Investigation Discovery Profiles The Most Infamous Mob Boss In America In "WHITEY BULGER: THE MAKING OF A MONSTER"

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After 16 years on the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list, infamous Irish Mafia boss James "Whitey" Bulger was apprehended on June 22, 2011, in a rent-controlled, beachfront apartment in Santa Monica, CA. To those who only knew him by an alias, few could have guessed that the man who left milk on his doorstep for neighborhood cats was, in fact, a fugitive crime boss believed to have killed at least 19 people, a calculating mastermind whose criminal empire extended across the country, and, unlike other upper echelon crime figures, an FBI informant who operated under the protection of the country's most powerful law enforcement agency for 20 years. Produced by Northern Light Productions, an official production company of The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, and based on the book Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neil, WHITEY BULGER: THE MAKING OF A MONSTER digs deep into the mind of a psychopath, exploring the roots of Bulger's insatiable need for power and control. WHITEY BULGER: THE MAKING OF A MONSTER premieres Monday, June 3 at 10 PM E/P as part of Investigation Discovery's ID FILMS documentary strand.

"Whitey Bulger will forever be mentioned in the same breath as Al Capone, John Dillinger, and John Gotti," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery. "ID is proud to present this film, the most definitive biographical documentary on the notorious boss of Boston's underworld and, truly, a must-see television event for viewers who will follow the Federal trial against him this summer."

The film features interviews with Dick Lehr, co-author of Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss; Lindsey Cyr, the woman who bore Bulger's only child and once pledged her love to the mob boss; former Bulger associates Steve Davis and John "Red" Shea, who witnessed his heinous crimes; Dr. John Halpern, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School; as well as members of the FBI and Boston Police Department who worked tirelessly to bring Bulger to justice.

Bulger rose to power from the tightly packed South Boston projects known as "Southie," and his reign over Boston's underworld lasted more than a decade as he ruled through fear. Bulger lied, cheated, and killed remorselessly because he knew everyone could be a rat. The irony was that he was the biggest rat of all in the FBI's national campaign to wipe out the Italian mafia. His brother Billy was the most powerful politician in the state, at one point rising to the rank of President of the Massachusetts State Senate. The third leg of the triangle was another son of Southie, John Connolly, the FBI agent who controlled Bulger. Between the three of them, the die was cast. WHITEY BULGER:  THE MAKING OF A MONSTER exposes how together, these three men would bring bloodshed and an unprecedented scandal to the FBI.

WHITEY BULGER: THE MAKING OF A MONSTER premieres Monday, June 3 at 10 PM E/P. The documentary is part of the ID FILMS strand, the television home for projects that shine a light on important, overlooked aspects of our justice system and showcase compelling stories of mystery, intrigue, and determination.

WHITEY BULGER: THE MAKING OF A MONSTER is produced by Northern Light Productions with Susan Gray as executive producer. For Investigation Discovery, John Terp is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is the leading mystery-and-suspense network on television and America's favorite "guilty pleasure." From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries that result, ID challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to 82 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with Paula Zahn; Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda; Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?; Disappeared; Stalked: Someone's Watching; and Redrum. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 218 countries and territories.

Please visit the Press Website at
http://press.discovery.com/us/id/programs/whitey-bulger-making-monster 
for additional press materials, online screeners, and photography.

SOURCE Investigation Discovery