A notorious Boston home that infamous crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger once called “The Haunty” and used to hide victims’ bodies may finally get torn down.
James Bulger
As first reported by Boston.com, the Boston Landmarks Commission is in the process of evaluating a demolition application for 799 East Third St. in South Boston. The property first hit the market for $3.5 million in July. Despite a complete renovation of its interior and a later price cut, the property failed to sell. Its owner now wants to tear it down and build a four-unit townhouse with eight parking spots.
The current house sits at 9,766 square feet and still has a traditional wooden structure that was built in 1885. But along with its historical look, it comes with a harrowing past. Bulger had claimed it as one of his favorite hangouts in the early 1980s — at the time, it was owned by his associate Pat Nee. Bulger, who had led intricate Irish-American money laundering and racketeering gang operations in the Boston area throughout the 1980s and 1990s, had spent years on the run from the FBI. By then in his eighties, he was eventually caught and sentences on multiple counts related to gang activity. He died in prison in 2018.
Arthur “Bucky” Barrett, John McIntyre, and Deborah Hussey were all reportedly killed on the same property by Bulger. Bulger and his associates buried their bodies in what was then the dirt floor of the basement — a fact that was only discovered when the bodies were exhumed later when the house was being prepared for a sale. Testimony during subsequent trials revealed that Bulger had once called the property “The Haunty.”
According to Boston.com, the property is currently valued at $899,100 and called “a 9,766-square-foot sellable building area” by the assessing department. The fact that the property is almost 150 years old means that a committee has to decide whether it is culturally significant before getting torn down.
A decision is expected before the end of the year.