Bulger jealous Flemmi 'didn't spend enough time with him'

Flemmi is expected to describe Davis's slaying in detail when he resumes testifying on Friday. Flemmi has previously testified that he helped dispose of the 26-year-old's body after Bulger strangled Davis on Sept. 17, 1981. In 2000, Davis's remains were discovered buried in the bank of the Neponset River in Quincy.

Flemmi's testimony came on the fifth day of a wrongful death suit filed against the government by the families of three people allegedly killed by Flemmi and Bulger. The claims were brought on behalf of Davis, 26-year-old Deborah Hussey (killed in 1985), and 45-year-old Louis Litif (killed in 1980).

The victims' families say the FBI is responsible for the slayings because it had a duty to control Bulger and Flemmi because they were government informants. Instead, the families contend, agents protected them from prosecution while knowing they were vicious killers.

Flemmi is currently serving a life sentence for 10 murders, but today he refused to discuss a half dozen killings which were not included in his plea deal. Flemmi repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination each time he was asked about one of the slayings.

Flemmi also took umbrage today with being labeled an informant.

"That's a strong word, when you say informant," Flemmi said. "I mean, this was a survival situation."

Flemmi acknowledged, however, that he began sharing information with FBI agent H. Paul Rico during Boston's gang wars of the 1960s. Flemmi described it as a "quid pro quo situation" that helped him get information about his rivals. Flemmi continued sporadically trading information with authorities until 1990.

The information Flemmi gained from authorities helped him evade arrest. He testified today that Rico warned him to flee in 1970 when he was about to be indicted for killing a man and trying to kill a lawyer by blowing up his car. Flemmi testified that he heeded Rico's warning, left Boston, and did not return until the spring of 1974, when the FBI agent told him it was safe. The charges against Flemmi were dropped.

Thomas Hussey sat in court and listened to the testimony, thinking about the killing of his daughter, Deborah, in 1985.

"I know if they had put him away in the 1960s, my daughter would still be alive," Hussey said.

In his testimony today about Debra Davis, Flemmi said that he didn't plan to tell her about his relationship with the FBI, but "just blurted it out" one night. She was becoming increasingly suspicious because he was constantly dashing off for meetings with Bulger and FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr.

"She probably figured it was another woman," Flemmi said, adding that he told Davis that one night that he was going to meet Connolly. "I bit my tongue afterward, but I felt I was justified."

Bulger had told both of his longtime girlfriends -- Teresa Stanley and Catherine Greig -- about Connolly, Flemmi said. Bulger even met the FBI agent at the women's homes on occasion.

"I felt they knew about it, so I told Debbie," Flemmi said.

Bulger got angry that Davis knew about the FBI, Flemmi said, because he feared she might tell one of her brothers, who Bulger suspected was an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration.