Photos: Boston's famous and infamous It's been called "the Hub of the Universe," and though Boston isn't at the center of American life the way it was when it received the nickname in the 1800s, it's still a place many American notables call home ... though, in some cases, Boston might wish they didn't. Take Whitey Bulger, for example. The gangster is currently on trial for several murders. His reputation was already well-established: He was the basis for Jack Nicholson's character in the Oscar-winning "The Departed."