Another tack in hunt for Bulger

June 21, 2011

James Whitey Bulger and Catherine Greig strolled in Dorchester in 1988.… (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff/File )

The FBI has turned to daytime television to try to find James “Whitey” Bulger, the South Boston gangster who fled in 1995. The 30-second spots focus on Bulger’s companion, Catherine Greig, who may have been noticed by someone in the largely female viewing audience. The strategy is the latest of many that authorities have tried.

SEPTEMBER 1997
Federal officials purchase $1,600 worth of ads in Soldier of Fortune magazine showing a bespectacled Bulger.

FEBRUARY 2003
Five months after Bulger was spotted strolling through London’s Piccadilly Circus, US investigators appealed for help from the public on the popular BBC show “Crimewatch UK.’’

FEBRUARY 2008
To boost Bulger’s profile overseas, federal agents appeal to the German public for help in their search for the then 78-year-old fugitive. He is featured on German television’s equivalent of Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted.’’

APRIL 2010
The FBI takes out a full-page ad in Plastic Surgery News asking plastic surgeons if they have seen girlfriend Greig, who had breast implants, a face lift, liposuction, and eyelid surgery and who might be looking for surgical updates.

MAY 2010
The FBI posts an ad with photos of Greig — a certified dental hygienist who fastidiously cared for her teeth — in American Dental Association’s newsletter, urging vigilance for the couple.