e FBI les: Hunter Biden vs. ‘Whitey’ Bulger

They’ve done this before.

You may vaguely remember the name of James “Whitey” Bulger, who headed up a crime syndicate called the Winter Hill Gang in the Boston area and who — at the same time — was a fulltime informant for the FBI.

Whitey was a killer.

The FBI knew that.

Yet, one rogue FBI agent protected the mob boss even after finding proof of new murders committed by his “informant.”

So, before we connect presidential son Hunter Biden with Whitey, let’s review the sordid connection between FBI agent John Connolly and Mr. Bulger.

Mr. Bulger and Mr. Connolly not only grew up in the same neighborhood (they were “Southies” and lived in a South Boston housing project), but 19-year-old Whitey had at one time saved 8-year-old Connolly from being beaten up. They were 11 years apart in age so they weren’t really “pals,” but their families were friendly.

The two boys took two completely different career paths. Mr. Bulger opted for a life of crime, for which he spent time in various prisons, including a stint in Alcatraz. Mr. Connolly opted for a life in law enforcement and became a highly effective FBI agent.

Whitey’s brother, William Bulger, coincidentally, rose to become president of the Massachusetts Senate and served as one of the state’s most powerful politicians. William (“Billy”) Bulger was credited with convincing John Connolly to attend Boston College and helped him become an FBI agent.

The Bulgers and the Connollys remained on friendly terms even though on opposite sides of the law. Whitey and John would meet on occasion and Mr. Connolly would try to entice Mr. Bulger to become an informant, but Mr. Bulger resisted.

Whitey did finally agree, not to “inform” but to “strategize” with Mr. Connolly and help bring down the Italian mob who’d moved into Whitey’s South Boston territory.

The relationship worked out well for both men. Mr. Connolly was recognized as one of the FBI’s most effective agents, and Irish-bred Bulger moved into all the territories the Italian Mafia had to give up once they were convicted and jailed. Whitey would tip off the FBI to what the Mafia had done, and Mr. Connolly kept Mr. Bulger — busy with gambling, loansharking, drug-dealing and other facets of his business — out of jail and out of the spotlight. At one point (and this is likely what precipitated his personal downfall), Mr. Connolly let Mr. Bulger know that there were informers in his operation and named them. Mr. Bulger acted quickly by luring the informers to a secluded spot, whereupon he tied them to a chair, shot them in the head and buried their bodies.

In 1995, Mr. Bulger went on the lam after Mr. Connolly informed him that he was about to be arrested on a federal racketeering charge. Mr. Bulger remained “lost” for the next 16 years until his arrest in 2011 in Santa Monica.

The 89-year-old Bulger was finally tried and convicted of various charges and, shortly after being placed in a federal facility, was beaten to death by other convicts.

Nobody likes a rat, apparently even an old rat.

In 1999, Mr. Connolly was tried and convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and murder and had been sent to prison long before Whitey was captured. Mr. Connolly’s prosecutor was none other than former U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut John

DID YOU KNOW?

Bonnie Donovan