Ghosts of Whitey Bulger and his victims haunt Dorchester bar

A high school friend sent me Shelley Murphy’s article about the controversy over photos of James “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen “the Rifleman” Flemmi that are hanging in the Savin Bar and Kitchen, the former site of Bulldogs, Edward Connors’s tavern (“Bulger poster at bar outrages neighbors,” Page A1, Oct. 13). I grew up in Dorchester and waitressed at Bulldogs when I was in college. I was working the night Eddie was shot.

Savin Hill was a close-knit, working-class neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s, and many locals have weathered the waves of gentrification. I understand the conflicted loyalties they have to one of their own, even if Connors made good by being bad. If the owners of Savin Bar and Kitchen had hung up a mug shot of Eddie Connors, those who had known him may have shrugged, shaken their heads, and raised a glass to it. I doubt if anyone has toasted Whitey, the sociopath.

Proudly or infamously, South Boston was the most insular community in Boston in those years. Bulger was embraced as a native son, even as he exploited and destroyed those who lionized him.

In Dorchester and South Boston, there were six degrees of separation, or fewer, between Bulger and his victims. One of Eddie’s cohorts, Arthur “Bucky” Barrett, was known to the general public as one of the architects of the Depositors Trust bank robbery. I knew him as a quiet, reflective customer and a great tipper, someone who was proud of his nephew, a student at MIT. (He kept trying to fix me up with him.) Bucky was shot to death by Bulger after being tortured. Two sons subsequently died by suicide.

Ken Osherow, co-owner of Savin Bar and Kitchen, insists they’re not celebrating Bulger and Flemmi. But posting blow-ups of their mug shots to evoke “gritty” local color inevitably sanitizes and aestheticizes atrocities of a recent past. The establishment’s refusal to this point to take down the photos is tone-deaf at best. At worst, it suggests an indifference to the trauma that many local residents of Dorchester and South Boston still endure.

Geraldine Murphy

New York

I’m writing in response to the article “Bulger poster at bar outrages neighbors,” regarding the historical display at Savin Bar and Kitchen in Dorchester. As a co-owner, I’d like to provide context directly from ownership.

The exhibit, developed, as the article noted, in collaboration with Gordon Ramsay and his production team during our participation in his series “Secret Service,” was designed to acknowledge and interpret the layered history of this building, not to glorify it.

To be clear: This is not a homage. We do not celebrate Whitey Bulger or the violence that scarred Boston. We’re recognizing the history of this spot — nothing more, nothing less.

The individuals pictured — James “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen “the Rifleman” Flemmi — are historical figures whose images are in the public domain and have been documented in countless books, films, and news articles. The events at issue occurred 50 years ago and are part of Boston’s cultural history.

The images displayed are mug shots, reminders of accountability, not admiration. By acknowledging this past, we honor Boston’s resilience and evolution.

Our restaurant employs dozens of local residents and contributes daily to this vibrant community. Recognizing history, even the uncomfortable parts, helps us appreciate how far we’ve come.

In response to the many public comments we’ve received, we plan to host a new exhibit in the near future, so any suggestions we get would be greatly appreciated.

Ken Osherow

Co-owner

Savin Bar and Kitchen

Savin Hill