South Boston Online has reviewed the four books recently published about crime and corruption in South Boston – “A Criminal & An Irishman”, “Brutal”, “Rat Bastards”, and “The Brothers Bulger”.  The last review, which discusses Howie Carr’s book “The Brothers Bulger”, is on page ____ of this issue.

     These books are filled with violence – much of it senseless – and wrongdoing so pervasive that its total effect on human lives is beyond estimation.  Furthermore, almost every one of the main characters in these books ends up either disgraced or in jail, due to political backstabbers or informers, i.e., “rats”.  There is an old saying about “honor among thieves”.  Well, that quality simply doesn’t exist in these four books.

     Reading all four of these books in just a few weeks leaves a mark.  In reading and discussing them, all of us at Online felt put down – as if the slime contained in the books was somehow coming out from under our fingernails.

     One reason is that a lot of what is in the books actually happened.  The books disagree with each other in some of their details, but they basically tell similar stories – stories that are (unfortunately) true.  And despite their earlier denials, the criminals in the books were responsible for bringing in the drugs that continue to plague South Boston.

     Another reason is that the characters in the books are second-raters (at best).  They’re minor league compared to the “families” in other cities or to the international drug lords.  Most are vicious; many are quite stupid; almost all become informers.  And despite the sensationalism, they are ultimately boring people.

     That verdict includes the FBI agents who were bent by Stephen Flemmi and James Bulger.  The only reason for the huge reward for James Bulger’s arrest and conviction is to make it appear the FBI is at last doing its duty (remember, it was the DEA that finally broke up the drug rings in South Boston during the ‘90s).  Surely, there are good reasons for placing James Bulger on the “most wanted” list, but second only to Osama bin Laden?  Oh, please.

     So let’s do a little arithmetic.  There was a total of 200 or 300 characters in all four books, many of whom were not from South Boston.  Well, in the 2000 census, South Boston had a population of 30,000, so the individuals in those books amounted to less than 1% of us  - only a fringe element.

     If there’s a characteristic shared by the “silent majority” in South Boston, it’s that you work.  Perhaps you hold down two or three jobs to make ends meet.  You could be the family breadwinner sending your kids to parochial schools to better their educations.  You may be a young couple who just assumed a jumbo mortgage on a condominium.  But whatever the case, you work!

     Please note:  we aren’t saying South Boston is a “working class community” – that’s condescending.  Nor are we using insulting terms like “lunch pail” or “blue collar”.  Instead, we mean that individuals who work for a living bring a certain, inherent dignity to their lives.

     Just walk along Broadway and count the stores, offices, restaurants, and small businesses.  Each of them contains people who are holding down jobs.  A lot of them are going to school.  Many want to work their way up into better jobs.  The owners of these businesses risk their financial well-being to keep them open.  In other words, they work!

     Consider the volunteers in South Boston, who support so many worthy causes.  They perform their roles cheerfully, and put in countless hours.  There are thousands of them of all ages – far more than 200 or 300 losers.  And they work!

   It won’t make headlines, but that’s the true story of this community:  If you are from South Boston, you work!