James 'Whitey' Bulger, the convicted Boston gangster, listened to the families of his victims "who were shot, stabbed or strangled by accomplices in the treacherous Winter Hill Gang," CNN reported. The 84-year-old, who faces life in prison, did not display any emotion, as he declined to address the court or the families, news reports said.
"This man has built up so much hate in my heart, I'd like to strangle him myself," said Steve Davis, whose sister Debra was allegedly strangled by Bulger. Her remains exhumed from a shallow grave, CNN reported.
Bulger was convicted of racketeering, extortion and money laundering in August after a two-month trial. The federal jury in Boston linked him to 11 killings, CNN reported. Federal prosecutors urged District Judge Denise Casper to hand down a life sentence to Bulger.
Sean McGonagle, the 49-year-old son of Paul McGonagle, who was killed in 1974, called the architect of the long reign of terror on the streets of Boston "Satan." The electric chair, he said, would be too good for him, CNN reported.
"I just want you to know that I don't hate you,. I do hate the choices you made. ... I hate the choices our government has made that allowed you to rule streets," said Theresa Bond, the daughter of Arthur "Bucky" Barrett, who went missing in 1983 after a dispute with Bulger.
"Hours before (my father) was murdered, he was praying, from what I understood, to a picture of a little girl. ... That was me. ... You will be summoned to the highest judge. A lethal injection would be too easy of a punishment."
Residing over a massive criminal enterprise, Bulger extorted dozens of individuals, flooded South Boston with cocaine, shot innocent people, strangled women, murdered his competitors, corrupted FBI agents, and then ran away and hid for 16 years," wrote U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in a November 7 sentencing memorandum.
"There are no mitigating factors, and defendant Bulger has no redeeming qualities which would justify any sentence below the one called for by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable case law and statutes."
Bulger, who was captured in California after had been a fugitive for over a decade and a half ahead of a pending indictment, did not testify at his trial. He complained the proceedings were "a sham," CNN also reported.
Jack Nicholson's character Frank Costello in the Oscar-winning film "The Departed" was reportedly modeled on Bulger.
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