Timothy A. Connolly 3rd - Tim Connolly Didn't Rat

Tim Connolly Didn't Rat

In the book "Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish-American Gangster" the author mistakenly accuses Timothy Connolly of being "a rat."

" The federal prosecutors had put together a big case against the South Boston mob and it included a number of rats, most notably Timothy Connolly (no relation to John) who was the proprietor of a South Boston tavern that had been the hub of Bulger's cocaine operation. Connolly also had information that linked Bulger and Flemmi to at least two murders, which was enough to put the mobsters away for the rest of their natural born lives."

In reality, it was Bulger and Flemmi who were "rats". They were setting up Tim Connolly with the DEA because they thought he was a major threat. They were willing to trade him (along with 50 associates who pled guilty to narcotics distribution) in return for a four year pass with the feds. When the indictments came down against the Winter Hill, Connolly refused to testify against anyone other than Bulger and Flemmi. He put his life on the line for four years inside the Irish mob while the feds fumbled their case.

One ex-FBI agent who requested anonymity said this abou Tim Connolly: "TC outfoxed the foxes. He got to them before they got to him. That takes balls and smarts."