Wasn't Scarpa only facing a short jail sentence when he decided to become an informant? I imagine it's the same for that Irish punk Whitey Bulger. Granted those rumors of, "...only facing a short sentence, so & so agreed/decided to become an informant..."
It makes me wonder; did they become an informant to continue being a criminal, or where they genuinely afraid of prison?
As I recall he was popped on a highjacking charge. I would presume he wasn't facing much time in the grand scheme of things...particularly since it was the early 60s.
