There are of course people who just want something because of its provenance: who owned it prior to them. High-end estate sales of famous people draw crowds to Sotheby's and Christie's. Bidding can be competitive, and things that say once belonged to Jackie Kennedy Onassis can fetch some staggering sums.
Already mentioned are probably the two most widely known auction houses. There are others. Bonhams comes to mind. But the FBI? What are they going to auction off? Vinyl windbreakers with FBI lettering used in the raid on Bernie Madoff? I guess it is possible.
I once attended fraud meetings that were held at 26 Federal Plaza. The meetings were hosted by the FBI, who had offices in the building. At the end of the meetings they always invited the attendees to stop by the gift shop. Yes, the FBI sells things.
So perhaps it shouldn't surprise anyone that the FBI has scheduled an auction of Whitey Bulger goods. Whitey, as anyone should remember, was the notorious leader or the Boston-based Winter Hill Gang. His life was indirectly portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the movie 'The Departed,' to me, one of the worst movies I ever saw. I don't care that it got Best Picture. Yeah, so?
Whitey famously of course eluded capture for over 16 years, skipping out when he got inside word that the Feds were closing in on him. It seemed his honeymoon with the Feds as a confidential informant was considered by some to be far too cozy. He got to kill who he wanted, so long as he provided some information. Eventually there were Bureau people who thought this was not a flattering picture for the Bureau.
Of course, catching the country's most wanted man proved difficult. His whereabouts finally became known after the FBI took out an ad on a Times Square billboard, offering a reward for information leading to his apprehension. Meyer Lansky once told Bugsy Segal they were bigger than U.S. Steel. A milk carton wasn't going to be sufficient to bring Whitey in. They needed Times Square.
The Times Square tactic worked. And quickly. Whitey and his girlfriend were arrested in a condo in California with $822,000 stuffed in the walls. Numerous weapons were also recovered. Whitey had a trial and is in jail. The girlfriend had a trial and is in jail. And the FBI had Whitey's stuff.
After his capture Hollywood thought a biopic of the notorious Mr. Bulger would go big. 'Black Sabbath' starred Johnny Depp, and proved completely resistible to the public. The movie tanked. Sometimes you just can't make someone seem appealing, no matter how much of a bum they were. Apparently, there weren't enough redeeming qualities in Mr. Bulger's life to get to the break even point. This happens. Movies are a gamble.
A WSJ story in Friday's paper tells us of the upcoming FBI auction to be held this spring for Whitey's goods. The proceeds, along with the $822,000 is going to be distributed to the families of Whitey's victims. Apparently, it has taken two years of court proceeding to get the green light to do this. Goods have been stored in a warehouse for 5 years. Whitey was brought out of hiding in 2011.
Whitey's goods seem dull, except for perhaps the fake Stanley Cup ring, and the rat-shaped pencil holder. A fake Stanley Cup ring? No team is mentioned, but that is degrading. A mobster of Whitey's stature didn't possess an authentic Bruins ring? Jesus, they did win the cup twice in the 70s. Whitey should have been able to do better than settle for paste.
Anyone who saw Jack Nicholson in his Whitey portrayal screw his face up into an image of a rat can appreciate Whitey's association and obsession with rats. The movie even closes with a rodent walking along a window sill. Such symbolism. No wonder it brought down awards.
Notable to me, is what is missing from Whitey's auctionable possessions. Or, perhaps held back. Not a single baseball bat is offered. Surely Whitey used a variety of bats over the years to eliminate those who didn't go a long with his style of management.
Just think of what an autographed Whitey Bulger baseball bat would bring. Major League Baseball would surely object. A bat as a murder weapon is not a good role model for kids.
Pete Rose signing a baseball bat is not so bad. He stole bases within the rules of the game, and only bet on games, that was not in the rules of the game. He didn't murder people.
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