John Connolly Jr

John Connolly Jr

Nickname: Zip; John Cannoli

Born: August 1, 1940, Boston

Addresses: 165 Quincy Shore Drive, Quincy, Massachusetts; Ridgewood Drive, Milton, Massachusetts; Florida State Prison;

Affiliation: FBI, Winter Hill Gang member

Background:

He was once known for his extremely expensive suits and impeccable appearance, which he gained the name John Cannoli.He was a law enforcement star, crediting with taking down Boston’s Italian Mafia with his insider knowledge of Boston’s Irish gangs. In the end, FBI agent John “Cannoli” Connolly’s romance with the dark side caught up with him and tarnished not only his reputation but that of the entire Bureau internationally.Agent Connolly grew up in Southie (South Boston) , near the same projects as had James “Whitey” Bulger.He joined the FBI in 1968. In the mid-1970s, according to public account court records, Connolly approached Whitey about being an informant, and the relationship deepened to include gifts, dinners and large sum of cash payoffs and exchanges of inside information within the FBI Connolly supplied to Bulger and Flemmi and eventually Salemme for cash. Bulger and Flemmi supplied Connolly with information concerning the dreaded New England Mafia.

It grew more tortured and complicated as FBI agent Connolly authorized large cash payments to his informants and other FBI agents: Buckley, Morris, Ring, Newton etc, which also included Connolly’s boss John Morris were pulled into the circle of corruption, they were all close to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Auerhahn and  Jerry O’Sullivan as well as Diane Kottmyerthen Chief of the New England Organized Crime Strike Force whom allowed Angelo “Sonny” Mercurio to flee after Mercurio set-up Salemme to be shot on June 16, 1989  and knowing that Mercurio, help planned the Grasso murder in June 1989.Agent Connolly tipped off Bulger, Salemme, and Flemmi about the were abouts of their enemies and shielded them from prosecution. See United States v. Connolly (FBI agent),   United States v. Connolly, 341 F.3d pages 16-29 (1st Cir.2003);  State of Florida v. Connolly ( FBI agent) #__(Miami, Florida September 22, 2008)

The government’s deemed highly credible witness: Flemmi’s testimony in support of the Flemmi and Bulger’s cash payoffs to FBI agents: Buckley, Connolly et al., in the 1980s through the 1990s.Long before FBI agent: Buckley fraudulently testifies against Marino in front of the 1997 Federal Grand Jury concerning the June 16, 1989 Salemme attempted murder, designed to make way for another NOW PUBLICLY KNOWN TOP ECHELON FBI informant: Mark Rossetti to raise in the ranks to Underboss of the New England Mafia while Rossetti was busy killing people while being protected by FBI agent Buckley. According to the Massachusetts State Police Rossetti is suspected in 6-20 murders while FBI agent: Buckley protected him from his enemies and law enforcement investigation and indictments.

State and Local Police as well as the DEA had had long wondered why their investigations against Bulger and Flemmi went nowhere.A prime example of Connolly’s efforts is that of the case of Brian Halloran, a hood approached by Whitey and Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi to kill World Jai Alai businessman Roger Wheeler, who suspected the Irish mob of cutting into profits at his Connecticut and Miami Jai Alai operations.Halloran‘s offer to talk to the FBI went nowhere, and he ended up slain, thanks to FBI agents: Buckley, Connolly, Ring, Morris.

Relationships with his informants:

FBI agent: Connolly’s chief favor to Whitey and Rifleman as well as Salemme, came after he had retired from the FBI . With FBI agent Connolly’s insiders within the Boston Office of the FBI , such as Edward Quinn and Michael J. Buckley, Connolly had them monitor the federal grand jury through their sources within the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Massachusetts, such as Assistant United States Attorney:  Jeffrey Auerhahn.In 1994, Connolly told Bulger, Salemme, and Flemmi that they were about to be indicted. Bulger went into hiding and remained at large for the next 16 years while Salemme was apprehended in Florida within a few years, Flemmi whom was slow to leave got arrested earlier at Boston’s famous Fanuel Hall/Quincy Market Place just outside of the Little Italy Section of Boston’s North End by a platoon of Federal and State authorities armed with machine guns while sporting bullet proof Swat Suits and helmets ready for any resistance the United States Military Combat trained assassin Flemmi may pose to the team of Federal and State agents.While FBI agent: agent Connolly’s life unraveled. Hints that Connolly’s relationships with his informants: James “Whitey” Bulger, Angelo “Sonny” Mercurio and Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi went too far had surfaced over the years in numerous Boston newspapers: The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, USA TODAY, Time Magazine, Boston Magazine, GQ, Playboy, News week, CNN News, etc.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe that FBI agent: Connolly, who retired from the FBI in 1990, thought he could just retire and fade into the sunset, but when again, so many other FBI agents whom been corrupted such as FBI agents: Buckley, Callen, Gianturco, H. Paul Rico, Dennis Condon, Morris, Ring, Adhern, Newton, Gamel, Assistant United States Attorney’s: Auerhahn, Young, O’Sullivan had escaped indictments for the ultimate crime of murders, obstruction of justice, filing false reports, perjury, violations of the RICO statute, 18 U.S.C. Section 111 etc.Agent Connolly had clearly provided information to his TOP ECHELON FBI informants: Bulger, Flemmi, Mercurio and tipped them off to other informants activities concerning them giving information against his prized informants all of the subjects ended up dead.

Corruption continued:

This trend continued with FBI agent: Buckley’s protection on NOW PUBLICLY KNOWN TOP ECHELON FBI informant: Mark Rossetti whom was involved with numerous murders while being protected by FBI agent: Buckley.In the late 1990s, when  other gangsters started talking: Salemme, Flemmi, Johnny Martorano, Jimmy Martorano, Jack Salemme, Weeks, O’Neal, Nee, to investigators, Connolly’s efforts on behalf of his mobster  friends were suddenly subjected to the harsh light of day. In 2002, Connolly was convicted of racketeering and obstruction of justice and being part of the Winter Hill Gang and their leaders: Flemmi and Bulger and part of the dreaded Italian New England Mafia and Frank “Cadillac Frank” Salemme’s criminal organization according to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston PUBLIC CASE LAW accounts:

• See United States v. Connolly, (FBI agent), 341 F.3d 16-29 (1st Cir.2002);

• State of Florida v. John J. Connolly Jr., (FBI agent), #__(Miami, Florida

According to The government’s star and highly credible witness Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi : Flemmi’s testimony on  September 22, 2008 that he and Bulger made cash payoffs to FBI agents: Connolly and Buckley and ohers in the 1980s through the 1990s with criminal profits for the agents to protect their criminal organization from its enemies (which the government stipulates were Marino and Ponzo according to indictment #97-40009-NMG. (D.Mass/Boston/Worcester) and  law enforcement investigations.In 2008 FBI agent Connolly was convicted of murder in State Court.

 

• See Salemme, 91 F.Supp.2d 267-269 )exhibits: 188-246) (D.Mass.1999) UNDER SEAL.With the assistance of FBI agents: Connolly and Buckley, Bulger, meanwhile, was planning his retirement-stashing money in safe-deposit boxes.

FBI  agents Connolly, Michael Buckley and John Morris did everything in their power, whether legal or illegal, to Protect their prized informants from Prosecution. The FBI trio were all on the informant murder’s payroll. John Morris who accepted 7,000 in cash pay offs from Bulger and Flemmi. Morris received immunity from prosecution and testified against FBI agent Connolly and agent Buckley concerning their cash pay offs.Agent Connolly was deemed part of the Salemme, Bulger and Flemmi’s criminal organization according to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit case law:

FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr., stated on PUBLIC RECORD the following:

“We knew what these guys (Bulger, Flemmi et al.,) were all of them, TOP ECHELON informants, are murderers.
The government put me in business with murderers.

SOURCE: See United States District Court District of Massachusetts Boston Complaint filed by the Estate of John L> McIntyre, March 8, 2001 paragraph 367 of the complaint.