Federal Bureau of Prisons The entrance to United States Penitentiary, Hazelton, where Paul Weadick is held.
Paul Weadick is an inmate in the prison where Whitey Bulger was killed. Bulger, 89, was found dead at around 8 a.m. on October 30 at the United States Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia. Bulger had just been moved to the prison on the day of his death. The infamous Boston-mobster had been suffering from numerous health problems since his 2013 conviction for 11 murders. Online records show that Weadick is serving life in prison at Hazelton.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Wedick Is in Prison Stemming From a 1993 Gangland Hit on a Night Club Owner
In June 2018, Weadick, 32, was found guilty, along with Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme, of the 1993 murder of Steven DiSarro, a nightclub owner from South Boston. The pair were both long-time suspects in DiSarro’s murder but weren’t charged until the businessman’s remains were discovered in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2016. The remains were discovered when the owner of the building told the FBI about the body while the owner was facing drug charges. Salemme’s attorney, Steve Boozang, told the media after the conviction that he felt sorry for Weadick, who is nearly 20 years younger than Salemme.
2. The Star Witness in Weadick’s Case Was Whitey Bulger’s Right Hand Man
The “star witness” in the case against Weadick and Salemme was Whitey Bulger’s right-hand man, Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, reported the Boston Globe during the trial. Flemmi said that he walked in on the killing and saw Weadick pinning down DiSarro while Salemme’s son, Frankie Boy, strangled him. Salemme’s son died in 1995 of complications relating to AIDS. Flemmi had also been a key witness against Whitey Bulger in 2013.
3. Weadick Did Time for a Murder in 1982 When a Dead Body Was Found in the Trunk of His Car
In 1982, Weadick was convicted of the second-degree murder of Joe Mistretta in Boston, reported the Lowell Sun at the time. He was found by police with Mistretta’s body in the trunk of his car. Mistretta had been shot in the head. Weadick served seven years and upon his release, went to work for DiSarro. Weadick said that Bulger and Flemmi had also been partners in DiSarro’s nightclub business. Salemme ordered the killing of DiSarro because he believed the owner was skimming profits from the bar as well as informing the FBI and IRS about the goings-on at the nightclub.
4. Hazelton Has Been Referred to as ‘One of the Federal System’s Roughest Prisons’
West Virginia News had confirmed through the president of Local 420 of the American Federation of Government Employees, Richard Heldreth, that a murder had taken place at the prison on the morning of October 30. That article referred to Hazelton as “one of the federal system’s roughest prisons with more than 1,200.”
5. The Son of One of Whitey Bulger’s Victims Said He Was ‘Pleased’ that Bulger Was Dead
The Boston Globe reported earlier in the day that Bulger had been moved to West Virginia’s USP Hazelton in Bruceton Mills. Bulger was previously being held in Sumterville, Florida until he was moved to Oklahoma briefly before being transferred to West Virginia. The Globe report quotes a source saying that Bulger’s health was severely declining and that he was suffering from a heart condition. Speaking to Newsweek, one of Bulger’s victim’s sons, “I’m surprised and pleased. I didn’t think anyone was going to get to kill him. I thought he would die an old man in jail. This is happy news for our family.”
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