| July 9, 2009 Flemmi describes relationship as FBI informant
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(NECN: Greg Wayland, Boston, Mass.) - One of Boston's most notorious mobsters was back in court today, testifying in the wrongful death cases brought by the families of three of his alleged victims. For the most part, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi spoke little on the stand.
Flemmi described his long relationship with the FBI as an informant
during testimony Thursday in wrongful death lawsuits filed by three
families who say the FBI failed to control Flemmi and fugitive
gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.
The families of Deborah Hussey, Debra Davis and Louis Litif say
the FBI is responsible for their deaths because it protected Flemmi
and Bulger and allowed them to avoid prosecution for their crimes.
Flemmi, who is serving a life sentence for his role in 10
murders, has admitted killing Davis, who was his girlfriend, and
Hussey, who was the daughter of his common-law wife. No one has
been charged with killing Litif, a bookmaker who was also an FBI
informant.
The Justice Department claims the FBI did not know Bulger and
Flemmi planned the killings and cannot be held liable in their
deaths.
During early testimony Thursday, Flemmi, now 75, said he first
began giving the FBI information during a gang war in the 1960s.
He said he gave Boston FBI agents information about La Cosa
Nostra, while the agents gave him information about his enemies.
"It was a quid pro quo situation," said Flemmi, who said at the
time he was a real estate broker who
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