Music: {allcanada} Whitey Bulger allowed to keep Stanley Cup ring

Monday, August 12, 2013

{allcanada} Whitey Bulger allowed to keep Stanley Cup ring

The trial of Whitey Bulger, alleged Boston gangster, bizarrely seems to find a way to keep coming back to hockey. This time it involves a small piece of hockey history.

Bulger is awaiting his verdict from a jury that has been deliberating for five days. As part of the jury deliberation, Bulger waived his right to allow the jury to decide whether he has to forfeit items seized from the Santa Monica, Calif., apartment in which he was hiding out.

Among the items Bulger will give up: $822,000 in cash, guns, knives and other personal possessions. However, Bulger will be allowed to keep one item that was among those seized -- a Stanley Cup ring -- as stated in court documents.

Bulger maintained that the ring was a gift from a third party. The ring itself is believed to have once belonged to former Montreal Canadiens enforcer Chris Nilan. The man known as "Knuckles" was part of Montreal's 1986 Stanley Cup squad and was married to the daughter of Bulger's then-girlfriend.

How Bulger acquired the ring is not known. The Boston Globe reports Nilan gave the ring to his own father and there's some speculation that it somehow made its way to Bulger. The Globe also reported Bulger paid for Nilan's wedding to his ex-girlfriend's daugher, Karen Stanley.

It was also revealed earlier in the trial that, while on the run from the FBI, Bulger managed to witness the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in Vancouver in 2011.

The 83-year-old has been charged in 32 counts of racketeering, which includes his alleged involvement in 19 murders among many other allegations.

UPDATE: Bulger was found guilty on 31 of 32 counts including racketeering and several murders Monday. CBS News has more.