Whitey Bulger NHL Ring: Prisoner Will Give Up $822,000, But Not Stanley Cup Ring
Whitey Bulger, accused of murdering at least two men, is willing to donate the $822,000 found in his apartment, but does not want to surrender his NHL Stanley Cup ring.
Bulger, an alleged Irish mob boss, is accused of participating in 19 murders in the 1970s and `80s as leader of the Winter Hill Gang. He was found guilty Monday of 11 murders and at least a dozen other gangland crimes.
Following the court decision, Bulger agreed to waive his right to have a jury decide what should happen to most of his belongings- including the $822,000 found in his apartment upon his arrest. Bugler had previously stated that he would donate that money to families of his alleged victims.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A number of families filed lawsuits regarding the murder, some of which earned monetary gains. In the case of two families who filed after the statute of limitations had passed, the lawsuits were thrown out.
"My client is prepared to have all the money forfeited to the victims' family that prevailed at trial first, but had it reversed because of ... a highly technical (court) process," attorney J.W. Carney said last month.
But Bugler is unwilling to part with his 1986 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup ring, according to a court filing. It is believed that Bugler acquired the ring through association with Chris "Knuckles" Nilan, a 13-year NHL veteran before his retirement after the 1991-92 season.
Nilan has said in previous interviews that Bugler's ring does not belong to him, however.
"I gave my dad my Stanley Cup ring," Nilan told TSN Radio 960, although the player admitted to making copies for his mother, mother-in-law and wife.
"He saw mine, the one I gave my dad, and he wanted one," Nilan said. "He used to come up to the games and watch the games. He thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a good time for him to get away and not be around all the nonsense. The people up here didn't know who he was so he could kind of walk around and have a decent couple of days when he was up here visiting."
Bugler is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.
