Quote 4
"I'm from South Boston, shrugged one of the witnesses, trying to explain the turnabout to the judge. "We keep things to ourselves." (2.15.50)
So how does Whitey's reign of terror last so long? Remember, Southie is defined by its opposition to outsiders. For a Southie, Whitey is one of them, while the FBI, DEA, and Justice Department are just another group of feds trying to change the Southie way of life.
Quote 5
"Hey, announced Bulger at one point to the DEA agents, "we're all good guys."
How so?
"You're the good good guys. We're the bad good guys." (2.12.88-90)
In Bulger's head, he's Han Solo—the good guy who doesn't play by the rules—when in fact he's straight-up Darth Vader. He's the villain. Despite its obvious absurdity, this twisted moral justification fuels Bulger's criminal activity throughout his career.