Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal Chapter 5 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
Connolly said later that O'Sullivan's intervention provided a new layer of protective veneer to the FBI's deal. (1.5.82)
Bulger is signed on as an informant to help bring the Mafia to justice, but he ends up sparking quite a bit of injustice himself. What's more, he reveals many FBI agents, like Connolly, Morris, and O'Sullivan, to be more concerned with good press than actually doing the right thing.
Quote 2
Like a drug, their ties to Bulger and Flemmi had evolved into a dependency that was hardening quickly into an addiction. (1.5.89)
The FBI's relationship with Bulger and Flemmi certainly has its benefits. It gives the FBI a leg up in the mob, and Flemmi's intel helps them break several major cases. But there's a downside: the longer they're together, the more Bulger dominates the relationship.
Quote 3
Bulger was making his move upward as a crime boss in his own right. (1.5.85)
In the least surprising development ever, Bulger starts rising the criminal ladder as soon as he develops a relationship with the FBI. Who could've guessed that…except everyone.
Quote 4
Bulger especially was proving to be the grand puppeteer, pulling the strings of both the FBI and La Cosa Nostra. (1.5.84)
Bulger isn't just working the FBI—he's also working the Mafia. By playing both sides against each other—all while under the personal protection of Connolly—Bulger is able to build an insane criminal empire without breaking a sweat.
Quote 5
Looking around the office at [...] the flashy Connolly [...] Morris was like the team manager jealous of the jocks who started had starred in the big game. (1.5.21)
Although John Morris is specifically chosen to be the supervisor of the Organized Crime Squad due to his fastidious devotion to the rules, it doesn't take much for that devotion to fall by the wayside. After all, Connolly is breaking all the rules, and he seems to be getting along just fine. Why shouldn't Morris get in on the action?