie Carr never had an original thought in his life.
5/30/2012 4:02 PM EDT
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/ RighteousWay wrote:
So how many criminals are on the FBI's pay list?
5/30/2012 4:15 PM EDT
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/ Schillings-Ankle wrote:
Vermin is as vermin does. You can't blame him for acting his species.
5/30/2012 4:26 PM EDT
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/ Jack-from-Roslindale wrote:
To laurapalmer81: it's not my (usual) style to say "you're not from Boston, so you don't know what you're talking about" but, in this case, I'll make an exception. The Whitey Bulger story is much different from those of O.J. or Manson, because it very much cuts to the core of the local Irish Catholic community and how those in South Boston (I actually avoid the term "Southie.") were betrayed by him. Not doubt there's something of a fascination with this but, having grown up in Boston in the 60s and 70s, I can understand it, because it really is a fascinating story. It's not just a media driven one-off, like OJ, or a demented cult, like Manson, but more the story of a community that was many things, to include living a lie.
5/30/2012 5:05 PM EDT
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/ zebraa wrote:
Okay we all know what a rat is, What I want to know is what do they call the ones that make things up about others in order to manipulate a situation to their advantage.
5/30/2012 5:07 PM EDT
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/ zebraa wrote:
A snake ?
5/30/2012 5:09 PM EDT
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/ clambelly wrote:
This FBI / Justice Dept. FRAUD is so thick that I seriously question the viability of our US SENATE, considering every investigation looking into the FBI fails (Anthrax, Gun Running, Drug Running, etc.) and never goes beyond a little news media Propaganda chatter.
Has anyone in media every bothered to ask Rep. Lynch, who said in Nov. that a six member team who was investigation the FBI/Mark Rosetti Relationship for them, was to get back to them in TWO MONTHS. (That was 7 MONTHS AGO) What about contacting Senator Grassley, whom in Oct. 2011 did his big Soap Box Op on this subject and again NOTHING except reappoint us, we're so worthy?
From all appearances the ones that legislate, look like they've been OVERTHROWN by the Institutional Minions, and the Executive Branches and what they have on each one of them through the misuse of technologies and psyops agents.
This week we have the kickoff to the "TARGETED" WorthingtonGate High Profile Boston Lawyer, Robert George for the Targeting job they did on him. It was his findings that exposed Mark Rosetti. In the meantime, his client Adam Hart's sentencing is on hold since last Fall, DA O'Keefe's look see remains behind door three and Michael Hansen's April 10th sentencing goes silent.
WHAT A TOTAL SCAM GOVERNMENT WE HAVE! A "CoIntelPro" Scandal of a magnanimous proportion.
Our nephew was USED to whack Christa Worthington by his FBI "Handler". Any different than RICO & "Whitey"?
WorthingtonGate ... America's OWN Taliban. What DECEITFUL, CORRUPT SOCIOPATHS besides COWARDS & BULLIES we have at the TOP, BETRAYING EVERYTHING & EVERYONE.

5/30/2012 6:23 PM EDT
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/ clambelly wrote:
Oh, and here's the "Playbill" for what the Federali Prosecution is going to try and pull off on Robert George -- A Justice Dept./FBI DEVILS'S minion left this "keyword search" on my website the day before Robert George was denied his case to be thrown out on 3-16-2012. This was searched 3-15-2012. "Butchka" was an FBI SA who perfected this in 1985, on Cape Cod.

5/30/2012 6:32 PM EDT
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/ zebraa wrote:
Clambelly,
At the end of the day it is always about Job Security, Nothing more and nothing less. It is called "Look Busy".
Snake like behaviour is a spectator sport.... (not).
Really the rat thing is so old, They cornered the market on that back in the 1960's. When people go around declaring how being a rat is so bad it usually means they themselves cornered the market on it.
5/30/2012 6:40 PM EDT
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/ PragmaticAmerican wrote:
Yes, Whitey, what a stellar life yo had. To end up having how you were a rat all along being discussed at the BDC comments section - with only 24 comments.
Enjoy your state paid vacation.
5/30/2012 6:41 PM EDT
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/ Brendan Behan wrote:
WOW, Whitey is so tough:)...so opposite of the Irish whom he supposedly was sending arms. Jesus what a piece of trash - he couldn't hold a candle to the great Irishmen. What a pusseee. He wouldn't last a day in Ireland. Its a shame this fairy lasted all these years singing like a canary.
5/30/2012 7:03 PM EDT
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/ freespree wrote:
I used to have a white lab rat and it was a champion bar presser in a Skinner Box. Now this Whitey rat will become a champion bar presser of a different type with his face behind the bars.
5/30/2012 7:28 PM EDT
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/ robot124 wrote:
Yes, we all know Whitey is a psycopathic criminal. But what about the people who enabled him?
Like:
-brother Billy (who blocked investigations,retaliated against state police officers who were on to Whitey, and allowed Whitey to operate)
-the filthy corrupt FBI-who passed info on informers (that Whitey and his friends then murdered)
Can anybody explain why the almost senile US Speaker of the House(John McCormack) put in the call (to J.E. Hoover on Connolly's behalf)?
Connolly should NEVER have become an FBI agent (his prior achievement was guidance counselor at South High).
5/30/2012 7:31 PM EDT
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/ zebraa wrote:
This whole cops, informers and robbers game of intrique is to much of an exclusive and insular world unto itself. I am sure by now they and their relatives and friends know all the old tricks....and how to work them to their advantage even in situations that may be totally unrelated.
"Knowledge is power".
5/30/2012 7:40 PM EDT
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/ zebraa wrote:
Look, They thrive on chaos so expect a snakearama with no explanations required. If one was then they wouldn't really be doing the job they actually get paid to do.
5/30/2012 7:43 PM EDT
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/ clambelly wrote:
Zeb,
We're on the SAME PAGE. After that 2006 SCAM Trial was over .. mind you we'd already been through the FBI Counter Intelligence "CoIntelPro" OPPRESSION, Intimidation and extreme DOMESTIC TERRORISM ... I spoke to Attorney George from FL. in late Jan. 2007. I asked WHY we were "TARGETED" like this for the past year and a half and who were the culprits. The reason he gave for the TARGETING was, "because You aren't on board." He KNEW all along and it took myself and others years to experience more of the same and worse. I've spoken to the TOPS in Legal areas that have dealt with these lowlife CRIMINALS. THEY ALL KNOW TOO. "UNCLE SCAM = The New Winter Hill Gang - Nationally and Internationally." This goes back 50 plus years.
The Printing I O U press has run out of SCAMS & CONS. NEXT!
The Devils Minions are going to see what BETRAYAL IS ALL ABOUT! They've ALL enjoyed doing it.
We're but a few rare lone voices for FREEDOM out there. Good Job Zeb! The minions have keyword searched you too. Nothing to FEAR - that's what they want and sell. It's they that have to FEAR - for they have betrayed the source of all good.