Iceman richard kuklinski the most prolific hitman in. Kuklinski was convicted of killing six people, but the lead investigator on the case believes that the real victim count was around 300. Meet the undercover cop who brought the iceman to justice. Richard the iceman kuklinski public group facebook. My biggest question for kuklinski would be, how do you get away with so many murders, so many different methods, places, people over a span of almost 40 years. During an interview, kuklinski said that his body was part of a car somewhere in japan.
For thirty years, richard the iceman kuklinski led a shocking double life, becoming the most. The biography profiles his life, crimes, and timeline. Undercover agent dominick polifrone was never more on his guard than during the 18 months he built up a case against the socalled iceman after all, serial killer richard kuklinskis favored. Richard kuklinski, whose lust for publicity nearly matched the blood lust he displayed in claiming to have killed more than 100 people as a mafia hit man, died on. Kuklinskis death is as big an enigma as he was in life. Softie was killed in his own ice cream truck, probably in one of his storage spaces, and then left hanging out the. Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo. Richard leonard kuklinski was a dreaded american contract killer.
Where richard kuklinski lived and the locations of his haunts. He thought nothing of killing someone for merely annoying him. Richard kuklinski, 70, a killer of many people and many. He was a serial killer who died of natural causes in prison in march, 2006. A true story of murder, madness, and the mafia onyx true. In december 1986, richard kuklinski was arrested and charged with five counts of murder. An autopsy was performed but they determined that he died due to natural causes. Richard the iceman kuklinski parlayed his penchant for violence into a hitman contract for some of the most prominent mafia crime families, and is believed to have killed between 100200 men.
Even so, it relies on kuklinskis own accounts of his crimes, so it is probably not even remotely accurate. At home, richard kuklinski was a dedicated suburban family man. Richard kuklinski, the story of the mafias most prolific. Nope, nothing to do with danny zuko but richard kuklinski aka the iceman greased a. Kuklinski himself said that the first person he killed was at age 14 when he beat the local bully to death. Richard kuklinski earned his place in the serial killer hall of fame by killing for the east coast mafia as well as killing as his violent temper urged him on. Richard kuklinski nicknamed the iceman earned his place in american folklore as one of the most prolific and feared killers in modern history, claiming more than 250 victims. Richard kuklinski, a suspect in several murders, is arrested by undercover agents at a truck stop off the new jersey turnpike, mark. I dont really see michael shannon as richard kuklinski, but hes such a deft actor that i m. Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo, kuklinski admits to having stabbed hoffa in the back of the neck in. Kuklinskis death count reached nearly 200 people, with his first kill as just a teenager.
Actually, it turned out that killing was the thing that gave richard the most pleasure in life. Richard kuklinski was one of the most diabolical, and notorious, confessed contract killers in american history. After his conviction, kuklinski took part in a number of interviews during which he claimed to have murdered from 100 to 250 men. However, being a true story, i was impressed with how fast moving the book was. He took the credit for over 200 murders while working for various mafia families, including the murder of jimmy hoffa.
Infamous serial killer makes chilling confession about one. Kuklinski also stated to family members that he thought they were poisoning him. The true story of a coldblooded killer, the hitman also claimed to have slain demeo crime boss roy demeo and organized crime rival jimmy hoffa, who disappeared in 1975 and was never seen again. In 1988, he was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of killing two members of his burglary gang and two other associates. A shocking, dark true story of a man who has turned death into a living, the ice man is. To hear him tell it to the late author philip carlo kuklinski killed some 200. Richard leonard kuklinski was an american murderer and hitman. Married to the iceman as the iceman, a film about the serial killer richard kuklinski, is released, his widow barbara tells her true story to adam higginbotham. Richard kuklinski was born on april 11, 1935 in jersey city, new jersey, usa as richard leonard kuklinski. But a new book written about notorious mafia hit man and former north bergen resident richard the iceman kuklinski may shed a different light on the disappearance. During his criminal career, fellow mobsters called him the oneman army or the devil himself3 due to his fearsome reputation and imposing physique of 6 ft 5 in 196 cm and 270 pounds 122 kg.
Richard kuklinski, whose lust for publicity nearly matched the blood lust he displayed in claiming to have killed more than 100 people as a mafia hit man, died on sunday in the prison wing of st. Brunos book on richard kuklinski follows the undercover investigation led by fbi agent dom polifrone and his. Infamous serial killer makes chilling confession about one murder he regretted. The film, titled the iceman, stars the rangy michael shannon as kuklinski, and the waifish winona ryder as his wife, barbara. The iceman moniker from his practice of freezing bodies to confuse the time of death.
Abby simms dixon criminal justice iii 23 october 2017 richard kuklinski iceman richard kuklinski is unique in many ways, one of which being his devotion to his job. An officer posed as a hitman and spent 18 months building up kuklinskis trust. A mob contract killer known as the iceman for hiding a body in an ice. Richard kuklinski, the story of the mafias most prolific hitman. In 2006, kuklinski died behind bars at age 70 in a secure wing at st. After being detained in 1986, he became enamored with the limelight, giving interviews to writers and shrinks, spilling regarding the myriad ways he had killed his victims and bragging about exactly how. Richard kuklinski, better known as the iceman, was convicted of murdering six people, but he claimed to have killed hundreds and the prosecutors didnt doubt it.
Philip carlos the ice man spent over six weeks on the new york times bestseller list. Richard kuklinski, american serial killer, known as the iceman, who. A few days after kuklinskis death, prosecutors dropped all charges against gravano, saying that without kuklinskis testimony there was insufficient evidence to continue. He became known as the iceman because he sometimes froze corpses to.
He was given the nickname the iceman by authorities after they discovered that he had frozen the body of one of his victims in an attempt to disguise the time of death. This is because the script was based on anthony brunos book, rather than carlos book. The hit man, who died in prison in 2006, was reportedly a pathological liar. His death was labeled suspicious because richard was supposed to testify against a former mobster who was being tried for murder. Unlike most serial killers, kuklinski varied his killing methods and means of body disposal. He was a writer, known for america undercover 1983, the iceman and the psychiatrist 2003 and the iceman confesses. Special agents began watching him and even went undercover. Arthur rothstein library of congress jersey city in 1939. He grew up to be a mafia hitman, known as the iceman for frequently immobilizing his casualties to confuse their time of departure.
Kuklinski was charged with just five murders before his death in 2006. Richard kuklinski biography facts, childhood, family of. Richard kuklinski, byname the iceman, born april 11, 1935, jersey city, new jersey, u. Richard the iceman kuklinski known as the iceman due to the fact he would often freeze his victims to obscure their time of death, was described as one of the most violent contracted hitmen who worked for numerous prominent mafia crime families. Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo this was a highly disturbing glimpse into the double life richard kuklinski lead. With a body count well above 200, kuklinski was a killer motivated by greed with a hairtrigger temper. Brunos book and the first documentary were the basis for the 2012 motion. Aged yearsold, kuklinski beat to death teenager charley lane who was the leader of a small gang known as the project boys.
Rather than ever showing shame or remorse of any kind, kuklinski reveled in the attention until his dying day. Iceman killer and hitman richard kuklinski found guilty. Bucks county was apparently where kuklinski did some of his most gruesome dirty work. If you enjoyed this story about richard kuklinski, the iceman killer, be sure to read about the reallife. Each christmas found the kuklinski home festooned in colorful lights. In 2003, he received an additional 30year sentence after confessing to the murder of a mobconnected police officer. Kuklinski stated that he removed the teeth and the fingertips from the body then threw it off a south jersey bridge where it was never recovered. Top mafia hit man, and doting father, for 30 years, richard the ice man kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on the sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in american history while hosting neighbourhood barbecues in.
Iceman, born april 11, 1935, jersey city, new jersey, u. Confessions of a mafia contract killer, offers several stories of kuklinski disposing of a body or bodies in an unnamed bucks county cave. Richard kuklinski is now the subject of the major motion picture titled the iceman20, starring james. When richard kuklinski died in a prison hospital wing in new jersey. Medical examiners listed the cause of his death as undetermined or natural causes, though the timing of his demise was suspicious because he was due to testify against an underboss of the. Richard kuklinski was born on april 11, 1935, in jersey city to. A the iceman killed this victim louis masgay and then put him in a freezer for two years, then later dumping the body in a dump site. Read download the way of the iceman pdf pdf download. For thirty years, richard the iceman kuklinski led a shocking double life, becoming the most notorious professional assassin in american history while happily hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban new jersey. In a tawdry account, barbara kuklinski describes 25 years of abuse at the hands of her husband, a convicted new jersey hit man who claims to have killed dozens of times. One of the fbi agents, named robert garrity was one of the investigators of hoffas. As the actor depicting kuklinski committed multiple murders on mobsters requests and chopped up his victims, merrick. For all the gritty details he loved to share, keep reading to learn 15 terrifying facts about the iceman killer richard kuklinski.
The true story of a coldblooded killer by anthony bruno. After his murder convictions, kuklinski gave interviews to writers, prosecutors, criminologists and psychiatrists. Richard the iceman kuklinski parlayed his penchant for violence into a. He dropped out of school, and by the 1950s had ingratiated himself with local new jersey criminals. Richard the iceman kuklinski biography famous people. Softie the partner of richard kuklinski that drove an ice cream truck was killed by the iceman on a park bench and left there to be found later. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Because of his sheer number of kills, as well as his approach to killing, many believe he should be considered a serial killer. The prose and dialogue is very common to that of other crime thrillers. Eventually, kuklinski confessed to killing people and boasted about his twisted methods. This was a highly disturbing glimpse into the double life richard kuklinski lead. Richard kuklinski died on march 5, 2006 at the age of 70. Neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession being a mafia assassin for hire. Richard leonard kuklinski was an american killer who was sentenced for the murder of five people.
When writer anthony bruno interviewed kuklinski for his 1993 book the iceman. The film makes no mention of kuklinskis more outrageous claims hoffa, demeo, etc. Kuklinski was given the nickname the iceman for his method of freezing a victim to mask the time of death. Driver, formerly a producer of tvs americas most wanted, splices segments from his prison interviews of hit man richard kuklinski with the reminiscences of his wife, barbara.
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