# United States v. Salemme, 91 F. Supp. 2d 141 (D. Mass. 1999)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-us-v-salemme-91-f-supp-2d-141/

Judge Wolf's memorandum of September 15, 1999 setting out, after long hearings, the FBI's relationship with informants Stephen Flemmi and James Bulger, the 1981 bugging of 98 Prince Street and the 1989 Medford recording. Reversed in part in 2000.

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Judge Mark Wolf, September 15, 1999, with clerical corrections of December 23, 1999. The memorandum decides Stephen Flemmi's motions to dismiss the indictment or suppress evidence on the ground that FBI agents had promised him immunity. It is a very long opinion. This page draws on its summary, finding 30 and conclusion, which are the parts this archive read.

The court found that "Beginning in 1965, Flemmi secretly served as a very valuable and valued confidential informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation," recruited by Special Agent H. Paul Rico. It found that James Bulger became an informant in 1975 and that "In 1976, the FBI played a pivotal role in forging a formidable, enduring partnership between Flemmi and Bulger." It names Agent John Connolly as their handler and John Morris and James Ring among his supervisors.

The findings cover the FBI's 1981 bugging of 98 Prince Street, which the court calls the LCN's Boston headquarters, with help from Bulger and Flemmi. They also cover the ceremony of October 29, 1989: "the Patriarca Family conducted a ceremony at 34 Guild Street, Medford, Massachusetts, to induct new members as part of an effort to make peace between its Boston faction and Patriarca's loyalists, including Salemme, who was not present. The FBI bugged 34 Guild Street and recorded that ceremony. It was the first time that the FBI had ever overheard an LCN induction ceremony." A grand jury returned the indictment of Bulger, Flemmi, Salemme and others on January 10, 1995.

The court denied the motion to dismiss and held that Flemmi had an enforceable promise that evidence from 98 Prince Street, Vanessa's and 34 Guild Street would not be used against him. The First Circuit reversed that holding in [United States v. Flemmi, 225 F.3d 78](/items/courtlistener-us-v-flemmi-225-f3d-78/), ruling that FBI agents had no authority to grant use immunity. The district court's findings of fact about FBI conduct remain its findings; the legal conclusion drawn from them was reversed.

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2510809/united-states-v-salemme/