Former Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger has some advice for three Massachusetts high school girls who wrote to him for a school project: Crime doesn't pay.
The Boston Globe reports the 85-year-old wrote in the Feb. 24 letter from federal prison: "My life was wasted and spent foolishly." He said he brought "shame + suffering" to his family.
Bulger is serving a life sentence on a 2013 racketeering conviction that included playing a role in 11 murders. He spent 16 years as a fugitive.
Three 17-year-old students at Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville chose him for their entry in a national history competition. One of the girls, Brittany Tainsh, said his response wasn't what they were expecting. The girls posted the letter on a website they created about Bulger.
Some excerpts from the letter:
- “My life was wasted and spent foolishly, brought shame + suffering on my parents and siblings and will end soon.”
- “Don’t waste your time on such as I — we are society’s lower, best forgotten, not looked to for advice on ‘Leadership.'”
- “Advice is a cheap commodity some seek it from me about crime — I know only one thing for sure — If you want to make crime pay — ‘Go to Law School.'”
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