James Whitey Bulger

The Last Interviews

By: Michael Esslinger

Narrated by: Christopher Hogan

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

NOTE: This book contains graphic depictions of extreme crime and violence. Its content may not be suitable for all listeners.

Includes a foreword written by James "Whitey" Bulger.

Before legendary crime mogul James "Whitey" Bulger became one of the most influential mob bosses of the 20th century, he served time on Alcatraz from November 1959 until July 1962 for a string of brazen bank robberies. Bulger was confined alongside many of America's most prominent public enemies—men like Alvin Karpis, Mickey Cohen, Frankie Carbo, and Harlem boss Bumpy Johnson. He had a front row seat to many historically significant events, including the famous 1962 escape of Frank Lee Morris and the Anglin brothers (which was later portrayed by Clint Eastwood in the classic film Escape from Alcatraz.) After serving nine years in federal prison, Bulger returned to Boston where he rose to the highest stratus of crime figures, ultimately reaching #1 on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted fugitive list. After 16 years at large, the enigmatic Bulger was arrested in an oceanside neighborhood of Santa Monica, California, in 2011.

Author and historian Michael Esslinger spent seven years conducting interviews with Whitey Bulger following his capture in 2011. Their conversations captured Bulger's memories of an early life in crime, his years as a prisoner on Alcatraz, and his life as one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives. The Last Interviews is a collection of Bulger's own memories, transcribed directly from personal interviews that chronicle a lifetime spent in crime. It is a scrapbook weaved together from prison documents, personal letters, and candid conversations that offer intimate details about his life. The interviews spanned from only weeks following his capture in 2011, until just months before his brutal murder in 2018. It's a collection of stories brought to life by Bulger himself, written from inside his prison cell; transcribed from his own voice, and culled from the actual prison casefiles. Though he remained one of the most notorious and elusive public figures of the last century during his lifetime, these interviews help strip away the mystery of Whitey Bulger. His memories about his early and later parts of life, and about many of the famous and not-so-famous men of Alcatraz, as Whitey Bulger remembered them—like a voice from beyond the grave.

©2022 Michael Esslinger (P)2023 Michael Esslinger

Prison Interviews with Whitey Bulger

As a disclaimer, while I purchased the print version of this title, the audiobook version was offered free as a promotional campaign on Goodreads. My opinions on the print and audio versions are both a little different. I doubt I would have enjoyed the audiobook as much without owning the print version since there are hundreds of photographs included in that version offering context to the people and events Bulger discussed in these interviews. The best parts of the book are the last chapters of his life on the run and living in Santa Monica, so you are trapped to listen to everything else, before getting to the best parts of these interviews.

In regard to the interviews that the author conducted with Bulger, these are gold for anyone interested in hearing directly from Bulger about his life. If you've seen the movie "True Story" with Jonah Hill, a true story about a journalist's interviews with a murderer, you'll have a good sense of this work and what went into these interviews. I've been a longtime fan of Michael's books and documentary works, but I must confess that I was conflicted about reading a book based entirely on first person interviews with Whitey Bulger, a mafia hitman and convicted professional killer. I can see where for some it will cross a line, but I was curious about what Bulger had to say looking back at his life from a prison cell. Did he regret his path in life? You get a glimpse into the personal thoughts of Bulger, through interviews, as he tells of his criminal life in the dark underworld. Esslinger’s introduction helped put everything into context and it satisfies a notable constituency. He makes a bold distinction that the depictions of Bulger’s crimes and letting him personally narrate his criminal memories is not an endorsement or anything to be romanticized. Reading stories personally narrated by Bulger, drawn from years of interviews conducted with him while in prison, turned out to be an authoritative and potent read. Parts of this book burrowed deep into me and I couldn’t put it down. I really feel this is a true masterpiece.

I read and watch more true crime shows than I care to admit, and I've eagerly been waiting for this book to be released after watching a documentary with Michael discussing the interviews he conducted with Bulger before he was murdered in prison by rival mafia members. I think Michael is best known for his works on Alcatraz, but his collection of interviews with Whitey Bulger is something exceptionally unique. I can't recommend it highly enough for those with interest in true crime! The interview content is light about his years in the mob, but there are several chapters looking at his early years in crime that led to Alcatraz and rise in the mafia. The book mostly centers on his Alcatraz years which in itself is so interesting! If you are interested in Alcatraz, you are not going to be able to put down this book. I've read several Alcatraz themed biographies, but Bulger's memories seems to satisfy a curiosity so many of the others didn't do for me. Bulger brings his memories of Alcatraz vividly to life and they were all so interesting that I'm planning a return visit. My favorite parts of the book are the reminiscences of the famous escape of Frank Lee Morris and the Anglin brothers. Men that Bulger knew well. The parts of Bulger reflecting on his years on the run from the FBI were enthralling. Bulger gives us a glimpse of the underbelly of crime, and the complexity of his dark underground workings with police and FBI, and decades of masterful deception as a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

As much as I love this book, it isn't pitch perfect. The narratives from Bulger fell short in some chapters. My biggest criticism is that I wish Michael would have pressed him harder to record more of his memories as a mob boss, or at least had acknowledged and explained his reservations about discussing these subjects. Bulger obviously was aware he was being interviewed for a book and it’s evident he’s in control of the narrative, so why gloss over such an important part of his life? The conversations mostly focused on Alcatraz and though he did offer a mixed variety of stories of his life in the criminal underworld, it seems an important part of Bulger's story is missing as he glanced over a decade of his time in the mafia. He shared only select stories, often with the apparent motive to clear his name of notorious crimes he was famously associated. Another criticism is that I had to go back to re-read parts when it shifted from Bulger to another interview subject. I sometimes became confused as to who was telling that part of the story. Nevertheless, none of these take away from the uniqueness of reading a book created entirely from original interviews with Bulger and FBI case files. His years spent as a prisoner on Alcatraz and as a fugitive of the FBI was endlessly fascinating. Well written, in depth, and similar to Esslinger's earlier works, the quality of research and presentation is top-notch. Each chapter is richly illustrated with original photographs so you can visualize who he's talking about in the narrative. This added an element to the stories that really drew me in. It was so fascinating to read Bulger's memories and how he looked back on his life. It kept my interest from start to finish. A single book can hardly sum-up the lifetime of such a complex criminal, but this book is a masterpiece in what it accomplished. Overall a great read and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Alcatraz and organized crime. I also recommend Hunting Whitey by Dave Wedge and Casey Sherman which tells the story from a completely different lens.

Whitey Bulger, in his own words

There has been many books written about the notorious James "Whitey" Bulger. The organized crime boss addresses how he was portrayed by the media, and attempts to clear up any misconceptions in "James Whitey Bulger" by Alcatraz expert Michael Esslinger. Before he became the leader of the Winter Hill Gang in Boston, and spent many years in hiding as one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, Bulger served time on The Rock, San Francisco's Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

Esslinger's phenomenal book contains Bulger's last interviews before he was killed hours after being transferred to a "high security" federal prison in West Virginia. After being profiled on programs such as "Unsolved Mysteries" and "American's Most Wanted," Bulger was finally arrested in Santa Monica, California in 2011. In Esslinger's book, Bulger compares the many prisons he was incarcerated in.

While in prison, Bulger would volunteer to medical testing in exchange for a lighter sentence. He became a willing subject for the CIA sponsored MKUltra mind control program, and was given the hallucinogen - LSD. Bulger felt he was recruited by description, and suffered nightmares and often times had trouble sleeping altogether. Bulger also recalled being given an experimental vaccine for Whooping cough.

Esslinger does a fantastic job of documenting the relationship between Bulger and inmate Clarence Carnes. They served time together at Alcatraz, but Carnes would die in a Missouri medical center for prisoners in 1988. Carnes would be buried in a paupers' grave, but Bulger would have the body exhumed and reburied on land in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Bulger's memories of Alcatraz are astonishing, as he recalls vivid details of the daily route, the guards, and the meals they were served. Bulger also discusses the notable Alcatraz inmates he would come in contact with, such as Alvin "Kreepy" Karpis, gangster Mickey Cohen, and the Al Capone of Harlem, Bumpy Johnson. He also shares his experiences with Frank Morris, and the Anglin brothers - John and Clarence, who escaped Alcatraz in June 1962.

I found the chapters on the 1962 escape especially intriguing as Bulger shared his thoughts on the famed escape, as he believed the three made it to safety, and were wise to cut all ties while in hiding. In an interview, Bulger remembered the night they escaped, and being unable to sleep. Bulger also comments on the "Escape from Alcatraz" movie, which starred Clint Eastwood. Bulger believed Morris and the Anglin's escape helped to close down Alcatraz, which happened in 1963.

Bulger also details his capture in California while living with his longtime girlfriend. Bulger served as a FBI informant for many years, He gave his opinion of why he believed the feds didn't grant him immunity. Bulger also felt the media unfairly treated his brother William, who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate, before being named the President of the University of Massachusetts. Bulger believed William's only crime was being his brother.

"James Whitey Bulger" is five stars, and highly recommended!

God Knows The Truth

The End……………………….. Touchy subject! Read them all.. Im not God! Im not judging anymore.. Heard so many stories.. Sorry for victims and families and God Bless you all. What can I say. The End !
Feds are disgusting. In my opinion FBI should be disbanded..
Bulger comes across as a legit remorseful bad guy. Who knows . Im sorry for loved ones who were hurt. I am.
Im Catholic and believe vengeance is the lords.
Kind of weird hearing Bulger speak the grave.. Was he just BS ing? I don’t know.
Lesson to me is all the money in the world ain’t worth it.
I hope he found Jesus. Serious!