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One of the photos at the Savin Hill restaurants is of a Whitey Bulger mugshot.
A Dorchester restaurant the replaced the former Bulldog Tavern — once owned by a man tied to James “Whitey” Bulger’s Winter Hill Gang — is facing backlash after hanging photos of famous Boston mobsters on its walls following a renovation.
Local publication The Dorchester Reporter first published the story about a meeting involving Savin Hill civic leaders who were upset over the images that now decorate the walls of Savin Bar + Kitchen, located at 116 Savin Hill Ave.
One of those photos is of Whitey Bulger, one of the nation’s most infamous mobsters who led the Winter Hill Gang in 1970s Boston. Eddie Connors, who ran the bar in the 70s when it was Bulldog’s, was gunned down on Morrissey Boulevard likely by Bulger or Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi.
The new wall art was part of Savin Bar’s makeover on Gordon Ramsay’s “Secret Service,” where the celebrity chef uses hidden cameras and a “secret source” to figure out the issues of a food business. Each episode features Ramsay helping restaurants with staff problems, menu changes, and design.
In this episode, which aired in August, Ramsay told co-owners Driscoll DoCanto and Ken Osherow they should change their menu and lean into the history of their Savin Hill spot.
“[Ramsay] and [his team] felt it was a very interesting angle for our place because of the history of this restaurant, and they represent restaurant industry professionals from around the country,” Osherow told the Reporter.
But according to multiple members of the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association, the change of concept was insensitive and not a fair representation of what the city is today.
“Whitey Bulger traumatized our community and murdered people here and was a drug dealer and hurt people and then fled,” said Donna McColgan at the meeting, according to the Reporter. “I don’t think he should be celebrated anywhere in our community.”
According to the agenda posted on the civic association’s website, McColgan said she tried to speak to one of the owners, DoCanto, about removing the photos, but he refused to listen to resident concerns.
The eatery’s owners told Boston.com in an e-mailed statement Thursday that the concept — developed by Gordon Ramsay and his production team — was intended to preserve and interpret the building’s history, “not to romanticize its darker chapters.”
“To be clear: this isn’t an homage,” the statement read. “The images displayed here are mug shots of individuals who were ultimately behind bars, not smiling portraits or celebrations. Their inclusion serves as a reminder of the consequences that followed their choices — not as a tribute to them.”
The statement added that Eddie “Bulldog” Connors, “who once owned this place, was part of that underworld — and was ultimately silenced by it, at the hands of Whitey Bulger. By acknowledging this past, we remember where we’ve been — and how far we’ve come.”
The owners told the Reporter on Tuesday they had no plans to take down the pictures. Similar mob-inspired themes or menu items can also be found at other Boston area restaurants.
Bill Walczak, president of the civic group, said at least 75 people attended the meeting, and while only a small number of people addressed their concerns about the images, “it was clear that there was concern about the topic.” It was also the last item on their general meeting agenda, and Walczak said they ran out of time to fully discuss the matter.
Following the passage of a motion to develop a petition on Monday, the group will discuss the issue further at its November meeting.
Does hanging Whitey Bulger’s mug shot in a Boston restaurant cross the line — or is it just local history?
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Katelyn Umholtz
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