James Michael Curley

One of the best-known Boston politicians of our times recalls the life of the controversial but beloved mayor, congressman, and governor James Michael Curley. Curley was the greatest Irish-American politician in Boston history before John F. Kennedy, who actually won Curley's seat in Congress. As the voice of working Boston, Curley was loved to the point of adoration, even as he was being hustled off to jail for what he called "taking care of constituents." Bulger, who was growing up in Boston just as Curley's career and life were winding down, explains how such a "rascal" could have been an inspiration to him and so many others.