Crime & Safety

How Much Would You Pay for Whitey's Sweatshirts?

Federal prosecutors will sell off James "Whitey" Bulger's belongings to raise money for his victims' families, but they don't want to glamorize the gangster's crimes.

By Chris Orchard

Federal prosecutors are planning to hold an auction sometime in the next few months to sell off James "Whitey" Bulger's possessions and give the proceeds to the families of his victims.

According to WCVB, the office of U.S. Attorney Camren Ortiz is still deciding which of the gangster's belongings to sell. Some of the items found in his California hideout are commonplace. Others are somewhat curious.

The Bulger auction could include some of the following items:

  • Hats
  • Sweatshirts
  • Books, including several volumes about the mob and Bulger's gang
  • Household items bought at a discount store
  • A gold claddagh ring appraised at $48,000
  • A replica of the 1986 Stanley Cup championship ring
  • A 40-inch flat-screen TV
  • A rat-shaped cup used to store pens and scissors
  • Cat figurines
  • "Soldier of Fortune" magazines
  • Valentine's Day and Christmas cards sent from Bulger's live-in girlfriend, Catherine Greig, to Bulger

When authorities arrested Bulger, in 2011, in his Santa Monica, Calif., apartment, they also discovered more than $800,000 in cash and a collection of guns hidden in the walls of the apartment.

According to WCVB, Ortiz's office is trying to balance good taste with the goal of earning as much money as possible for victims. Many of Bulger's items could sell not because they're inherently valuable, but because of who Bulger is. The U.S. Attorney's office doesn't want to glamorize Bulger's criminal background through the auction.

Read the whole story at WCVB.


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