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Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob
For decades the FBI let James “Whitey” Bulger get away with murder, an almost unbelievable story that entered a new chapter when Bulger was arrested in California and put on trial. During the 1980s, Edward J. MacKenzie, Jr., “Eddie Mac,” was a drug dealer and enforcer who would do just about anything for Bulger. In this compelling eyewitness account, the first from a Bulger insider, Eddie Mac delivers the goods on his one-time boss and on such former associates as Stephen ''The Rifleman'' Flemmi and turncoat FBI agent John Connolly. Eddie Mac provides a window onto a world rarely glimpsed by those on the outside.
Street Soldier is also a story of the search for family, for acceptance, for respect, loyalty, and love. Abandoned by his parents at the age of four, MacKenzie became a ward of the state of Massachusetts, suffered physical and sexual abuse in the foster care system, and eventually drifted into a life of crime and Bulger's orbit. The Eddie Mac who emerges in these pages is An enforcer who was also a kick-boxing and Golden Gloves champion; a womanizer who fought for custody of his daughters; a tenth-grade dropout living on the streets who went on, as an adult, to earn a college degree in three years; a man, who lived by the strict code of loyalty to the mob, but set up a sting operation that would net one of the largest hauls of cocaine ever seized. Eddie's is a harsh story, but it tells us something important about the darker corners of our world.
Street Soldier is as disturbing and fascinating as a crime scene, as heart-stopping as a bar fight, and at times as darkly comic as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction or Martin Scorsese’s Good Fellas .
Street Soldier is also a story of the search for family, for acceptance, for respect, loyalty, and love. Abandoned by his parents at the age of four, MacKenzie became a ward of the state of Massachusetts, suffered physical and sexual abuse in the foster care system, and eventually drifted into a life of crime and Bulger's orbit. The Eddie Mac who emerges in these pages is An enforcer who was also a kick-boxing and Golden Gloves champion; a womanizer who fought for custody of his daughters; a tenth-grade dropout living on the streets who went on, as an adult, to earn a college degree in three years; a man, who lived by the strict code of loyalty to the mob, but set up a sting operation that would net one of the largest hauls of cocaine ever seized. Eddie's is a harsh story, but it tells us something important about the darker corners of our world.
Street Soldier is as disturbing and fascinating as a crime scene, as heart-stopping as a bar fight, and at times as darkly comic as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction or Martin Scorsese’s Good Fellas .
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 31, 2007
I live in the neighborhood that this book takes place in. There have been a ton of people who've written books about their role in the Boston Irish mob recently. This was so-so at best. I was reading it on the street at one point and a car pulls up next to me and stops. The window goes down and the driver yells out, "there's a lot of lies in that book." Then drives off...I've heard that a lot of it is embellished for the purposes of a good story. There are better mob enforcer books out there.
March 3, 2009
I didn't like this Yeah dudes book. He grossed me out. The idiot couldn't even write the book on his own he need help. What a douche.
March 10, 2016
Two stars for this, it's only because of the history of the Bulger's Boston that I gave it that much. I cannnot believe I wasted my time reading this book-I was completely appalled at the self-centeredness and self-pity, rationalization and justification for the author's actions throughout Street Soldier. I felt very badly for the nine year old Edward MacKenzie who was abused, but, I think after the age of thirty, if you are still using this as an excuse for violent behavior and illegal activity, you lose all credibility. Not every abused, foster care kid grows up to be an "enforcer."
Does anyone know is this guy is still alive or have the Colombians gotten him? I think most of this story was made up to sell books because anything to do with Whitey Bulger sells...otherwise why wouldn't the Colombians have gotten him by now? Unless the only pond Mr. MacKenzie was a big fish in existed within his own mind.
Does anyone know is this guy is still alive or have the Colombians gotten him? I think most of this story was made up to sell books because anything to do with Whitey Bulger sells...otherwise why wouldn't the Colombians have gotten him by now? Unless the only pond Mr. MacKenzie was a big fish in existed within his own mind.
February 9, 2016
Hard to read at times. Author seems to want us to think he's gone straight, but anyone who would break a person's ribs and limbs after they're unconscious - something's just not right.
After the publication of this book, the author was indicted for robbing/looting a church for over 10 years... See : https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-rele...
A lot of this was money collected for charity!
He did a lot of work for Whitey Bulger, but I don't believe all he claimed. I think he's really angry. Since he couldn't get at him, he made up the stories about Whitey being a pedophile. (not that Whitey was a saint!)
After the publication of this book, the author was indicted for robbing/looting a church for over 10 years... See : https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-rele...
A lot of this was money collected for charity!
He did a lot of work for Whitey Bulger, but I don't believe all he claimed. I think he's really angry. Since he couldn't get at him, he made up the stories about Whitey being a pedophile. (not that Whitey was a saint!)
September 20, 2007
Poorly written. Out to make a buck. Still entertaining
May 18, 2013
interesting that everyone involved says that the author is making entire story up.
May 19, 2025
Brutal, honest, unforgettable
I just finished reading Street Soldier, and I’m honestly still sitting with it. It was powerful, and I really did love it, but I wouldn’t call it an “enjoyable” read exactly — more like something you experience and carry with you. Some chapters were really hard to get through emotionally. It’s heavy stuff.
There was one line that stopped me cold:
“I had inflicted pain on a loser sorrier than me.”
That just says so much. The way Eddie describes hurting someone lower than himself, in a world where pain is survival, really captures the bleak reality he came from. It’s messed up, but it’s also deeply real.
What stood out to me was how honest he is. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything or shift the blame. Yes, he talks about his trauma and the abuse he went through, but he also admits that others with similar stories made better choices — and that he didn’t. That kind of honesty matters.
I’ve seen reviews calling Eddie self-centered or saying he’s just blaming his past — but I think that misses the point. He does acknowledge that others have gone through similar abuse and made better choices. But what hit me even harder was how he shows the range of what that kind of suffering leads to. Not everyone turns to crime, no — but many end up suffering in different ways for the rest of their lives. Some turn to drugs. Some end up in abusive relationships. Some just stop valuing themselves entirely. The book makes it clear: trauma doesn’t have one outcome — it manifests in a thousand different, painful ways. And the people who cause that trauma, who abuse and destroy, leave damage that ripples through lives in ways most of us don’t see. This story isn’t about excusing bad behavior — it’s about showing how deep the roots of that behavior go, and how hard it is to grow out of that soil.
Eddie’s voice in the book feels raw and pained — not polished, not filtered. There’s some pride there, sure, but also a lot of shame. That mix made it feel real. I don’t think everything in the book is told exactly as it happened — there are probably moments where things were tightened up or shaped a bit for storytelling. But I do believe the heart of it is true, especially the important parts. There were times I felt for him, and other times I was floored by what he’d done — but I never got the sense he was trying to manipulate the reader. Just tell the truth as best he could, in the way it made sense to him.
I found myself hoping he really has changed. I’d absolutely read more from him, especially if he wrote about Whitey Bulger’s capture, prison years, and death. I’d also love to know how Eddie’s life has gone since this book came out. Did the transformation stick? Is he still on the path?
This isn’t the kind of book I’d recommend to just anyone. You’ve got to be ready for it. But if you’re from Boston, if the Whitey saga interests you, or if you want a first-hand look at what it’s like to grow up with no safety net and no mercy, this is worth your time.
There’s even a strange, almost morbid humor in some moments — not because they’re funny in any normal sense, but because of how absurd and raw life gets when everything is survival. At one point, after getting shot in the head, a guy actually turns around and yells, “What the f** are you punching me in the back of the head for?!”* You’re sitting there thinking, what kind of world even is this? And yet, for Eddie and the people around him, that was the world. One where bullets fly, but misunderstandings still happen — and sometimes the second shot is the one that actually lands. It’s horrifying, but it’s real.
If I could talk to Eddie now, I’d ask:
Are your daughters doing okay? Do they know everything? Has it brought you closer or pushed you apart? And just being real — did any part of the book get tweaked for drama, or is it all exactly as it happened?
Because it feels like truth. And it’s going to stay with me for a long time.
I just finished reading Street Soldier, and I’m honestly still sitting with it. It was powerful, and I really did love it, but I wouldn’t call it an “enjoyable” read exactly — more like something you experience and carry with you. Some chapters were really hard to get through emotionally. It’s heavy stuff.
There was one line that stopped me cold:
“I had inflicted pain on a loser sorrier than me.”
That just says so much. The way Eddie describes hurting someone lower than himself, in a world where pain is survival, really captures the bleak reality he came from. It’s messed up, but it’s also deeply real.
What stood out to me was how honest he is. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything or shift the blame. Yes, he talks about his trauma and the abuse he went through, but he also admits that others with similar stories made better choices — and that he didn’t. That kind of honesty matters.
I’ve seen reviews calling Eddie self-centered or saying he’s just blaming his past — but I think that misses the point. He does acknowledge that others have gone through similar abuse and made better choices. But what hit me even harder was how he shows the range of what that kind of suffering leads to. Not everyone turns to crime, no — but many end up suffering in different ways for the rest of their lives. Some turn to drugs. Some end up in abusive relationships. Some just stop valuing themselves entirely. The book makes it clear: trauma doesn’t have one outcome — it manifests in a thousand different, painful ways. And the people who cause that trauma, who abuse and destroy, leave damage that ripples through lives in ways most of us don’t see. This story isn’t about excusing bad behavior — it’s about showing how deep the roots of that behavior go, and how hard it is to grow out of that soil.
Eddie’s voice in the book feels raw and pained — not polished, not filtered. There’s some pride there, sure, but also a lot of shame. That mix made it feel real. I don’t think everything in the book is told exactly as it happened — there are probably moments where things were tightened up or shaped a bit for storytelling. But I do believe the heart of it is true, especially the important parts. There were times I felt for him, and other times I was floored by what he’d done — but I never got the sense he was trying to manipulate the reader. Just tell the truth as best he could, in the way it made sense to him.
I found myself hoping he really has changed. I’d absolutely read more from him, especially if he wrote about Whitey Bulger’s capture, prison years, and death. I’d also love to know how Eddie’s life has gone since this book came out. Did the transformation stick? Is he still on the path?
This isn’t the kind of book I’d recommend to just anyone. You’ve got to be ready for it. But if you’re from Boston, if the Whitey saga interests you, or if you want a first-hand look at what it’s like to grow up with no safety net and no mercy, this is worth your time.
There’s even a strange, almost morbid humor in some moments — not because they’re funny in any normal sense, but because of how absurd and raw life gets when everything is survival. At one point, after getting shot in the head, a guy actually turns around and yells, “What the f** are you punching me in the back of the head for?!”* You’re sitting there thinking, what kind of world even is this? And yet, for Eddie and the people around him, that was the world. One where bullets fly, but misunderstandings still happen — and sometimes the second shot is the one that actually lands. It’s horrifying, but it’s real.
If I could talk to Eddie now, I’d ask:
Are your daughters doing okay? Do they know everything? Has it brought you closer or pushed you apart? And just being real — did any part of the book get tweaked for drama, or is it all exactly as it happened?
Because it feels like truth. And it’s going to stay with me for a long time.
March 30, 2024
Interesting
Interesting read, outlines the life of crime and criminals in the Winter Hill Gang. However, it needs to be updated with another chapter or two about the capture of Whitey Number and his final days in prison ending in West Virginia.
Interesting read, outlines the life of crime and criminals in the Winter Hill Gang. However, it needs to be updated with another chapter or two about the capture of Whitey Number and his final days in prison ending in West Virginia.
Read
February 19, 2025This is really sad- I didn’t expect a lot of the things presented in this book, but I think it was good to learn more about the person who ends up in a gang, what exactly happens to someone to make a gang seem like a good idea
December 4, 2019
Riveting! I couldn't put it down!!!
December 26, 2019
You're a rat, a liar, and a Skinner
June 7, 2007
From start to finish this compelling but yet deadly story keeps you wanting more. Eddie Mackenzie brings you on a thriller that we call life. Eddie, a man you would really call a tough guy, goes from being molested to being Whitey Bulger's enforcer. As Eddie goes in and out of jail he finds out what he should or shouldn't be doing until one day he and his friend thought they could beat up a bunch of homosexuals. They ended up being wrong. As he gets his behind handed to him, he got beat up. As he meets Whitey Bulger, who is respobsible for 30 murders, Eddie Mackenzie chops, burns, and throws people into rivers execution style. THis story knocks my head off my shoulders. If you love autobiographies, I would recommend this book to you.
June 23, 2014
Eddie is a pathological liar and a well known scam artist, who had little if any direct contact with Jim Bulger.
Eddie MacKenzie was a lower level enforcer in Timmy Connolly's South Boston crew, along with being a bouncer in Tim's bar and a gofer.
He embellished many of the stories of him as Whitey Bulger's enforcer and appropriated stories of things that actually happened to Timmy Connolly as his own.
Timmy Connolly helped get Eddie a deal working undercover with the FBI to save himself from a prison sentence for drug charges.
Eddie MacKenzie was a lower level enforcer in Timmy Connolly's South Boston crew, along with being a bouncer in Tim's bar and a gofer.
He embellished many of the stories of him as Whitey Bulger's enforcer and appropriated stories of things that actually happened to Timmy Connolly as his own.
Timmy Connolly helped get Eddie a deal working undercover with the FBI to save himself from a prison sentence for drug charges.
July 29, 2016
This book really exposed Whitey Bulger for who he was, a twisted mob boss and a rat. It wasn't as in depth as some of the other books about Bulger when discussing Bulgers past. The book is the story and life of Eddie Mackenzie growing up in Southie and the struggles he went through growing up in the foster care system, also tells the story of his life as a gangster in the Irish Mob taking orders under James "Whitey" Bulger.
March 5, 2009
Gritty, raw, the tale of a Boston gangster, this was an excellent read. The author was straight up and revealing about the life and himself. A real page turner. I hightly recommend, and hope the author is successful in turning a new page in his life.
April 17, 2013
Phyllis Karas hits a home run with this killer book about the ultimate legbreaker!
Currently reading
June 2, 2013Excellent book
May 15, 2013
Great book
July 20, 2013
Read on the rec of a friend. Finished the book but wouldn't recommend myself.
May 2, 2011
Fantastic book
October 22, 2012
Interesting insight into the corruption and lifestyle of Irish mobster Whitey Bulger.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews