At Trial, Hit Man Says ‘It Broke My Heart’ to Learn Bulger Was an F.B.I. Informer

[alp227]

Source: New York Times

Rare is the witness who takes the stand and immediately tells the court that he committed eight murders for which he has never been charged.

But amid the stack of murders to which this witness, John Martorano, has confessed, those eight might have gotten lost anyway.

Mr. Martorano, known as The Executioner or The Enforcer, was the longtime hit man for James (Whitey) Bulger, who prosecutors say was at the center of “murder and mayhem” in the Boston underworld for almost three decades. Mr. Bulger, 83, is finally on trial here in federal court on a 32-count indictment, including charges that he participated in 19 murders. Mr. Martorano, a star witness for the prosecution, took the stand Monday against him; it was their first contact in decades, and they barely exchanged a glance.

Mr. Martorano, 72, who wore tinted glasses, sported a pocket kerchief and spoke in a guttural monotone, has confessed to 20 murders. On Monday, he recounted many of them in court in the kind of matter-of-fact tone used for reading a grocery list.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/us/at-trial-hit-man-says-it-broke-my-heart-to-learn-bulger-was-an-fbi-informer.html

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see also Boston Globe: "Hit man John Martorano details killings in 'Whitey' Bulger trial"

[Octafish]

1. FBI Protected Bulger.

SOBs.

[red dog 1]

2. No surprise that a mob hit man who killed 20 people spoke in a gutteral monotone,

even with his tinted glasses and pocket kerchief.

[MADem]

3. It broke his Haaaaaaaht, eh?

I hope they're recording this trial, so we can see it one day.

All we get are the lousy chalk courtroom drawings. I'd like to see the witnesses, and the prosecution/defense teams.

[Ash_F]

4. How is someone who murdered 20 people not in jail?

"Martorano told jurors he is currently unemployed, but sold the rights to his life story to a film company for $250,000 and split a $110,000 advance with Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr, who wrote, “Hitman,” about Martorano’s life, and also collected another $20,000 in royalties. Martorano was also paid $20,000 by the Drug Enforcement Administration after he was released from prison."

American "justice"