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Brutal
I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James Whitey Bulger, who I always called Jimmy.Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear--permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys.I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for--cooperating with the authorities. I pled guilty to twenty-nine counts, including five murders. I went away for five and a half years.I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too; the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.
320 pages, ebook
First published March 10, 2006
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1269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
July 3, 2010
This "book' is a pathetic attempt to expunge the author from his sins- he asks us to understand- but then jerks back any and all culpability for his actions. There's an excuse for everything- the list of killings goes on and on; nowhere is there a lesson or the slightest bit of enlightenment. The author tells us early on of his high I.Q. but then gives us no evidence of one.It would have been a better book if he had stuck to his childhood- but Angela's Ashes was so much better. Read that. This one sucked a big green shillelaleigh. Sorry I was forced to give it a star at all. What a bore. So Kev- maybe the big bad wolf Whitey will find you and kill you so you don't write anything else (hope springs eternal).The best part is I didn't put dime one in your pocket- I found it- read it- and disposed of it. Noone will ever see that copy again. Buh-bye!
October 5, 2007
Loved loved loved it. As a warning, it's written very colloquially, so someone who gets preoccupied by poor grammar or simplistic writing may not enjoy it, but if you become engrossed in the story, as I was, the technical downfalls are easy to ignore.
I am totally enamoured with all things "bad" or slightly sinister or illegal, so this was right up my alley. Truly fascinating. The book took an interesting spin once I was finished, too: I did a quick Google search, and read on a few websites that Weeks' arrest and subsequent jail time may have all been planned between him and Bulger, including the book. That possibility gave my feelings on the book at great dimension; I'm sure it may annoy some people, but it just made the whole thing all the more ilicit. And I love that.
I am totally enamoured with all things "bad" or slightly sinister or illegal, so this was right up my alley. Truly fascinating. The book took an interesting spin once I was finished, too: I did a quick Google search, and read on a few websites that Weeks' arrest and subsequent jail time may have all been planned between him and Bulger, including the book. That possibility gave my feelings on the book at great dimension; I'm sure it may annoy some people, but it just made the whole thing all the more ilicit. And I love that.
January 15, 2015
Kevin Weeks was one of two partners of Whitey Bulger, the other being Stevie Flemmi. The Irish mob was not exactly “organized crime,” in the way it is commonly imagined. Instead, it was a small tight group of sociopathic predators, who looked for vulnerability, often among other gangsters, or those on the fringes, and simply took over, often killing those in their way. They also murdered other people on mere impulse. Weeks describes an incredibly violent childhood, and one could easily make a case for “nurture” creating him. Given that his other siblings are high-achieving members of society, one could also make a case for someone who was what he was born to be. In any event, within the “honest” disclosure of his life and crimes, one observes the same pure selfishness and ability of dissociate himself from his violence that we hear from typical psychopaths. He mouths the sentimental platitudes about not harming women and kids and protecting kids from predators, but participated in the murder of the daughter of Flemmi’s “lover,” whom the latter had been molesting. (At what age he started is not clear, so Weeks might claim it was “consensual”). Were Weeks to read this, I would expect that he would demand that I say it to him face-to-face, confident that he could break me like he did so many hundreds of other people in his career as a bouncer and predatory thug. His solution to both misrepresentation or a truth he did not like was to break bones, just as his loyalty to Flemmi and Bulger made him willing to commit any mayhem without any disquiet whatsoever. Interestingly, one of his greatest advantage over others was that he didn’t fear consequences. After a stretch in Federal prison, however, he is trying to lead, per his own account, a clean life, and devote time to his sons. Having something to lose, we citizens are safer. In sum, this is the self-serving biography of a vicious, ultra-violent man who is quite at peace with himself, and yet, as is the type, quite charming and intelligent at the same time. A human leopard who preyed on his own kind – and us, too, who are, fundamentally, not his kind at all. In one sense, this is a useful, instructive book, so why two stars? Essentially, it is slog of moral vacuity.
April 23, 2014
Kevin Weeks' autobiography Brutal, at first glance, is an unflinching look under the manhole cover into the subterranean world of the Irish Mob, specifically the Winter Hill gang run by Whitey Bulger. Unlike The Departed, there's no glam-boy high spots or Jack Nicholson hijinks. All we've got here is the memories of a man who survived a vicious childhood with a failed prizefighting Dad and an auspicious amateur boxing career as a teen to become a particularly 'brutal' neighborhood goon under the guidance of Bulger. After a decade of robbery, extortion, drug dealing and murder, Weeks discovers the hard way there is no honor among thieves. His narrative, once you settle into it, is a revealing insight that proves both a worthy and informative read.
Weeks started his career of thuggery as a bouncer at a South Boston nightclub. He was noticed by Bulger and his partner Stephen Flemmi and soon hired on as Bulger's driver and bodyguard. The gang leaders were impressed by Weeks' moneymaking abilities and sanctioned a lucrative loansharking enterprise that made Weeks a wealthy man in a relatively short time. It was Bulger's extortion racket that led to their participation and eventual control of South Boston's drug trade. They began shaking down the top drug dealers in the area, and when their hauls began to include exceeding amounts of high-price drugs, the gang eventually entered the drug trade. Weeks reveals how Bulger's idiosyncracies as well as his sense of loyalty and brutal methods of retribution created a mythic aura about the gang leader. Bulger would not allow heroin or PCP in his neighborhood but distributed recreational drugs such as marijuana, hashish and cocaine in building a multimillion dollar empire in South Boston.
The Winter Hill gang's excursion into narcotics is what eventually led to their downfall. One of Bulger's top enforcers, Red Shea, was the target of a major investigation led by the DEA, the Boston PD and the Massachusetts State Police. His arrest and conviction put Whitey Bulger on the run, and left Weeks in virtual control of the gang. As second-in-command, the Feds refocused their sights on him, and in November 1999 Weeks was arrested and indicted on a 29-count RICO charge. To his shock, he found that Bulger had become an FBI informant and that his legendary hit man John Martorano had turned State witness as a result. This caused Weeks to cooperate with authorities as well.
His friends, family and neighbors lambasted Weeks, calling him "Kevin Squeals" as news of his compliance went public. AS the trial progressed, there was less sympathy for Bulger as it was revealed how long his complicity with the Feds had endured. One of his key connections, FBI agent John Connelly, was sent to prison for obstruction of justice for having tipped off Bulger that the RICO indictment was pending. Weeks was eventually convicted and sent to prison. Upon his release in 2005, he refused induction into the Witness Protection Program, preferring to face his problems rather than "hide like a coward". This book is a result of his collaboration with writer Phyllis Karas shortly after his release.
This is a fast-paced, easy read that sheds light on the personalities and psychology of both Weeks and Bulger, as well as the life and times of the South Boston mob. At first Weeks comes across as a knuckle-dragging thug, but he helps you understand the twists and turns that can change a man's life as he places his principles in greater compromise. Love him or hate him, Brutal ensures you may never forget him.
Weeks started his career of thuggery as a bouncer at a South Boston nightclub. He was noticed by Bulger and his partner Stephen Flemmi and soon hired on as Bulger's driver and bodyguard. The gang leaders were impressed by Weeks' moneymaking abilities and sanctioned a lucrative loansharking enterprise that made Weeks a wealthy man in a relatively short time. It was Bulger's extortion racket that led to their participation and eventual control of South Boston's drug trade. They began shaking down the top drug dealers in the area, and when their hauls began to include exceeding amounts of high-price drugs, the gang eventually entered the drug trade. Weeks reveals how Bulger's idiosyncracies as well as his sense of loyalty and brutal methods of retribution created a mythic aura about the gang leader. Bulger would not allow heroin or PCP in his neighborhood but distributed recreational drugs such as marijuana, hashish and cocaine in building a multimillion dollar empire in South Boston.
The Winter Hill gang's excursion into narcotics is what eventually led to their downfall. One of Bulger's top enforcers, Red Shea, was the target of a major investigation led by the DEA, the Boston PD and the Massachusetts State Police. His arrest and conviction put Whitey Bulger on the run, and left Weeks in virtual control of the gang. As second-in-command, the Feds refocused their sights on him, and in November 1999 Weeks was arrested and indicted on a 29-count RICO charge. To his shock, he found that Bulger had become an FBI informant and that his legendary hit man John Martorano had turned State witness as a result. This caused Weeks to cooperate with authorities as well.
His friends, family and neighbors lambasted Weeks, calling him "Kevin Squeals" as news of his compliance went public. AS the trial progressed, there was less sympathy for Bulger as it was revealed how long his complicity with the Feds had endured. One of his key connections, FBI agent John Connelly, was sent to prison for obstruction of justice for having tipped off Bulger that the RICO indictment was pending. Weeks was eventually convicted and sent to prison. Upon his release in 2005, he refused induction into the Witness Protection Program, preferring to face his problems rather than "hide like a coward". This book is a result of his collaboration with writer Phyllis Karas shortly after his release.
This is a fast-paced, easy read that sheds light on the personalities and psychology of both Weeks and Bulger, as well as the life and times of the South Boston mob. At first Weeks comes across as a knuckle-dragging thug, but he helps you understand the twists and turns that can change a man's life as he places his principles in greater compromise. Love him or hate him, Brutal ensures you may never forget him.
August 21, 2015
THIS GUY IS UN-FUCKING-BELIVABLE!!!!!
I had a hard time reading this..(not because i trouble reading violence...it seemed so fake!!)
First he starts with his childhood life (fights mostly.. How shocking.. But he always has to tell you "he's defending himself"!! Every fight is not his fault.. Oh no it's ALWAYS someone else who is a fault!! That's the story when he is a little kid, to adulthood. "I fought this guy, that guy, knocked so and so's teeth out, broke this guys jaw! But self defense..
This is some quotes from the man himself.....
pg. 49
"How many people can say they knocked-out the mayor of Boston and the Ambassador of The Vatican" ?!?!?!
pg. 120
"There was no sense idling the crime if you can't get away with it. Mclntrye turned informant he got what he deserved" !!!!!
pg. 123
"It's distasteful killing a woman, it wasn't a nice thing"
Then after he's told on everyone (and justified it to himself...) he wants to let us all know how many people in law enforcement spoke on his behalf.... We already read how corrupt the justice system can be....
THE BALLS OF THIS MAN!!!!!
UN-FUCKING-BELIVEABLE this guys is absolutely UN-FUCKING-BELIVEABLE!!!!! I think half of what this guys saying is truth, (he told on his friends that he was just as bad with!!!!)
I had a hard time reading this..(not because i trouble reading violence...it seemed so fake!!)
First he starts with his childhood life (fights mostly.. How shocking.. But he always has to tell you "he's defending himself"!! Every fight is not his fault.. Oh no it's ALWAYS someone else who is a fault!! That's the story when he is a little kid, to adulthood. "I fought this guy, that guy, knocked so and so's teeth out, broke this guys jaw! But self defense..
This is some quotes from the man himself.....
pg. 49
"How many people can say they knocked-out the mayor of Boston and the Ambassador of The Vatican" ?!?!?!
pg. 120
"There was no sense idling the crime if you can't get away with it. Mclntrye turned informant he got what he deserved" !!!!!
pg. 123
"It's distasteful killing a woman, it wasn't a nice thing"
Then after he's told on everyone (and justified it to himself...) he wants to let us all know how many people in law enforcement spoke on his behalf.... We already read how corrupt the justice system can be....
THE BALLS OF THIS MAN!!!!!
UN-FUCKING-BELIVEABLE this guys is absolutely UN-FUCKING-BELIVEABLE!!!!! I think half of what this guys saying is truth, (he told on his friends that he was just as bad with!!!!)
August 30, 2011
As they say, "you can’t rat on a rat". Unbelievable Book. In this case, you can judge a book by its cover. It was BRUTAL & it was believable. It seemed like an honest, unapologetic and interesting account of the Whitey Bulger saga which continues today. I picked it up after hearing so much about Whitey being caught recently in the news.
Having known next to nothing about Whitey, I’m sure glad I picked this as my first look into the world of Whitey, especially after Weeks constantly mentions how the news reporters (like Carr) always got the story wrong “they don’t let the truth ruin a good story”.
I haven’t read such a violent book before (especially a true story) but I have to admit that it created a somewhat soft spot (albeit, a small one) for Whitey & Weeks (NOT Flemmi). It was a captivating story of Southie, history, families, loyalty, murder, and informants. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Southie history and Whitey.
Having known next to nothing about Whitey, I’m sure glad I picked this as my first look into the world of Whitey, especially after Weeks constantly mentions how the news reporters (like Carr) always got the story wrong “they don’t let the truth ruin a good story”.
I haven’t read such a violent book before (especially a true story) but I have to admit that it created a somewhat soft spot (albeit, a small one) for Whitey & Weeks (NOT Flemmi). It was a captivating story of Southie, history, families, loyalty, murder, and informants. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Southie history and Whitey.
January 18, 2022
I liked this book! I haven't read much about the mob but after going to the Mob Museum in Las Vegas over the summer and then finding this book at a used book store I thought it would be an informative read and it was. I had a hard time keeping track of all the people but really enjoyed the stories and thought the authors perspective was interesting.
March 7, 2011
Wonder where Whitey is today...
March 30, 2020
"Brutal" by Kevin Weeks was a very insightful book following the life inside Whitey Bulger's gang. I enjoyed this book because it gives the reader a feel for what it's like to live in that type of life, and shows what a mob member goes through on a daily basis.
July 31, 2022
I’ve read every book on this subject and they all seem either all legal jargon or self promotion. In Brutal there’s no reason I don’t or wouldn’t believe Kevin Weeks as he exposes and debunks all the myths we grew up with. Why would he lie? He just confessed to all of it and showed us where the bodies were buried.
Truth be told, I am from the same neighborhood spoken of here only Kevin is a little older so even though I saw him in my daily life it was just a head nod
This book floored me more than once like his side of the liquor mart sale not extortion which everyone thought but never spoke about. If you’re into this story like Black Mass and Where the bodies are buried by TJ English.
Buy this one because the truth is that Black Mass was written by journalists who suppressed Whiteys killings and their points are now known to be false.
I’d rather hear it from the man at his side that was floored himself when he found out he was also at the side of a rat. Kevin tells this horror story as great as anyone. Can you imagine digging a hole with someone and a week later digging one for him? I’m telling you, this book is the best one out there regarding Whitey.
Truth be told, I am from the same neighborhood spoken of here only Kevin is a little older so even though I saw him in my daily life it was just a head nod
This book floored me more than once like his side of the liquor mart sale not extortion which everyone thought but never spoke about. If you’re into this story like Black Mass and Where the bodies are buried by TJ English.
Buy this one because the truth is that Black Mass was written by journalists who suppressed Whiteys killings and their points are now known to be false.
I’d rather hear it from the man at his side that was floored himself when he found out he was also at the side of a rat. Kevin tells this horror story as great as anyone. Can you imagine digging a hole with someone and a week later digging one for him? I’m telling you, this book is the best one out there regarding Whitey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2008
Written exactly how you'd expect a former Bulger cronie to write...not well.
August 12, 2019
Made for interesting reading, sometimes long and drawn out.
April 24, 2024
Brutal was full of brutal killings, brutal honesty, and a brutal lack of empathy. I mean, not many autobiographies have sentences that start with, “The first body I buried was…” you see what I mean. This was shocking and also oddly captivating.
I would never have picked up this book! I didn’t even know this book existed until one day I typed another book into the library catalog and this book popped up instead. And well it looked kinda interesting. I read Sammy The Bull Gravano’s book about being a made man in Gotti’s crime family, so I figured this autobiography by Kevin Weeks, Whitey Bulger’s henchman and friend would be just as shocking and captivating. It was.
If you like the Godfather or Goodfellas, then this is the book for you. But beware! It’s graphic. A yet the tone is so matter of fact that I could (almost) make it through the entire book. I did close my eyes at a few overly detailed parts that made me squemish. The way he recounted shaking people down, loansharking, killing, and burying bodies like these were everyday occurrences was unnerving. This was a seemingly honest account of his experience, and what a story it was!
I would never have picked up this book! I didn’t even know this book existed until one day I typed another book into the library catalog and this book popped up instead. And well it looked kinda interesting. I read Sammy The Bull Gravano’s book about being a made man in Gotti’s crime family, so I figured this autobiography by Kevin Weeks, Whitey Bulger’s henchman and friend would be just as shocking and captivating. It was.
If you like the Godfather or Goodfellas, then this is the book for you. But beware! It’s graphic. A yet the tone is so matter of fact that I could (almost) make it through the entire book. I did close my eyes at a few overly detailed parts that made me squemish. The way he recounted shaking people down, loansharking, killing, and burying bodies like these were everyday occurrences was unnerving. This was a seemingly honest account of his experience, and what a story it was!
January 23, 2026
I wasn't even 20 pages into this book when I put it down. So right of the bat Kevin decides he is going to talk about his upbring and his amateur boxing career and at the end of chapter finally mentions whitey bulger. He also goes into the Boston school busing system and how this correlates with whitey bugler as well. I may have met the alleged granddaughter of whitey bulger a few years back in Ventura County, ca so I decided to give this book a shot......big mistake and i'm sure she would of said I could of told you so!
So this book I truly feel is going to be the old "switch-aroo" and I have read at least two authors books where they decided to do this and I got news for Mr. Weeks: his will not be the third! Normally I should not be reviewing a book that I barley read and books that are one star material are not usually worth reviewing. He stole my money when I bought his book, he gets this bad review!
So this book I truly feel is going to be the old "switch-aroo" and I have read at least two authors books where they decided to do this and I got news for Mr. Weeks: his will not be the third! Normally I should not be reviewing a book that I barley read and books that are one star material are not usually worth reviewing. He stole my money when I bought his book, he gets this bad review!
January 29, 2026
I grew up in the Old Colony housing project in South Boston and became partners with James "Whitey" Bulger, who I always called Jimmy. Jimmy and I, we were unstoppable. We took what we wanted. And we made people disappear—permanently. We made millions. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys. I found out that Jimmy had been an FBI informant in 1999, and my life was never the same. When the feds finally got me, I was faced with something Jimmy would have killed me for—cooperating with the authorities. I pled guilty to twenty-nine counts, including five murders. I went away for five and a half years. I was brutally honest on the witness stand, and this book is brutally honest, too; the brutal truth that was never before told. How could it? Only three people could tell the true story. With one on the run and one in jail for life, it falls on me.
September 28, 2020
If this is the book I am thinking of. I read it many years ago. I have thought of this book many times throughout the years, and It is one of the books that got me to conclude that there is no justice in the world and that the FBI and prosecutors are just as big a bunch of self interested gangsters as the so called gangster's they hunt. They are both the bloods and crips, with one under the guise of authority and the other one, who cares.
March 17, 2019
Entertaining fast read. It's one of those that you can't help liking the author, even though he was a part of the crime spree you are reading about. I enjoyed the book and would recommend to those who like true crime.
October 8, 2017
Good inside story
Kevin told his story from the inside. Neither braggadocio or remorse were present , just the stories of what went on.
Kevin told his story from the inside. Neither braggadocio or remorse were present , just the stories of what went on.
October 18, 2018
dull and brutally bloody
December 26, 2019
Great book unfortunately written by a stool pigeon.
February 16, 2020
I am reminded to be careful who you piss off!
January 15, 2022
Super interesting first hand perspective of what happened.
February 1, 2022
This was such an interesting book. If you are going to read a book about Whitey Bulger, this is a great companion story. It gives Weeks' side of the relationship.
June 10, 2023
This book is awful and boring struggled to finish it
October 9, 2023
The "I didn't do it, but if I done, this is how I'd do it."
Read
May 15, 2025I was interested in this because I'm from MA (not Southie, though).
January 6, 2026
Fascinating
Lots of good detail on the life of Whitey Bulger. You gets a good sense of the environment and motivations.
Lots of good detail on the life of Whitey Bulger. You gets a good sense of the environment and motivations.
July 22, 2023
Pretty biased, took me a while to finish because it was kind of repetitive and you take the opinions and information of Kevin Weeks with a grain of salt
Read
December 27, 2010“People overestimate the law. They figure that once they’re on you, you can’t do anything. But that’s not true. It’s not that they’re so great at what they do, it’s just that the criminals can be lazy at what they do. And if a criminal makes one mistake, he’s gone. Most criminals don’t put enough effort into not being caught.” – Brutal by Kevin Weeks (co-authored by Phyllis Karas)
A quick recap: James “Whitey” Bulger was a South Boston crime boss who has been linked to the killings of at least nineteen people and who has been on the run from federal charges since 1995 (since he disappeared he was outed as a FBI informant). For a full list of Boston Globe articles on the many aspects of Whitey’s story, see this special on-line section called The Search for Whitey Bulger. Whitey’s notoriety extended beyond Boston. For example, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, although an adaptation of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, was set in Boston, allowing screenwriter William Monahan to use aspects of Bulger’s story for the Frank Costello character played by Jack Nicholson. And then there was the Showtime show Brotherhood (which was originally titled Southie). Although based in Providence, R.I., the show’s premise bears more than a slight resemblance to the story of Whitey and his politician brother William Bulger. As far as I remember, Whitey does not feature into Good Hill Hunting, but I would need to revisit the film to be sure.
In addition to Hollywood’s love of the criminals of Southie, there have been more than a few books on the subject as well. There are at least three books by Boston reporters who covered the Bulger story over the years. In addition, Phyllis Karas co-authored two Bulger mob books that took a more “insider” approach. She first worked with Edward MacKenzie Jr. on Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Irish Mob (2003). Later she published Brutal (2006) with gangster Kevin Weeks. While many have questioned MacKenzie’s role in the Bulger organization (including Weeks who said MacKenzie was “not involved with us at all”), Weeks’ position as an insider and tough in the Bulger organization has never been in question.
Brutal is brutally straightforward. Essentially, it is a laundry-list of people met and crimes committed. The book’s style is all in its bluntness. We follow Weeks from his childhood in South Boston to his years as Whitey’s fearless and loyal compatriot to his arrest to his deal with the Feds (Weeks’ position on flipping – “You can’t rat on a rat”). Weeks goes into great detail about some events, but glosses over others. He perpetuates Whitey’s image as a Robin Hood-like figure; keeping crime and hard drugs out of the neighborhood. And when Whitey was violent, it was just business.
Of all the stories recounted in Brutal, the one that seemed to get the most attention involved Boston Herald reporter Howie Carr, whom Weeks characterized as a cowardly “piece of shit reporter.” It certainly seemed to be what most interested Ed Bradley in his 60 Minutes feature on Weeks, following the publication of Brutal. In the book, Weeks tells of how he had Carr in the cross-hairs of his rifle scope, ready to shoot, except that Carr came out of his house with his young daughter. In an interview for the 60 Minutes story, Carr dismissed Weeks’ claim, saying “It doesn’t seem like Kevin would have the stones to do it.” Did I mention that Carr also has a book to sell? It’s called The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century.
A quick recap: James “Whitey” Bulger was a South Boston crime boss who has been linked to the killings of at least nineteen people and who has been on the run from federal charges since 1995 (since he disappeared he was outed as a FBI informant). For a full list of Boston Globe articles on the many aspects of Whitey’s story, see this special on-line section called The Search for Whitey Bulger. Whitey’s notoriety extended beyond Boston. For example, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, although an adaptation of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, was set in Boston, allowing screenwriter William Monahan to use aspects of Bulger’s story for the Frank Costello character played by Jack Nicholson. And then there was the Showtime show Brotherhood (which was originally titled Southie). Although based in Providence, R.I., the show’s premise bears more than a slight resemblance to the story of Whitey and his politician brother William Bulger. As far as I remember, Whitey does not feature into Good Hill Hunting, but I would need to revisit the film to be sure.
In addition to Hollywood’s love of the criminals of Southie, there have been more than a few books on the subject as well. There are at least three books by Boston reporters who covered the Bulger story over the years. In addition, Phyllis Karas co-authored two Bulger mob books that took a more “insider” approach. She first worked with Edward MacKenzie Jr. on Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Irish Mob (2003). Later she published Brutal (2006) with gangster Kevin Weeks. While many have questioned MacKenzie’s role in the Bulger organization (including Weeks who said MacKenzie was “not involved with us at all”), Weeks’ position as an insider and tough in the Bulger organization has never been in question.
Brutal is brutally straightforward. Essentially, it is a laundry-list of people met and crimes committed. The book’s style is all in its bluntness. We follow Weeks from his childhood in South Boston to his years as Whitey’s fearless and loyal compatriot to his arrest to his deal with the Feds (Weeks’ position on flipping – “You can’t rat on a rat”). Weeks goes into great detail about some events, but glosses over others. He perpetuates Whitey’s image as a Robin Hood-like figure; keeping crime and hard drugs out of the neighborhood. And when Whitey was violent, it was just business.
Of all the stories recounted in Brutal, the one that seemed to get the most attention involved Boston Herald reporter Howie Carr, whom Weeks characterized as a cowardly “piece of shit reporter.” It certainly seemed to be what most interested Ed Bradley in his 60 Minutes feature on Weeks, following the publication of Brutal. In the book, Weeks tells of how he had Carr in the cross-hairs of his rifle scope, ready to shoot, except that Carr came out of his house with his young daughter. In an interview for the 60 Minutes story, Carr dismissed Weeks’ claim, saying “It doesn’t seem like Kevin would have the stones to do it.” Did I mention that Carr also has a book to sell? It’s called The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century.
February 4, 2016
What a story! I read the book simply called "Whitey" before I read this one. It was hard at times keeping all the characters straight, though it helped to have read "Whitey" first.
An interesting fact: All these years "everyone" thought that Whitey killed Deborah Davis. Kevin Weeks says it was Stevie Flemmi because she was getting ready to go to Mexico to be with another man. (son of a drug lord).
I'm inclined to believe Kevin Weeks because he had made up his mind to be honest. Can't get tripped up when you tell the truth.
I have to say at first I was thinking he was bragging a bit because of all the fights he'd won. After a while it becomes clear, that as a very intelligent person, he uses what I call "an economy of words". Less intelligent people need to have facts stressed and restated and rebuilt in a number of ways.
I also believe Whitey didn't commit half the crimes attributed to him after he fled. He couldn't rebut lies when he wasn't here.
I think, from reading both novels, it's clear that Whitey, though a good man in a lot of ways, had what I consider a damaged personality. Kevin Weeks seems that he was always clear, balanced, tough, and loyal. (He explains the tough stuff in describing his upbringing - his family learned to fight and not cry about stuff. Got a problem? Deal with it and let it go!)
Being around Kevin most likely helped Whitey with balance. Whitey is a genius in so many ways, but he's also part crazy and cruel. He's well aware of the crazy, so IMO, he's tried to counteract that with discipline and planning and mostly succeeded.
Catherine Greig took on the role of stabilizing Whitey once they went on the run. Funny aside in one of the books is how he'd take her with to Doctors' appointments to keep him from punching out anyone who might hurt him with a needle or something. Wish they'd let her go!
She gave up everything for the love of her life but she hurt no one.
I was so impressed with Weeks' loyalty to him. After Whitey went on the lam, Weeks was his go between to loved ones. Once Weeks learned that Whitey was a confidential informant for the FBI, he was shattered and after a while realized it was ok to cooperate with law enforcement (let's just say that among the FBI, CIA, Staties, and Police... they all fumbled .. some on purpose, I think).
Once he did, his sense of integrity kept him from lying. He says that, and I believe that.
But in the end his connection "at the heart" to Whitey wins out and he'll always care about him.
Also, he came to realize that Whitey was handling the FBI much more than they were handling him!
I think even when they circulated pictures of Catherine Greig, in 2011, they had a good idea that he was near San Diego, so did not circulate the ad there. It was just bad luck that the lady from Iceland, who had come to know them when she visited Santa Monica (bonding over a stray cat that Catherine kept fed and loved), saw the pictures in Iceland. Even though Catherine had never disguised herself, and some people "knew her" (such as hairdressers and neighbors), they just didn't connect the dots.
An interesting fact: All these years "everyone" thought that Whitey killed Deborah Davis. Kevin Weeks says it was Stevie Flemmi because she was getting ready to go to Mexico to be with another man. (son of a drug lord).
I'm inclined to believe Kevin Weeks because he had made up his mind to be honest. Can't get tripped up when you tell the truth.
I have to say at first I was thinking he was bragging a bit because of all the fights he'd won. After a while it becomes clear, that as a very intelligent person, he uses what I call "an economy of words". Less intelligent people need to have facts stressed and restated and rebuilt in a number of ways.
I also believe Whitey didn't commit half the crimes attributed to him after he fled. He couldn't rebut lies when he wasn't here.
I think, from reading both novels, it's clear that Whitey, though a good man in a lot of ways, had what I consider a damaged personality. Kevin Weeks seems that he was always clear, balanced, tough, and loyal. (He explains the tough stuff in describing his upbringing - his family learned to fight and not cry about stuff. Got a problem? Deal with it and let it go!)
Being around Kevin most likely helped Whitey with balance. Whitey is a genius in so many ways, but he's also part crazy and cruel. He's well aware of the crazy, so IMO, he's tried to counteract that with discipline and planning and mostly succeeded.
Catherine Greig took on the role of stabilizing Whitey once they went on the run. Funny aside in one of the books is how he'd take her with to Doctors' appointments to keep him from punching out anyone who might hurt him with a needle or something. Wish they'd let her go!
She gave up everything for the love of her life but she hurt no one.
I was so impressed with Weeks' loyalty to him. After Whitey went on the lam, Weeks was his go between to loved ones. Once Weeks learned that Whitey was a confidential informant for the FBI, he was shattered and after a while realized it was ok to cooperate with law enforcement (let's just say that among the FBI, CIA, Staties, and Police... they all fumbled .. some on purpose, I think).
Once he did, his sense of integrity kept him from lying. He says that, and I believe that.
But in the end his connection "at the heart" to Whitey wins out and he'll always care about him.
Also, he came to realize that Whitey was handling the FBI much more than they were handling him!
I think even when they circulated pictures of Catherine Greig, in 2011, they had a good idea that he was near San Diego, so did not circulate the ad there. It was just bad luck that the lady from Iceland, who had come to know them when she visited Santa Monica (bonding over a stray cat that Catherine kept fed and loved), saw the pictures in Iceland. Even though Catherine had never disguised herself, and some people "knew her" (such as hairdressers and neighbors), they just didn't connect the dots.
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