Court documents suggest that legendary, widely-feared Boston Southie gang boss and convicted murderer James "Whitey" Bulger wants to keep only one possession while in prison: a Montreal Canadiens’ 1986 Stanley Cup ring.
Documents made public Monday reveal that Bulger, 83, who lived undetected on the lam for 16 years in California, agreed to cede all “jewelry, electronics, art, furniture household items, clothing personal effects and any and all other personal property.” That includes $822,000 in cash.
The only asset he has sought to keep, according to the same document is a “Stanley Cup ring, which the defendant contends was a gift to him by a third party.”
It is unknown how and from whom Bulger obtained a Stanley Cup ring, but Boston's CBS TV news affiliate has speculated that it might have come from former Hab Chris Nilan.
Court evidence filed during the trial includes a photo of Bulger posing with former longtime Habs enforcer Chris Nilan, who was married to Karen Stanley. Her late mother Tessa was once Bulger’s girlfriend.
Nilan, who is from Boston, earned a Stanley Cup ring with the Canadiens in 1986 after standout goaltender Patrick Roy helped the squad beat the Calgary Flames by four games to one in the finals.
Nilan, who now works as a sports radio show host in Montreal, has told other media outlets that he was given two rings and remains in possession of both, posing for a picture at his Dorval home with the pair of championship rings for The Gazette.
Nilan declined an interview with CTV Montreal.
Details of Nilan's once-troubled personal life were revealed via interviews with his ex-wife and father in the 2011 film The Last Gladiators but no mention was made of any family connection to the fabled Boston ganglord.
Bulger will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty Monday for the murder of 11 people as well as many other offences including conspiracy, racketeering acts of murder, extortion, narcotics distribution, money laundering and possession of firearm
It was alleged that Bulger, among his many misdeeds, strangled two women to death and shot two men in the head after chaining them to chairs.
