Posted on Leave a comment

Whitey Bulger Arrested

Boston gangster surrenders quietly in Calif. after 16 years on run

James “Whitey’’ Bulger in Boston in 1994, the year before he fled. James “Whitey’’ Bulger in Boston in 1994, the year before he fled. (John Tlumacki/ Globe Staff)
By Shelley Murphy Globe Staff / June 23, 2011

 Fugitive South Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, wanted for 19 murders, was captured last night in Southern California, the result of a tip from FBI television spots that began airing this week. His capture ended a 16-year manhunt that spanned the globe.

The search for Whitey

Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office, and Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, released a statement this morning confirming that FBI agents had arrested the fugitive, who was on the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted list, and his companion, Catherine Greig, in California. Neither resisted arrest. Cash and guns found hidden in the apartment were seized, police confirmed.

“Recent publicity produced a tip that led agents to a residence in Santa Monica, California, where they located Bulger and Greig Wednesday evening,” the statement said.

The arrests of Bulger, 81, and Greig, 60, were initially announced by FBI headquarters on Twitter.

The arrest is a long-sought victory for the FBI, whose reputation was sullied by its connection to the mobster and whose fruitless efforts to find the fugitive had been regarded by some with suspicion.

Bulger did not appear to be in good health, an official said.

“I don’t think he’s in a position to be fighting anybody,” the official said, adding, “They got a confession from him.”

Bulger’s brother, former president of the state Senate William M. Bulger, had little to say this morning when a reporter knocked on the door of his South Boston home.

“No comment,” said William Bulger, who answered the door in his T-shirt. Informed that his brother had been arrested, Bulger said, “Thank you.”

Assistant US Attorney Brian Kelly, part of the prosecution team that brought the federal charges against Whitey Bulger, said this morning, “It’s a long time coming and we’re glad he’s finally in custody.”

Bulger fled just before his federal racketeering indictment in January 1995. It was later revealed in federal court in Boston that he was a longtime FBI informant who had been warned by his corrupt handler, former FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr., that he was about to be arrested.

Betrayed by the revelation that Bulger was an informant, several of his former associates began cooperating against him, leading to the discovery of secret graves of his victims in the Boston area and additional charges that Bulger murdered 19 people.

Authorities had investigated two possible Bulger sightings in Southern California. In 2000, a tipster reported seeing Greig having her hair done at a salon in Fountain Valley, the newspaper reported. In 2005, the FBI investigated whether Bulger may have been the elderly man who robbed three Orange County banks.

But ultimately, the trail appeared to grow cold and no link was made to the mobster.

On Monday, the FBI announced that after years of focusing on Bulger, it was launching a new initiative aimed at daytime TV viewers.

It began airing a 30-second public service announcement in 14 cities across the United States urging people to be on the lookout for Greig, a dental hygienist who was devoted to her appearance, had plastic surgery in the past, and frequently had her hair cut and teeth cleaned. The spots aired during daytime shows, including, “Ellen,” “The View,” and “Live with Regis & Kelly.”

A woman who answered the door at the South Boston home of Greig’s sister, Margaret McCusker, was told of the arrest by a Globe reporter this morning. “They found him? Finally,” she said. “I want my sister to come home.”

Travis Andersen and Andrew Ryan of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Posted on Leave a comment

PHIL HENDRIE GETS REAL ABOUT RADIO By GARY LYCAN RADIO FOR THE REGISTER

Phil Hendrie is known for his creative use of fictional characters on his programs – but when it comes to talking about the state of the radio industry, he is all reality.

“There are so many land mines to negotiate,” he said when asked what he would tell persons who want to break into talk radio. He adds bluntly, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.

Article Tab : Phil Hendrie warns young people getting into the radio business, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.
Phil Hendrie warns young people getting into the radio business, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.”

“Why do you have to call yourself one thing or the other? I remember KMPC when it did talk and it would say it was talk radio for women. Why? You want a lot of listeners, why push others away. We need to be more than this finite thing,” he said.

Hendrie, 58, saw the handwriting on the wall and was smart to branch out beyond radio. Yes, he’s on KTLK/1150 AM live 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and repeated 1 to 3 a.m. weekdays, and on KFI/640 AM from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Talk Radio Network syndicates him nationwide. But he’s happiest with the success he has had – as his own boss – at his Internet site www.philhendrieshow.com. It offers podcasts, videocasts, webisodes, and his archived shows – all for a subscription fee. His business model is not only proving to be a success, it doesn’t rely on having to deal with corporate ownership.

Regarding a recent weekend gathering of broadcasters in Los Angeles, Hendrie said, “I looked out and saw a lot of young talent. But how many CEOs, general managers go to these things – zero. The real talent problem is the talent at the top, with the people running our industry. Do they ever show up at these conventions to hear about the mechanics, or do they just want to report back to stockholders?”

Reflecting a bit, Hendrie said, “Everybody has a radio. It is so pervasive. In an earthquake, the Internet is off, the radio is on. They (CEOs, general managers) can’t figure that out.”

Off the air, Hendrie finds pleasure in animation projects. He will be a regular guest star in the new animated series “Napoleon Dynamite,” coming to the Fox network in 2012.

“I go in, read the lines, I don’t have to memorize things. You do a table read with the other actors, and then you are scheduled for your recordings. I play a lot of different characters in the town Dynamite lives in. Animation is a beautiful thing. ‘The Simpsons’ is brilliantly written,” he said.

On radio, whom does Hendrie admire for their talent? Stephanie Miller and Rush Limbaugh come first to his mind. “Rush does a conservative talk show, but he really does it in a funny and entertaining way. That’s what I’m talking about. How you present it. Rush creates the theater of the mind,” he said. More info: www.philhendrie.com.

Posted on Leave a comment

PHIL HENDRIE GETS REAL ABOUT RADIO By GARY LYCAN RADIO FOR THE REGISTER

Phil Hendrie is known for his creative use of fictional characters on his programs – but when it comes to talking about the state of the radio industry, he is all reality.

“There are so many land mines to negotiate,” he said when asked what he would tell persons who want to break into talk radio. He adds bluntly, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.

Article Tab : Phil Hendrie warns young people getting into the radio business, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.
Phil Hendrie warns young people getting into the radio business, “You will have a very difficult time finding your own voice because you are told by the imbeciles that you need to be conservative or liberal.”

“Why do you have to call yourself one thing or the other? I remember KMPC when it did talk and it would say it was talk radio for women. Why? You want a lot of listeners, why push others away. We need to be more than this finite thing,” he said.

Hendrie, 58, saw the handwriting on the wall and was smart to branch out beyond radio. Yes, he’s on KTLK/1150 AM live 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and repeated 1 to 3 a.m. weekdays, and on KFI/640 AM from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Talk Radio Network syndicates him nationwide. But he’s happiest with the success he has had – as his own boss – at his Internet site www.philhendrieshow.com. It offers podcasts, videocasts, webisodes, and his archived shows – all for a subscription fee. His business model is not only proving to be a success, it doesn’t rely on having to deal with corporate ownership.

Regarding a recent weekend gathering of broadcasters in Los Angeles, Hendrie said, “I looked out and saw a lot of young talent. But how many CEOs, general managers go to these things – zero. The real talent problem is the talent at the top, with the people running our industry. Do they ever show up at these conventions to hear about the mechanics, or do they just want to report back to stockholders?”

Reflecting a bit, Hendrie said, “Everybody has a radio. It is so pervasive. In an earthquake, the Internet is off, the radio is on. They (CEOs, general managers) can’t figure that out.”

Off the air, Hendrie finds pleasure in animation projects. He will be a regular guest star in the new animated series “Napoleon Dynamite,” coming to the Fox network in 2012.

“I go in, read the lines, I don’t have to memorize things. You do a table read with the other actors, and then you are scheduled for your recordings. I play a lot of different characters in the town Dynamite lives in. Animation is a beautiful thing. ‘The Simpsons’ is brilliantly written,” he said.

On radio, whom does Hendrie admire for their talent? Stephanie Miller and Rush Limbaugh come first to his mind. “Rush does a conservative talk show, but he really does it in a funny and entertaining way. That’s what I’m talking about. How you present it. Rush creates the theater of the mind,” he said. More info: www.philhendrie.com.

Posted on Leave a comment

Radio For Patriots By Patriots Show Log For Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Tonight Justin McElroy and David G. Hall told Phil that if he is going to talk about Ryan Dunn he must not talk about the circumstances of his death out of repsect…no discussion of drinking, driving, speed or fire…otherwise he would get the “Sensitivity Alarm,” a toilet flushing souind effect…Then Bobbie and Steve Dooley asked the audience to get on their side as they try and get some breathing room before allowing a wounded veteran, one with one leg that Bobbie is sure is a ‘peg-leg’, to move into their neighborhood

Posted on Leave a comment

Radio For Patriots By Patriots Show Log For Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Steve Bosell took us on a bizarre journey tonight featuring late night phone calls from a breather and a wife and daughter dancing in front of mirrors. Steve’s daughter kicked off Father’s Day by looking at her Dad, saying “Happy Father’s Day” and dragging a finger across her throat. Steve then video-ed the same act outside…and it went viral on YouTube. Steve’s scared!Ted Bell from his restaurant in Beverly Hills implored Phil’s listeners to earmark Federal tax money to help California make up it’s 10 billion dollar shortfall. “California is equal to Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial. What do you think of when you think of, say, Washington state? Something cold and wet.” Ted went down the list of every State in the Union saying the only thing they all had in common with California was dope.

Posted on Leave a comment

Radio For Patriots by Patriots Show Log For Monday, June 20, 2011

RC Collins from Bradley Military Academy was on to pay his respects to Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of the “Jackass” film and TV series, who died Monday in an car crash. For RC, the death of Mr. Dunn resonates for his generation “like the death of Princess Diana did for yours. It takes real guts to stand there and let someone kick you straight in the testicles” proclaimed RC.Don Parsley joined Phil in Hour 2 to talk about his father dying…..on Father’s Day. Actually, Don “pulled the plug” on his dad, against his dad’s wishes, so the man wouldn’t wind up “looking like Terri Schiavo” and so Don could get some press on the “Father’s Day angle.”