By the brutal code of honor and loyalty in the streets, the candid dishing of such dirt marks MacKenzie as a world-class rat, second only to Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, the man who put John Gotti away. But Eddie Mac has some justification in spilling the beans; in exchange for his tips, the Feds turned a blind eye toward his crimes. (It's also worth nothing that Bulger himself was an informant for the FBI.) The author certainly doesn't portray himself as any sort of hero or "gangster with a heart of gold". Witness his charming account of one of many attempts to "enlighten" a wayward associate:

Probation notwithstanding, I had to open Steve's eyes a little. I headed over to Dunkin' Donuts and bought a cup of coffee for $1.24. Medium, black, scalding hot... Steve was still in his car, sleeping like a baby. The window was down and he had his head against the door, hands under his cheeks. I poured the hot coffee down the side of his face, making sure to get some on his eyeballs... I swear if I'd had enough money to buy the gasoline that day that's what I would have done... but I'd only had $1.30, so the coffee had to do.