Reviewed by dan greenburg, an author whose books include the novels. The chilling tale of the iceman is well told chicago. 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 suburban new jersey kuklinski was sammy the bull gravanos partner in the killing of paul castellano, john gotti hired him. Richard kuklinski was born, the second of 4 children, on april 11, 1935, to poor polish parents in a low income area in jersey city. 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. For 30 years, richard the ice man kuklinski led a double life beyond. Confessions of a mafia contract killer mass market paperback april 28, 2009. Readers expecting insight into the mind of kuklinski, a man who claims to have murdered over one hundred people, will the iceman reads much more like a crime novel than it does a work of nonfiction. Because of his sheer number of kills, as well as his approach to killing, many believe he should be considered a serial killer. New jersey state police detective pat kane started the case 6 years prior to the arrest and the investigation involved a joint operation with the new jersey attorney generals office and the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms. A dedicated family man, rich spent his free time with his wife and children. He took the credit for over 200 murders while working for various mafia families, including the murder of jimmy hoffa. The iceman, though not a nice man, is extremely attentive to his children. Richard kuklinski began killing cats as a child and committed his first murder at the age of 14.
Richard kuklinski was in life a true monster and a sadistic murderer. Neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession being a mafia assassin for hire. Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by deficits in emotional, interpersonal and behavioral functioning. Another film about kuklinski, based on philip carlos book the ice man. Available on kindle ebook and can be read on any device with the free kindle app. Referred to as the ice man and dreaded throughout the criminal underworld, he was for a time a top mafia hit man. I am reading his book, and i went to invistage further on the murders he claims. Richard kuklinski was one of the most diabolical, and notorious, confessed contract killers in american history. He was deeply involved in his family life and did all to protect them, but had sometimes violent behaviou. Richard kuklinski was captured in december 1986, at age 51, and incarcerated for life in 1988. The true story of richard kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. Kuklinski was introduced to the gambino crime family through his work with mafia gangster roy demeo in his twenties. Richard the iceman kuklinski biography famous people. For thirty years, richard the iceman kuklinski led a shocking double life.
This is the story of another undercover police sting this time removing richard kuklinski and his car theftmurder crew. Richard kuklinski, the ice man of the title, has told his story before in a variety of. Richard kuklinski, 70, a killer of many people and many. The early spring of 2012 marked a little over a year since my first reading of philip carlos book the ice man a book about the life and times of mafia hit man richard kuklinski. If you can passed the fact that the author is deeply in love with kuklinski then this is a fantastically amazing book. What philip carlo did was capture the heart and soul of richard kuklinski. This current conceptualization of the disorder includes traits such as callousness, deceitfulness, fearlessness and nonconformity. Spurofthemoment vacations, expensive jewelry for the girls, and new cars for his teenage son were the norm. I think he was a sociopath with comorbid paranoid personality disorder ppd with an extreme sense of compartmentalization. Philip carlo also wrote a book in 2006, entitled the ice man. Child abuse and the iceman introductory psychology blog. The film, titled the iceman, stars the rangy michael shannon as kuklinski, and the waifish winona ryder as his wife, barbara. Although accounts vary, kuklinski claimed to have murdered over one hundred fifty individuals during his thirtyyear career, including a new york police department.
After his conviction, kuklinski took part in a number of interviews during which he claimed to have murdered from 100 to 250 men. Find richard kuklinskis background report in the us. Til mafia hitman, richard kuklinski, recalled what he. An accused serial killer nicknamed the iceman because he allegedly froze a victims body will appeal his doublemurder conviction, his lawyer said. The story of richard kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. Iceman convicted in murders, will appeal upi archives. In order to determine the presence of psychopathy in an individual, certain measures exist such as the interviewbased clinician rating. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He gave his pleading victim a half hour to pray to god. His death was labeled suspicious because richard was supposed to testify against a former mobster who was being tried for murder.
Richard kuklinski biography facts, childhood, family of. But on the street, kuklinski was the iceman, a professional hit man and a lethal scam artist, a man so heartless. Richard leonard kuklinski was the second of four children born to stanley and anna kuklinski of polish. Richard kuklinski was sammy the bull gravanos partner in the killing of paul. On the numerous murders described graphically in the book,the majority are crew enforcement type where kuklinski kills crew members. Experts were sure that kuklinski had poisoned several business partners. Richard the iceman kuklinski is one of the most prolific hitmen in americas sordid mobster history. Richard kuklinski died on march 5, 2006 at the age of 70. A mob contract killer known as the iceman for hiding a body in an icecream truck freezer, richard kuklinski boasted a personal body count of more than a hundred victims. While we were reading the book, neither one of us spoke to the other for days. Where richard kuklinski lived and the locations of his haunts. Richard kuklinski was born, the second of four children, on april 11, 1935, to polishirish parents in a poor area in. Coldblooded serial killer richard kuklinski in sunglasses is surrounded while in custody on dec.
His first kill was a gang leader in the projects near where kuklinski lived. To look at him, you might guess a couple of different theories as to how he received his famous nickname. In september 1983, a mans body was found, trussed with tape and wrapped in plastic bags, in a wooded area of rockland county, new york, just three miles north of the new jersey border. The iceman is a 2012 american biographical crime film about notorious hitman richard kuklinski. Meet the undercover cop who brought the iceman to justice. See more ideas about the iceman, serial killers and mafia. He killed neighborhood cats as a youth and said he committed his first murder at 14, after which, he said, he felt empowered. See more ideas about the iceman, serial killers and big guys. In prison, he allowed interviews with writers, psychiatrists and criminologists, waxing hyperbolic about exactly how many guys he killed up to 200 and appearing in two hbo documentaries. Ive had richard ice man kuklinskis claims on my mind for some time now, and with the fbi recently scouring detroit for jimmy hoffa and a movie starring michael shannon as kuklinski being released in may, this seems as good a time as any to examine what the notorious hitman had to say prior to his death in 2006. With michael shannon, chris evans, james franco, winona ryder.
Join facebook to connect with dwayne kuklinski and others you may know. Some of the crimes he perpetrated are beyond belief, the embodiment of living nightmares. One evening in 2012, merrick kuklinski attended the premier of a film about her late father, richard, the notorious new jersey killer and reputed mafia hit man. Arty pomerantzcoldblooded serial killer richard kuklinski in sunglasses.
He was a serial killer who died of natural causes in prison in march, 2006. Though strictly an amateur, and no match for his brother richard the iceman in terms of sheer numbers, joseph kuklinski, ran away with the title for most vile. Richard kuklinski murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. Released in 2012 at the venice film festival, the film was directed by ariel vromen, and stars michael shannon as kuklinski, winona ryder, chris evans, and ray liotta. Carlos book which includes excerpts from more than 240 hours of interviews with kuklinski paints a picture of a man who seems to have been a. Kuklinski ambushed charley lane, a teenagergang leader who had bullied him for some time, and beat him to death in 1949. Join facebook to connect with ann kuklinski and others you may know. He beat the kid to death, drove him to the pine barrens, cut off his fingertips and smashed his teeth to cover his identity.
At 65 and 270 pounds, kuklinski certainly made a statement when he entered a room. An autopsy was performed but they determined that he died due to natural causes. The iceman richard iceman kuklinski april 11, 1935 march 5, 2006 was the most dangerous contract killer in america, employed by the crime families of new york and new jersey. Using guns, knives, poison, ice picks, tire irons, baseball bats, and bombs, the family man from new jersey killed for fun, for money, to cover up his own crimes, and to. The book is similar to murder machine which describes the police sting of the demeo crew. Both parents were physically abusive to richard and to. Til mafia hitman, richard kuklinski, recalled what he considered his most sadistic murder, but also regretted the way in which he carried it out. Confessions of a mafia contract killer english edition.
Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo this was a highly disturbing glimpse into the double life richard kuklinski lead. Richard kuklinski was born on april 11, 1935, in jersey city. 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. Depression and anxiety are amongst the most common, but what splits the gap between dealing with child abuse and the resultant emotional distress or becoming a psychotic serial killer, such as iceman richard kuklinski. The iceman is an appropriate title for this pair of hbo specials, because the words of former mafia enforcer richard kuklinski will chill you to the bone speaking in the monotonous drone of a man who has numbed himself with remorseless brutality, kuklinski was first interviewed in 1991, five years after receiving consecutive life sentences for multiple murders. Richard kuklinski goes down in history for essentially perfecting the art of killing. Wede mentioned in lecture, a severe biological response that turns off all emotion. When the authorities finally caught up with kuklinski in 1986, they based their case almost entirely on the testimony of an undercover agent. The true story of a coldblooded killer by anthony bruno. This certainly serves as the what for contract killer richard kuklinski. Brunos book on richard kuklinski follows the undercover investigation led by fbi agent dom polifrone and his infiltration of the iceman killer. For richard was the mafias most feared hitman, who tortured and murdered nearly 200 people during a killing spree spanning more than 30 years. Sammy the bull says he did not kill calabro, demeo did not know kuklinski and have used him as a hitman, he did not kill castelano, or galante.