Attorneys Help Bring ‘The Departed’ to Life at Red River Theatres

On May 23 at Shaheen & Gordon attorneys Steve Gordon and Bill Christie will recount their experiences as trial lawyers in the Whitey Bulger case, the FBI informant accused of murdering 19 people who is set to go back on trial in June. They will be joined by Boston Globe reporters and authors Shelley Murphy and Kevin Cullen who recently published a new book based on Bulger’s life and crimes. A reception and panel discussion will be held prior a showing of Martin Scorsese’s award-winning film “The Departed,” based on corruption and organized crime in Boston.

As part of the RRT’s Thinking for the Future Series, Gordon, Christie, Murphy and Cullen will discuss the past, present and future of the film’s subject matter, based on the crimes committed by James “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen Flemmi. Jack Nicholson’s character in “The Departed” is based on Bulger, who was arrested in 2011 and has been charged with 19 murders that occurred in Boston beginning in the early 70s.

Gordon and Christie, both shareholders and trial lawyers at Shaheen & Gordon, spent over a decade seeking justice and compensation for families whose loved ones were brutally murdered by Bulger and Flemmi, with support from the FBI. Among their efforts, they represented the family of John McIntyre, a local fisherman murdered by Bulger and Flemmi, and Brian Halloran, gunned down by Bulger on a Boston street in broad daylight. They will share their experiences with these cases, what happened in court and the outcomes.

Crime and award-winning journalists Murphy and Cullen recently published “Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought Him to Justice,” which follows Bulger’s career and the epic manhunt that eventually led to his capture. Cullen, who started writing for the Globe in 1985, grew up in South Boston where Bulger was involved with underground crime. Murphy began covering Bulger’s story and organized crime in 1985.

Murphy and Cullen will discuss their unique perspective on Bulger’s life and crimes told through historical data. Through exclusive access, they are able to share information in previously undisclosed documents. Autographed books will be available for purchase through a partnership with Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.

A pre-screening reception with light appetizers will begin at 5:15 p.m. on May 23, followed by a question and answer session at 6 p.m. The showing of “The Departed” (2 hours, 31 minutes long) will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for the reception and film, or $15 for the discussion and screening at 6 p.m. For more information, visit redrivertheatres.org/now-showing/special-events/. For more information about Gordon and Christie, visit shaheengordon.com/Attorney-Profiles.aspx