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To Herself. Without her constant encouragement and belief in me, this book would never have been written. You are my Angel.

To Sister Superior, who always managed to make me laugh. Imagine a “Nun” in red.

To Phyllis, for putting up with me. No one else would have stuck it out. And to her husband St. Jack. Thank you for always having a kind word.

To my friends who have stood by my side throughout all that has happened: Gerard and Yader, who never wavered in their support of me, Billy, Guy, Charlie, Pat N. and Patty L.

I would like to thank my brothers, Bill and Jack. Their help was always forthcoming, and neither one ever gave a second thought to helping their baby brother.

To Doug Grad, who I liked the first time we met, for constantly giving guidance on this project.

To Helen Rees, who believed in this book before it was even written.

To Judith Regan, who made this book happen.

To Tom Raftery, the Brian Dennehy of the legal world.

To Dennis Kelly and Dave Losier, two of the brightest legal minds in Boston.

To Richie Loiacono and Butch Montoya, two of my close friends from paintball.

To Jay Hurley, my friend since we were kids down O & Third streets.

And to the people of South Boston, a great place to live and grow up in.

Phyllis Karas

Nothing could ever happen without Jack. Nor would I want it to. Yet, there are others who helped in myriad ways. Josh and Chalese and Adam and Amy offered limitless enthusiasm, along with expert editing help. The four of them are the joys of my life, each one a uniquely remarkable person. And the littlest Karas, Jason Brady, made Monday the best day of the week.

Toby and Larry Bondy have always been in my corner, ready to read and provide suggestions and love. Mel and Eddie Karas’s knowledge of the subject was another invaluable aid.

For Barbara Ellerin, Karen Madorsky, Arlene Leventhal, Barbara Gilefsky, Ali Freedman, Barbara Schectman, Sheila Braun, and Sharda Jain, my special friends who listen and care, I am especially grateful.

Sherry Perlow and Julie Hoffman, so close and so far away, always managed to be there for me.

No writer cherishes her writers’ group more than I do. Nancy Day, Anne Driscoll, Florence Graves, Melissa Ludtke, Judy Stoia, and Pat Thomas never stopped asking the right questions.

Without my brilliant editor Doug Grad, there would be no book. Working with him was a privilege. Not only is he an expert professional, but he always went the extra step to create an important and unique book.

My extraordinary agent Helen Rees used her talents to make certain this book would come to life. Once again, she proved she is the best there is.

The unflappable and ever-helpful Alan M. Thibeault, the chief librarian in the Boston Herald’s library, was my knight in shining armor, never hesitating to pore through the files and come up with exactly what we needed.

At ReganBooks, Alison Stoltzfus worked tirelessly and cheerfully, making certain things went smoothly.

Special thanks to the BU School of Journalism, fall of 2005, JO 403B1 Magazine Writing and Editing class, whose unflagging enthusiasm for the project made the semester such a special delight.

But infinite praise must go to Alan Braunstein, the ingenious attorney who put the pieces together in the most original manner imaginable.

And to KJW, my teacher in true crime, who taught me, oh so patiently, more than I will ever need to know, I can only say, “Thanks for a great ride.”

About the Authors

KEVIN WEEKS is out of prison and living a clean life in Massachusetts.

PHYLLIS KARAS is the coauthor of two previous books. She is a contributor to People magazine and an adjunct professor at the Boston University School of Journalism. She lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with her husband.

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PRAISE FOR BRUTAL

“Mesmerizing and utterly fascinating. Cross and double-cross. Brutal’s lean, hard prose brings us dead-center into Whitey Bulger’s mob—a world of deceit and brutality almost beyond imagination.