Jan 4, 2008 9:43 am US/Eastern
Bulger Hitman: 'I Would Have Killed' Whitey
Martorano Speaking On Sunday's '60 Minutes' On WBZ-TV
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
13 years ago this week reputed mob boss Whitey Bulger went into hiding. His top hitman told "60 Minutes" in his first interview ever that he would have killed Bulger after finding out his boss was an FBI informant.
John Martorano, 67, murdered at least 20 people for Bulger during their days in the Winter Hill Gang.
He pleaded guilty to murder and served a reduced sentence of 12 years under a deal with prosecutors and is now out of prison.
Later this year, he will testify in the trial of former Boston FBI agent John Connolly, who tipped off Bulger that he was about to be arrested, allowing Bulger to sneak off and elude police to this day.
Bulger informed the FBI about Martorano and several others for decades before he became a fugitive.
Martorano said even though he's talking now, he's not a rat, but Bulger is.
"I never informed or ratted on nobody," he told Steve Kroft. "If I could have killed [Bulger] I would have killed him, but he wasn't there."
"One's got the courage to stand on the stand, the other ones are doing it behind your back….How can I be ratting on a guy who's the rat for 30 years?"
The day Martorano learned that Bulger and gang member Steve Flemmi had been giving information to the FBI and not just getting it, he says was the "worst day in my life."
Martorano says he killed for his family and his friends, to whom he was absolutely loyal.
"I mean, you could never pay me to kill anybody….I never enjoyed it. I don't enjoy risking my life, but if the cause was right I would," he told Kroft. "I always felt like I was doing the right thing. Even if it was wrong, I always tried to do the right thing."
Martorano coolly described some of the murders he committed. But he said he has his regrets and wishes he hadn't killed anyone.
"You can't change the past. I am trying to do the best I can with the future and explain it as best I can," he says. "I regret it all, but I can't change it."
You can see the interview Sunday night at 7 on WBZ-TV.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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