Whitey Bulger Nabbed in Santa Monica

It figures. This bloodthirsty, Democrat-connected mob boss skipped one liberal enclave 17 years ago and finally is found. In another.

Fugitive South Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for 19 murders, was captured last night in Southern California, the result of a tip from FBI television spots that began airing this week. His capture ended a 16-year manhunt that spanned the globe.

Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, and Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, released a statement this morning confirming that FBI agents had arrested the fugitive, who was on the bureau's Ten Most Wanted list, and his companion, Catherine Greig, in California. Neither resisted arrest.

"Recent publicity produced a tip that led agents to a residence in Santa Monica, California, where they located Bulger and Greig Wednesday evening," the statement said.

The arrests of Bulger, 81, and Greig, 60, were initially announced by FBI headquarters on Twitter.

The arrest is a long-sought victory for the FBI, whose reputation was sullied by its connection to the mobster and whose fruitless efforts to find the fugitive had been regarded by some with suspicion.

Bulger did not appear to be in good health, an official said.

"I don't think he's in a position to be fighting anybody," the official said, adding, "They got a confession from him."

Bulger's brother, former president of the state Senate William M. Bulger, had little to say this morning when a reporter knocked on the door of his South Boston home.

That of course would be Democrat William M. Bulger.

"No comment," said William Bulger, who answered the door in his T-shirt. Informed that his brother had been arrested, Bulger said, "Thank you."

I hope he was wearing some pants along with the t-shirt. (All you need to know about Billy can be found here.)

In case Whitey still isn't familiar, this may jog the memory.

Bulger, 81, has been the subject of several books and was the inspiration for "The Departed," a 2006 Martin Scorsese film staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

Bulger fled Boston in late 1994 as federal agents were about to arrest him in connection with 21 killings, racketeering and other crimes that spanned the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Howie Carr, author of The Brothers Bulger, is kvelling.

After all these years, how do the feds finally catch Whitey?

By running an ad on “The View.” Or “Rachael Ray.” Or some other silly daytime women’s TV show. Whitey, the president-for-life of the He Man Woman Haters’ Club, brought down by the likes of Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg.

And where were he and Catherine Greig living? Not in some dreary British tenement, but in Santa Monica, LaLa Land. And no Hollywood ending either.

Hey Whitey, in case you’ve forgotten, Oklahoma and Florida are death-penalty states.

The best part about this capture is that now our worst nightmare isn’t realized. His greedy little brother, Billy, does not get to step forward and claim the $2 million reward — one final thumb in the eye of the American taxpayer.

And who will be the first Globe columnist to write, “Well at least Jimmy kept the drugs out of Southie.”

Not a single confirmed sighting of the creepy old serial killer in the U.S. since 1996, yet the FBI suddenly decides to run those PSAs in a bunch of cities, including Los Angeles.

Did somebody give them a heads-up after all these years?