Trial of James Bulger set to begin

BOSTON -- James "Whitey" Bulger is no longer the feared man who swaggered around South Boston and later became one of the nation's most-wanted fugitives.

At 83, the bright platinum hair that earned Bulger his nickname is all but gone and his reputed status as the leader of a violent gang has passed.

But as Bulger's long-awaited trial gets underway, it's clear that the passage of time has done little to diminish Boston's fascination with Bulger.

"He's a survivor. He's had a very long shelf life in a profession where that is not typical," said Dick Lehr, who has co-written two books about Bulger, including the biography "Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss."

Those faces include his early image as a modern-day Robin Hood and harmless tough guy who kept drug dealers out of the neighborhood. That image was crushed when authorities began digging up bodies.

Bulger would eventually be charged with playing a role in 19 murders but fled in late 1994 after former FBI Agent John Connolly Jr. tipped him off that he was about to be indicted. He remained a fugitive for more than 16 years before finally being captured in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2011.

Bulger's trial, set to begin this week with jury selection, promises to have all the glamour and gore of a TV mob drama. Prosecutors plan to call a collection of infamous mob figures, including Bulger's former partner, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, who is now serving a life sentence for 10 murders and admitted pulling the teeth out of some of the gang's victims, including his own girlfriend.

Bulger's lawyers have made it clear that they will attack the credibility of men they describe as "once-reviled criminal defendants" whom prosecutors have eagerly transformed into "loyal government witnesses."

Bulger became one of the most notorious criminals in Boston, while his younger brother, William Bulger, became one of the most powerful politicians in Massachusetts, leading the state Senate for 17 years. William Bulger is expected to attend his brother's trial.