Enough, already, with the mobsters

The late South Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’ in GoLocal24.com

Thank you, Scott Mackay, of the Public’s Radio, for urging folks to move on from the much-outdated cliches of dark, mob-ridden Boston and Providence. It’s been a long, long time since the Mafia has been a big force in either city, and Whitey Bulger’s Irish-American mob in South Boston has been gone for many years, too. I have worked and lived in both cities and am weary of the cartoon versions presented by the entertainment media.

Then there are the tedious – and associated with the Mafia obsession – reruns of the life of Buddy Cianci (whom I knew). His vaudeville act was stale well before he died, in 2016. But I’ll always be impressed by his genius for getting credit for other individuals’ and organizations’ contributions to the city and for his charming lack of interest in the city’s fiscal stability. Still, yes, to be fair, Buddy aroused a lot of interest, even excitement in cynical old Providence, and he could be very funny.

To read Mr. McKay’s essay, please hit this link