Diksha Sundriyal
In 2015’s ‘Black Mass,’ Johnny Depp morphs into one of Boston’s most infamous criminal figures, James “Whitey” Bulger. Due to the success of his criminal enterprise and his connections with the local community, Whitey becomes a powerful force in South Boston. He has a lot of dangerous people working for him, but things get really interesting when Whitey forms an alliance with the FBI through John Connolly, which makes him pretty much untouchable. While it is difficult for his enemies to pin him down, there is one place that Whitey and his associates frequent called Triple O’s Lounge.
Triple O’s Lounge is Now an Italian Restaurant
While it is best known for being the regular haunt of Whitey Bulger and his Winter Hill Gang, Triple O’s already had a rather grim past before Bulger and his men made it their second home. Before they came along, it was known as the Transit Cafe and served as the regular place for the Killeen Gang. It was when their leader, Donald Killeen, died that the Transit Cafe met a significant change. It was bought out by Kevin O’Neil, an associate of Whitey Bulger, who turned it into Triple O’s. For decades, this place served as the hotspot for the gang members. It was still operational, even when the gang dispersed and Whitey was in the wind.
Located at 28 West Broadway in Boston, Triple O’s finally closed down in 2011 for good. And for the next few years, it hosted all sorts of restaurants. First, it was turned into an Asian tapas bar. Then, briefly, it became a sushi bar called Owl Station Bar & Bistro. In 2017, it received another makeover and became The Maiden, a four-star seafood restaurant known for its oysters. The place permanently closed down in 2018 and was then turned into another short-lived endeavor called The Six House.
In 2020, the place was taken over by James Beard Foundation Award winner and ‘Top Chef’ contestant Karen Akunowicz. Called Fox & the Knife, it is the celebrity chef’s first solo restaurant and has received rave reviews, making it one of the busiest restaurants in Boston. “Family owned and operated,” the restaurant is inspired by Akunowicz’s time in Modena, Italy, and is a “casual, contemporary homage to the food, wine, culture, and spirit of Modena, all presented in a warm, welcoming, high energy atmosphere.” Here, customers get “traditional Italian food and drink with a modern sensibility.” Akunowicz is completely aware of the history of the place, but rather than being intimidated by it, she accepts it with open arms and considers it yet another brick in the place’s mythology, which has turned it into such an iconic location in South Boston.
The Triple O’s in Black Mass is a Recreation of the Original
Considering that Triple O’s is such an important part of Whitey Bulger’s story, the makers of ‘Black Mass’ were keen to get it in the movie, which was primarily filmed in and around Boston. While they wanted to keep things authentic, the fact that the entire look of the real location has changed dramatically over the years made it impossible to film the scenes in the original location of the bar. So, the crew found a different place, one that would recreate not just the bar’s exterior but the general vibe around it, matching it with the time period depicted in the film.
Instead of South Boston, the filmmakers turned to Cambridge, where the Polish American Citizens Association building received a makeover in its interior as well as exterior. Located on Inman Square, the place was transformed into Triple O’s in May 2014. The exterior was so well depicted that the locals were surprised by the accuracy, with some even wondering when Triple O’s moved to Cambridge. The crew was seen filming there for several days, especially during night shoots. Several additional scenes were filmed in the interior of the building, which also received quite a makeover.
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