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Whitey Bulger items on auction block

By Martin Smith
A rat-shaped mug is among the personal items going up for auction on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Gaston & Sheehan
1 of 6 | A rat-shaped mug is among the personal items going up for auction on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Gaston & Sheehan

BOSTON, June 24 (UPI) -- Hundreds of items belonging to gangster James "Whitey" Bulger will be auctioned on Saturday, with proceeds going to the families of his victims.

While some of his possessions are worth thousands of dollars, others are mere trinkets that offer little more than an insight into the life of one of the United States' most infamous criminals.

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Among the items up for bid are a sterling silver skull ring, a rat-shaped mug, a replica 1986 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup ring, and collections of books about the mafia and the military.

Many of the belongings were taken from the apartment in Santa Monica, Calif., where Bulger and his longtime girlfriend were captured in 2011 after 16 years on the run.

The proceeds, plus $822,000 in cash found hidden in his apartment walls, are to be divided among the families of 20 people murdered by Bulger and his cronies, and others who were victims of his extortion. However, 30 weapons belonging to Bulger are not for sale.

The auction will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, a stone's throw from Bulger's old turf in South Boston, where he operated during the 1970s and '80s. Bids can also be made via an online simulcast.

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Bulger, 86, is currently serving a life sentence at a prison in Florida. His girlfriend Catherine Greig, 65, was sentenced to eight years behind bars.

In April, a judge approved the auction of many of Bulger's former possessions.

"Our goal is to maximize the proceeds of the auction to compensate the victims of Bulger's brutal crimes," U.S. Marshal John Gibbons said.

All items can be viewed and bid on at Gaston & Sheehan's auction site.

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