Much to my surprise, chapter 8 was
rather depressing (please sense the
sarcasm). Michael starts off by with a brief article touting his Frankie’s
success as a boxer. Because he was such a good boxer, Frankie became a huge
role model in the Southie community. Michael pointed out how serious Frankie
was about being someone that the Southie kids could look up to. Frankie was
never caught drinking or doing drugs, and made a point to not hang around
individuals who did. Although Frankie was coached by many of Whitey’s ‘people’
Michael says he was never owed by Whitey. Although Frankie was such an
important figure in the Southie community, he was still a family man, trying to
help Kevin get away from his druggy lifestyle, and driving Ma around in his fancy
car. So, you can imagine my surprise when Frankie while he was performing a
bank robbery. The way Michael made Frankie out, it seemed like nothing bad was
going to happen to him. But at some point, a few months before his death,
Michael says he got into drugs. Apparently it was all downhill from there.
Despite all
of Frankie’s help, Kevin life was still going downhill. Unlike Frankie, Kevin
was involved with Whitey and his gang. Kevin had been to jail for possession of
counterfeit money, and had been visited by a few of Whitey’s people (too keep
him from telling where he got the money from). Kevin got out of jail, only to
end up back in there for robbing a jewelry store. While in jail, Kevin apparently
tried to kill himself which resulted in him getting sent to (get this) Bridgewater State Hospital….I’ve heard of that place before! A
little while after he arrives, Kevin ends up successfully committing suicide.
The way that Michael described Kevin’s death was really intriguing to me. He
makes a point of saying that the night of Kevin’s death (around11:30) someone
came to visit him, and then about an hour-an hour and a half later, Kevin was
found dead. Keep in mind, Kevin was involved with Whitey. I don’t think
MacDonald was adding this bit of information in for shits and gigs. I think it’s
interesting that, if what Michael is recommending is true, it shows how well
Whitey ran his operation. Oh, and did I mention that Whitey was Kevin’s best
man at his wedding?
So yes,
this chapter was slightly depressing with two of the kids dying, but I thought
it was SO cool that there was a little connection to Bridgewater. When we think
of Whitey Bulger, we mostly think Boston, but to think that there were mobsters
paying visits in Bridgewater is, like I said before SO COOL.
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