A Big Year For U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz

24:35

January 03, 2012

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, right, watches as the new U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz is sworn in during her installation ceremony at the federal courthouse in Boston Monday, Jan. 11, 2010. (AP)

If you know Boston then you know something about the name Ortiz. We're not talking about Red Sox slugger Big Papi though. We're talking about the chief federal law enforcement officer in Massachusetts: U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz.

Appointed by President Obama in 2009, Ortiz is Boston's first female and first Hispanic U.S. attorney.

Ortiz was in the news a lot during 2011. She lead the government's successful corruption case against former House Speaker Sal DiMasi, she won a controversial terrorism conviction against Tarek Mehanna of Sudbury, and she is preparing to prosecute James "Whitey" Bulger.

For that, and for her up-by-her-boot-straps story, the Boston Globe Magazine named her Bostonian of the Year.

Guests:

Susanne Althoff, editor of the Boston Globe Magazine
Carmen Ortiz, U.S. attorney

More:

Boston Globe Magazine: Bostonian of the Year: Carmen Ortiz

This program aired on January 3, 2012.