Polito's Take: 50 Shades of Whitey

He's laughing all the way to hell. We need to face it; Whitey Bulger is having the last laugh.

I'm hoping that he makes it through the trial and we can all hear the guilty verdicts. But, don't bet any money on it. I'm going to leave the real analysis of Whitey's case to expert crime reporters like my colleague Bob Ward. I want to focus on the evil of this man and the fact that he will evade justice and game the system until he draws his last breath.

We're fascinated with the story of Whitey Bulger. It's a real life organized crime drama unfolding before our eyes. If you've read this far, you're interested enough and probably know most of the story. I'm not going to break any new ground or reveal any tantalizing tidbits. What I want to do is help people to prepare for the fact that justice can never be served… in this world. If you are one of the few who still considers Whitey a Robin Hood-like character or some type of hero, you're either someone who always roots for the bad guy or a complete fool.

In the old westerns, the good guys wore white and the bad guys wore black. It was the easy way to distinguish the characters and the good guys always came out on top. Ironically, Whitey would have been given a black wardrobe and his partner in crime, FBI agent John Connolly, would have worn white if they were cast in an old western. Times have changed and now both men would be appropriately clad in gray.

Whitey ruled over his Southie kingdom with an iron fist, but he also fancied himself as a community leader or charitable soul. Like most mobsters, he tried to pass himself off as a respectable person, just like his fellow Alcatraz alum Al Capone. John Connolly relished his role as the tough Southie kid who made good in the Boston office of the FBI. The man who swore an oath to uphold the law was more loyal to the law of Southie: be loyal to the neighborhood and your friends.

Like Whitey, we are also draped in gray. We revel in the details of this epic criminal saga. At the same time, we feel for the victims and loathe the actions of this evil man.

It's time to put Whitey back in black. He's earned it and deserves it. There are no excuses to soften the dark side of his evil deeds. Sadly, no matter what the color, the good guys will not come out on top in this story. Whitey is a criminal genius. He will do everything in his power to stall the trial. I won't be surprised if he pulls some stunt to make a mockery of the procedures, the same way al-Qaeda terrorists disrupt their hearings. In the end, what justice will be served? The victim's families may see Whitey convicted, but that will never fill their void. Whitey will be sent to a federal prison hospital, like the former Ft Devens in Ayer. He'll receive the best of care, at the taxpayer's expense. He'll be allowed time outside, entertainment, and intellectual stimulation. Sure, he'll rot in a cell until he dies, but that won't be very long. It's a small price to pay for a lifetime of evil.

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