mafia boss james whitey bolger was on the run for 16 years. how did they catch him? through his gift. patrick healey is working the story tonight. >> reporter: tonight, holding time in the metropolitan detention center for james whitey bolger and catherine greig, facing what they had long been able to avoid. the $800,000 cash authorities found stashed in their apartment now for nothing. what else was inside? >> more than 30 firearms, several types of nooifls and false identification. >> reporter: the wednesday evening arrests came within scant hours of the long awaited tip. so what led to it? >> have you seen this woman? >> it was a shift of focus in this video the fbi released monday, feeling more likely greig would be spotted in public. authorities believe she underwent plastic surgery. the fbi played this spot in 14 cities, including san francisco and san diego, but not in l.a. >> we are not at liberty to disclose the identity of the source. >> reporter: nor did he comment on speculation that this was greig who decided to claim the award. that seemed unlikely afte

that's how neighbors in a santa monica apartment complex are explaining james "whitey" bolger.ob boss remains behind bars and is talking to the g-men about his travels. jeff rosen tells us what the neighbors are talking about. >> reporter: inside the plymouth county jail, whitey bolger is hold up in the notorious g unit. the most feared man in boston looks more like a grandpa than a reputed mob boss. accused in the murders of at least 19 people. he's opening up, telling authorities about his secret life, hiding from the fbi living in this modest apartment in santa monica, california. sometimes in plain sight. he and his girlfriend also under arrest walked the bustling promenade nearby. >> they were very charming. >> reporter: bulger claims he often drove to the u.s./mexico border and walked into tijuana to buy heart medication. >> the most wanted man in america was able to access the u.s. and mexico with no problem. >> reporter: he's been on the run for 16 years. when authorities arrested him he invited them in his apartment without a search warrant. dozens of weapons were hidd

. >> coming up next, notorious mobster, james whitey bolger faces justice in court after hiding out for the past 16 years. we are learning more about the tip that finally nabbed him. >> what president obama is doing tomorrow to try to head off the potential financial fallout potential financial fallout you can see denny's new tour of america menu. 50 star cuisine. the new tour of america menu. starting at $4.99. only at denny's. america's diner is always open. >>> president obama will meet one on one with senate majority leader mitch o'connell about raising the debt ceiling. they will try to jump started talks when republicans walked away from the bargaining table. >> we want to close the loophole up. we don't want to raise anybody's taxes. that has never been on the table. i want them to be honest with the people in what the discussions are about. >> the talks will continue and it's important to take advantage of this opportunity to do something really important to move the country in a different dredges. we've increased under this administration spending 35% in two and a half years. w

same thing to him as he did to my sister. >> that is the brother of a woman in james "whitey" bolger is alleged to have killed years ago. the rest of white people for was too good to pass up. -- the arrest of whitey bulger was it too good to pass up. how did they finally get him, nina? >> they decided that if they could not get him, they could get his girlfriend. they put a stop on television -- and twitter, i guess -- and someone recognized for almost immediately boarde -- almost immediately. >> it was not on television in l.a. it must have been traveling in former. what you love about these stories is that a soldier for is nostalgia for the dramatic a gangster. dillinger. the romance is a station -- romanticization of all of these is phony. extremely nasty people who deserve none of that romance. >> what is interesting about him is his brother, billy bulger. >> collateral damage in this g. exceptionally able public servant. 80 years says -- 18 years as president of the state senate. champion for elimination of child abuse in the state. tough guy. he admitted he talked to his brother

roo reputed gangster james whitey bolger appeared in a courtroom after 16 years on the run.s arrested on wednesday in santa monica. during his court appearance he asked for a public defender. prosecutors objected. he told the judge he could pay for an attorney if the f.b.i. would give back the money. he was the reputed boss of boston's irish mob is now facing charges related to 19 murders. his girlfriend made her initial court appearance on charges of harboring a fugitive. >> naacp claims u.s. airways was racist because they arrested a man because of saggy pants. they joined the mother of deshon marman and they called it the treatment of his son. he did not immediately pull up his pants when asked. >> the naacp contends that this gentleman was profiled, he's been a victim of racial injustice and that u.s. air attorneys him and his mother an apology. >> brown says some well publicized airlines was racist. the airline insists that he was arrested for refusing to leave the plane when the crew asked him to 2000. is u.s. iarjs say, we look forward to speak to the naacp to make su

the long, strange story of james "whitey" bolger. you have to stay around to hear this.ion of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. new citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. >>> welcome back. i'm tom foreman sitting in for elliot spiot spitzer. after 16 years the fbi got their man. they did it by tracking down his woman. i'm talking about james "whitey" bolger, maybe the last of the big time gangsters, implicated in at least 19 murders. he was found last night in santa monica, california, along with his girlfriend, a half million in cash an

. >>> 16 years after sneaking out of town, one step ahead of the law, crime boss james whitey bolger made his way to federal court in boston surrounded by the law. he was taken to court under extremely heavy security and the curious lined the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of one of america's most wanted men. he's accused of committing 19 murders in the '70s and '80s. he was captured wednesday with his long-time girlfriend. they had been living in santa monica for more than a decade. >>> still ahead, artwork in san francisco attracting a lot of negative attention. not collectors that are interested, but why cops are looking very closely at hidden messages, messages found in local schools. >>> getting out before the water gets too high. the evacuation is under way in one water soaked city. >>> and they're a fan favorite at at&t park. want to know how to make your favorite garlic fries? we're going to teach you. >>> good evening, after some of the hottest weather in nine months this week, temperatures  did cool a little bit today. san jose was 79. san francisco 65. the fog does come back

his pocket. >> he was in boston running the dreg enforcement agency to get bolger. >> there was a saying in boston that whiteyeet, the sidewalk shook. that's how bad he was and how tough he was and also how mean, crazy and nasty he was >> bolger is said to have modelled himself after gangstered immortalized by jimmy kag me in. his blulthsity was legendary and like john gotti, he killed people from the gang and pulled out someone's tongue. >> he can kill you for no reason. that was his reputation >> it included extortion and gun running for the ira and drugs, changing as much as $1 million to bring marijuana and cotan through boston harbor. >> who are is laughing mou? >> the legendary boston politician who said he knew of his brother's whereabouts? he was captured in santa monica, california after they ran an ad seeking his long time girlfriend, catherine greig. >> bolger is facing 19 counts of murder, but the former dea special agent in charge told me that in fact many agents feel there many more. >> let's get to president obama's plan to withdraw some 33,000 u.s. troops by the end of next summer. the last an