How It All Goes Down
Bulgertown, USA
- Julie and Stephen Rakes are lifelong residents of Southie. After holding joint ownership over several small businesses, they decide to open their own liquor store in 1982.
- But Stephen is "worried he'd gotten in over his head" (2.11.7).
- Without telling Julie, he discusses handing the store over to a certain local gangster named Whitey Bulger.
- Unbeknownst to her, Bulger and Flemmi frequently visit the construction site with Kevin Weeks, Bulger's most devoted protégé.
- Stippo's Liquor Mart, as it's known, opens in 1984 and does shockingly good business. It helps that the store is holding a raffle for a free Hawaii vacation. We'll take two tickets please.
- Sadly, the raffle never gets held. We want a refund.
- One night, Bulger and Weeks show up at Stephen's home while Julie is at the store, threatening him with a gun in front of his kid when he says that he has second thoughts about their deal.
- And with that, Bulger is the new owner of Stippo's Liquor Mart. Good timing, too: he's been looking for a new HQ ever since the Lancaster garage was busted wide open.
- A few days later, Julie and Stephen meet with Julie's uncle, Joseph Lundbohm, who's a detective with the Boston PD.
- Lundbohm thinks that the case is a slam dunk, but needs some federal backing, so he turns to...the FBI.
- Bad move, Joey.
- And of course he meets with Connolly.
- Connolly implies that Stephen and Julie will have to wear a wire and meet with Bulger, which is a classic intimidation tactic. Even the toughest gangster wouldn't do that.
- And then, a few days later, Stephen tells Lundbohm to drop the investigation. Bulger threatened Lundbohm by name.
- Bulger doesn't have any more problems with Lundbohm after that. He even intimidates Rakes into falsely testifying in court in Bulger's defense, which ultimately gets Rakes charged with perjury.
- Ouch. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.