Friend of Bulger reveals letters from mobster

BOSTON (WHDH) -- Infamous mobster James “Whitey” Bulger has made several trips to the hospital while awaiting trial behind bars. The information comes from more than a dozen letters Bulger sent to a friend in Pennsylvania.

Bulger's reputation for being a murdering thug is lost on his long time buddy Richard Sunday who says Bulger paid a friend’s rent and bought him a car when he was down and out.

“That's the kind of Jimmy I knew. He would do things for people. It was his way,” said Sunday.

But in recent letters Sunday says Bulger sent him from jail he can tell the alleged mobster is depressed.

“He's depressed over the fact that his girlfriend Catherine has to pay, you know, serve all this time. He would love to take and be able to get her turned loose,” said Sunday.

Catherine Greig was on the run with Bulger for 16 years before their capture in California. Sunday says Bulger told him in one of his letters that he offered to confess to everything in exchange for Greig's freedom but the feds didn’t bite. The 81-year-old who met Bulger in prison in the 1950's says Bulger also said that his years on the run were the best years of his life.

“Because he wasn’t involved in any criminal activity and people respected him as the old geezer that lived next door,” said Sunday.

Sunday says Bulger's last letter to him was written on the day Bulger went to the hospital with heart problems. He says his friend’s letter was wistful. He wrote: “I think back on what it's like so far. I've had a year and a half and a lifetime to go. This is the end of the trail for me.”

Sunday said he doesn’t think Bulger is being treated fairly and believes there are people involved in the case that don’t want Bulger to get to trial.