boston have sounded for generations of irish immigrants. it s a tight-knit community that s always protected its own, a place james whitey bulger called home. he learned to fight and survive on the mean streets of south boston, known as southy to locals like john shay who, decades later, would work for bulger. the guy was legendary. he made tough guys shake. he made them shake. reporter: bulger s life of crime started early, arrested in his teens, he was robbing banks by age 20. his shock of blonde hair earning him the name whitey, a name he is said to despite. with his rugged good looks and reckless flamboyance, he imagined himself as boston s version of jimmy kagny. but instead of red carpets he was headed to alcatraz. a string of bank robberies landing him ten years in federal prison at age 25. did he his time and upon release vowed he would never, ever go back. they had no hard proof. reporter: boston globe reporters dick layered and jared o neill ultimate
the church bells of st. monica near the harbor in south boston have sounded for generations of irish immigrants. it s a tight-knit community that s always protected its own, a place james whitey bulger called home. he learned to fight and survive on the mean streets of south boston, known as southy to locals like john shay who, decades later, would work for bulger. the guy was legendary. he made tough guys shake. he made them shake. reporter: bulger s life of crime started early, arrested in his teens, he was robbing banks by age 20. his shock of blonde hair earning him the name whitey, a name he is said to despite. with his rugged good looks and reckless flamboyance, he imagined himself as boston s version of jimmy kagny. but instead of red carpets he was headed to alcatraz. a string of bank robberies landing him ten years in federal prison at age 25. did he his time and upon release vowed he would never, ever go back. they had no hard proof. reporter: boston