Howie Carr regales Lynn Library crowd

LYNN – More than 60 North Shore residents dropped by the Lynn Public Library on Saturday to hear conservative radio talk show host Howie Carr share tales of famous Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.Carr is promoting two books – “The Brothers Bulger” and “Hitman” – he’s written in the past several years on Bulger and the bloodshed he and his cohorts caused in 1970s and ’80s Boston. He said the story is back in the spotlight now that Bulger was captured last year after 16 years on the run. His longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig pleaded guilty in March to helping him evade capture.”I hope they hold her feet to the fire,” Carr said of Greig.In addition to writing books, which also includes his crime novel “Hard Knocks,” and giving talks about Bulger and his cronies, Carr hosts a daily radio talk show on WRKO 680-AM and is also a columnist for The Boston Herald.In an interview with The Daily Item at the Lynn library, Carr said stories like Bulger’s will always capture America’s interest.”He’s a fascinating person. Criminals are colorful,” he said.Sixteen-year-old Allan Barefield of Lynn, who was one of the few youths in the audience Saturday, said her interest with Bulger’s story is one of the reasons she came to hear Carr speak.”It’s this man that’s been on the road and killing all these guys and they finally caught him,” she said.But Barefield said she also enjoys listening to Carr’s radio program for his take on current events.”I like him, he’s just open-minded,” she said. “He’ll say what’s on his mind.”Lynn resident Keith Hodgkins, a longtime Carr fan, said he expects Carr to say what’s on his mind about politicians.”That’s what I like about him,” he said. “State, federal, it doesn’t matter. He goes after everybody that needs to be gone after.”Carr didn’t shy away from commenting on Lynn politics Saturday. He said recent news reported in The Daily Item about State Rep. Steven Walsh, D-Lynn (chairman of the joint Committee on Health Care Financing), accepting numerous campaign donations “typical.””That’s why they want to be chairman, so they can get money from the industries they regulate,” he said.Carr also said he has been looking to Lynn lately for stories about welfare fraud.”Lynn is the epicenter of EBT corruption right now in Massachusetts,” he said, referencing a December raid where state and local police arrested eight store owners and clerks and charged them with participating in a cash-for-drugs scheme using the electronic benefits transfer welfare cards.He also mentioned a January arrest of a Lynn woman police said used a stolen EBT card to purchase soda cans and tried to feed them, unopened, into a digital can return machine in exchange for money.”That was a great story,” Carr said.Welfare fraud or not, Swampscott resident Mike Poirier said he was glad Carr took the time to visit Lynn.”He doesn’t need to come out and do this, and it’s good to see him answer every question and put on a little performance like this,” he said after getting Carr to sign one of his books. “A lot of people don’t do that.”Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].