Whitey Bulger's Former Neighbors Still in Shock

Santa Monica - East Coast mobster Whitey Bulger is now back in Boston awaiting his racketeering trial involving at least 19 brutal murders. Even five weeks later, the Santa Monica neighborhood where he lived for 17 years before his arrest is in shock.

FOX 11's Chris Blatchford has the story in the video report.

Story Script:

WORKMEN COULD BE SEEN HERE ON THE 3RD FLOOR AT THE APARTMENT WHERE THE BOSTON MOBSTER LIVED.

THEY'VE REPAIRED HOLES IN THE WALLS THAT WERE FILLED WITH CASH AND A COUPLE DOZEN WEAPONS.

JOE ONDRE/NEIGHBOR
"It was pretty scary having the Irish mob in town ya know. It was like, Wow! Ya know."

JOE ONDRE, WHO LIVES IN A BOARDING HOUSE DOWN THE STREET SAYS THEY THOUGHT WHITEY BULGER WAS JUST A GRANDFATHERLY TYPE THEY KNEW AS CHARLEY.

JOE ONDRE/NEIGHBOR
"He was very friendly. He would stop and we would be hanging out and he would say, 'Hey, how you guys doing?"

AT A NEARBY HAIR SALON, THE OWNER SAYS SHE CUT WHITEY'S HAIR.OFF AND ON FOR A HALF-DOZEN YEARS. SHE TOO KNEW HIM AS CHARLEY.

FAHIMEH/HAIR STYLIST
"Very friendly, very sweet, very gentle."

SHE SAYS HE NEVER HAD AN APPOINTMENT. HE JUST WALKED IN THE DOOR, REFUSED A SENIORS DISCOUNT, AND ALWAYS LEFT A 100-DOLLAR TIP.

SHE WAS SHOCKED WHEN SHE FOUND OUT CHARLEY WAS WHITEY.

FAHIMEH/HAIR STYLIST
"When I find out he was that person I had anxiety for 2 nights. I couldn't sleep."

AREA RESIDENTS SAY WHITEY OFTEN WALKED THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SOMETIMES WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND... THAT HE LOVED STROLLING IN NEARBY PARKS AND THE BEACH, TALKING TO FISHERMAN AT THE PIER AND ANYONE WHO HAD A PET.

MIKE RAINE/NEIGHBOR
"He absolutely adored animals."

MIKE RAINE RECALLS AN INCIDENT WHERE HE SAW A LADY DISCIPLINING HER DOG.

MIKE RAINE/NEIGHBOR
"She slapped the dog a little bit. And he became very very upset and he says, 'I know where you live. If I ever see you do that again I will be there, ya know.'"

CYNTHIA BERG SAYS SHE MET WHITEY WALKING HER GOLDEN DOODLE AND THAT LED TO YEARS OF CONVERSATIONS. SHE SAYS LOOKED AFTER HER...

CYNTHIA BERG/NEIGHBOR
"One time he came out and went across the street, and it was dark, and he brought me a flashlight and just said, 'You've got to be really careful around here.'"

SHE SAYS HE WAS A TOUGH GUY WITH AN EASTERN ACCENT AND STRONG OPINIONS. THAT HE SWORE A LOT AND HAD NO TOLERANCE FOR LOWLIFE'S AND TRANSIENTS.

CYNTHIA BERG/NEIGHBOR
"But he was really caring, so I never even... no."

NOW CURIOUS TOURISTS SNAP PHOTOS OF WHERE HE LIVED.

CYNTHIA BERG TELLS US IT DOESN'T SEEM POSSIBLE THAT HE IS A MOBSTER, BUT NOW IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT HE IS.