Friends and family members of infamous Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger attended his funeral in Boston on Thursday following his slaying in federal prison last week.
The funeral, which was held in the same neighborhood in which Bulger once oversaw a reign of violent organized crime, was attended by the twin sister of Bulger’s incarcerated girlfriend, Catherine Greig, as well as former state Senate President Billy Bulger, his brother, according to NBC News.
{mosads}The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston confirmed to NBC that a funeral mass was performed at the service, while noting the Church’s condolences for Bulger’s victims.
“Out of respect for the family and those who were hurt, it was a private service just for the immediate family,” Father James Flavin, pastor of St. Monica’s Church, said in a statement. “The Church is certainly aware of the deep pain that innocent victims of crime and violence live with every day.”
The funeral was held just over a week after Bulger, 89, was found beaten to death in his cell shortly after being transferred to a prison in West Virginia with a history of violence among inmates.
Bulger was captured in 2011 after spending years on the lam, and was serving two life sentences for committing 11 murders across several states. The former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, Bulger was also convicted on counts of racketeering, extortion, conspiracy, money-laundering and drug dealing.
The FBI is reportedly investigating Bulger’s death.