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. Mar 22, 2018 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. Richard kuklinski biography facts, childhood, family of. Barbara kuklinski had been happily married to her husband richard for 26 years when policemen spilled out of unmarked police cars, threw open her cars doors, and thrust guns at her husbands head it was a flurry of inexplicable, unrelenting chaos. He grew up to be a mafia hitman, known as the iceman for frequently immobilizing his casualties to confuse their time of departure. Kuklinski s first marriage was to a woman nine years his senior named linda, with whom he had two sons richard jr. Click download or read online button to get the iceman book now. Richard kuklinski was born richard leonard kuklinski on april 11th 1935 in jersey city, new jersey, us. Much like his father, kuklinski, who was 6 4 and weighing over 300 pounds, began to beat and terrorize barbara and the children. Barbara kuklinski, author, john driver, with dutton books. The film, titled the iceman, stars the rangy michael shannon as kuklinski, and the waifish winona ryder as his wife, barbara. He was nicknamed the iceman after he was found to have frozen one of his victims in an effort to disguise the time of death. Although as ivy has pointed out, i dont believe all the blame should be placed onto kuklinski. According to richard kuklinski, he had taken around 65 lives before even meeting the woman who would become his second wife, barbara pedrici.
What she didnt know was that her husband richard the father of her three children lived a life more incredible than anything. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Richard kuklinski is the apocryphal bullied kid who rises to be the one holding the gun. Dec 16, 20 kuklinski claimed to be a contract killer for newarks decavalcante crime family and new york citys five families of the american mafia. Richard kuklinski was born in new jersey in 1935 to an alcoholic father and religious, doting mother. Barbara pedrici saw kuklinski as a sweet, giving man and the two married and had three children. 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. Richard leonard kuklinski was an american killer who was sentenced for the murder of five people. The problem is, he fell madly in love with barbara. His death was labeled suspicious because richard was supposed to testify against a former mobster who was being tried for murder.
Growing up with this ragefilled darkness and forced silence left its mark on richard. But the number of victims is highly exaggerated to the point where the chance that the number was somewhere between 1520 people at the most. I am reading his book, and i went to invistage further on the murders he claims. For thirty years, richard the iceman kuklinski led a shocking double life, becoming the most notorious professional assassin in. The iceman was one of the worst books i have ever had the displeasure of purchasing. Iceman richard kuklinski the most prolific hitman in. When they finally came for him, in their unmarked cars and their helicopters, with their. This serial killer was active in the following countries. Richard kuklinski was born on april 11, 1935, in jersey city to. Richard kuklinski with his wife, barbara and his two daughters.
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. Barbara is the widow of one of the most notorious professional assassins in the history of american gangland crime. Then, a week before christmas 1986, he was arrested as he pulled into the driveway of his home. As the iceman, a film about the serial killer richard kuklinski, is released, his widow barbara tells her true story to. Bucks county was apparently where kuklinski did some of his most gruesome dirty work. The prose and dialogue is very common to that of other crime thrillers. But kuklinski would never be tried or convicted for any of these murders. Richard kuklinski, 70, a killer of many people and many ways. Richard kuklinski wife, police mug shot of richard. Kuklinski, indicted for six murders, appeared in court after having kidney stones during the previous weekend. He was a serial killer who died of natural causes in prison in march, 2006.
Barbara and merrick kuklinski at richard kuklinski trial. 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. He enjoyed summer barbecues by the pool and volunteered as an usher at mass every sunday. His father, stanley kuklinski, was an abusive alcoholic who beat everyone in the family. 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.
Richard the iceman kuklinski documentary english documentary. On the outside, however, the kuklinski family was admired by neighbors and friends as being happy and well adjusted. Richard met his wife, barbara pedrici, in 1960 when she was only 18 years old. By his mid20s, richard kuklinski s extreme penchant for murder drew the attention of organized crime and he was hired as a contract killer. Confessions of a mafia contract killer, offers several stories of kuklinski disposing of a body or bodies in an unnamed bucks county cave. Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo this was a highly disturbing glimpse into the double life richard kuklinski lead. Life and death in indiana s1 e1 meet americas most infamous women prisoners female prison documentary real stories duration. It was the week before christmas in 1986, and their sleepy street in dumont, new jersey, had erupted with foreign noise. Despite the fact richard was already married with two children when he met barbara, the two soon fell in love. Joseph michael kuklinski may 5, 1944 september 22, 2003 was a criminal convicted of raping and murdering a 12yearold girl. Brunos book on richard kuklinski follows the undercover investigation led by fbi agent dom polifrone and his infiltration of the iceman killer.
While richard was working for a trucking company he met barbara pedrici, who was a secretary at the same firm. Richard kuklinski was sammy the bull gravanos partner in the killing of paul castellano, then head of the gambino crime family. Richard the iceman kuklinski biography famous people. Phillip carlo, for his book, the iceman, which came out in 2006, months after the killer died in. Word is that carlos book has been bought by hollywood, with. Richard kuklinski, the story of the mafias most prolific hitman. New jerseyite richard kuklinski had several different personalities. He met 19yearold barbara pedrici on a dock where they both worked. Of all the books my friends brought, this was the only one i had never read, so it was lucky that i picked it. Maintained by find a grave cremated, ashes given to family or friend. They lived a suburban, relatively affluent life of backyard barbecuing in dumont, n. Richard kuklinski lets out a glimpse of anger in the famous hbo documentary and interview. Mar 26, 20 this is a book for anybody who is interested in the darker side of the mind. Starting from his teen years he finds the power that derives from holding someones life in your hands utterly irresistible.
After his conviction, kuklinski took part in a number of interviews during which he claimed to have murdered from 100 to 250 men. At the time, both richard and barbara worked at a warehouse. Barbara kuklinski had been happily married to her husband richard for 26 years when policemen spilled out of unmarked police cars, threw open her cars doors, and thrust guns at her husbands head. Richard kuklinski died on march 5, 2006 at the age of 70. Richard kuklinski was a family manhusband to barbara and father to two daughters and one son. Richard kuklinski bio, wife, daughters, son, other family. Arthur rothstein library of congress jersey city in 1939. Neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession being a mafia assassin for hire. However, being a true story, i was impressed with how fast moving the book was. He was the brother of the notorious contract killer, richard kuklinski. I had never heard of richard kuklinski until this book. Jan 01, 1993 the prose and dialogue is very common to that of other crime thrillers. Louis free, the heartland radio show what philip carlo did was capture the heart and soul of richard kuklinski. Richard april 11, 1935 march 5, 2006 65 196 cm and 270 pounds 122 kg, was a.
He was a writer, known for america undercover 1983, the iceman and the psychiatrist 2003 and the iceman confesses. Serial killer richard kuklinski aka the iceman, the polack, was active for 38 years between 19491986, known to have 6 confirmed 100 possible victims. Barbara especially appreciated richard s sweet, kindhearted nature enough to make him leave his first wife and remarry her in short order. Richard leonard kuklinski was an american murderer and hitman.
The biography profiles his life, crimes, and timeline. A true account of life with a mafia hitman and the inside story of his crimes. Confessions of a mafia contract killer by philip carlo. As the body count mounted, the authorities were certain that richard kuklinski was a oneman killing machine, but they did not have a single scrap of evidence that would stand up in court.
He was famously given the nickname iceman for his method of freezing a victim which masked the time of death. Richard kuklinski, the story of the mafias most prolific. An autopsy was performed but they determined that he died due to natural causes. Dec 19, 2008 is richard the ice man kuklinski a liar. 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. Richard kuklinski anger moment with psychanalyst youtube. May 30, 2019 barbara pedrici saw kuklinski as a sweet, giving man and the two married and had three children.
Nope, nothing to do with danny zuko but richard kuklinski aka the iceman greased a hell of a. Granted, it took me an entire year to finally sit down to read it, but i should never have waited. 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. Like previously noted richard kuklinski claimed to have conspired, if not taken part in every controversial mob hit since albert anastasia and jimmy hoffa. Oct 15, 2018 richard kuklinski was born in new jersey in 1935 to an alcoholic father and religious, doting mother. 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. From new jersey, he was of polish and irish ancestry.
Brunos book on richard kuklinski follows the undercover investigation led by fbi agent dom polifrone and his. Ive had richard ice man kuklinski s 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. While things grew more serious between the couple, barbara worried she was spending all her. At times he was a model father that would return home with a car full of groceries and presents, and at. Jun 07, 20 barbara and richard kuklinski as teenagers. Richard kuklinski was born on april 11, 1935 in jersey city, new jersey, usa as richard leonard kuklinski. Meet the undercover cop who brought the iceman to justice by jane ridley. As the iceman, a film about the serial killer richard kuklinski, is released, his widow barbara tells her true story to adam higginbotham. While we were reading the book, neither one of us spoke to the other for days. Confessions of a mafia contract killer richard kuklinski. Kuklinski and barbara married in 1961 and had two daughters, merrick and christin, and a son, dwayne. 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. His full given name was richard leonard kuklinski and he hailed from the polish and irish descent.
Real gangster mafia gangster roy demeo criminal justice major the iceman national geographic channel mickey rourke life of crime the godfather. It was a flurry of inexplicable, unrelenting chaos. 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. Richard kuklinski was a mafia contract killer who worked for all five new york.
By the early to mid1980s, kuklinski was involved in narcotics, pornography, arms dealing, money laundering, hijacking and contract killing. Richard kuklinski was captured in december 1986, at age 51, and incarcerated for life in 1988. Softie was killed in his own ice cream truck, probably in one of his storage spaces, and then left hanging out the. Through these photos it was possible to identify the body as that of kuklinskis other partner, daniel deppner. As a boy, richard discovered he liked killing animals not as in hunting, but killing neighborhood cats. Jul 17, 20 was mafia assassin richard kuklinski full of sh.
Richard leonard kuklinski was a dreaded american contract killer. Richard kuklinski, known as the iceman, is led into bergen county court. And as far as his family and neighbors knew, he was nothing more than a successful businessman who loved his family. Standing at 6foot5 and weighing 270pounds, richard kuklinski was a. As described by his wife barbara, richard was two people. Apr 28, 2009 carlo writes with the sharpness of a stiletto. During an interview, kuklinski said that his body was part of a car somewhere in japan. United states richard kuklinski was born richard leonard kuklinski on april 11th 1935 in jersey city, new jersey, us. Kuklinski was born in a housing project in jersey city, new jersey on april 11, 1935. Courtesy of barabara kuklinski mainstream publishing. The iceman, was a serial killer possibly prolific, hitman, poisoner, and gangster. Richard kuklinski was an american criminal and hitman born on the 11th of april, 1935 at trenton, new jersey.
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. Richard kuklinski, byname the iceman, born april 11, 1935, jersey city, new jersey, u. Today, he is serving multiple life sentences for nearly 200 homicides. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. While his range of criminal activities expanded, he began to make mistakes. Richard leonard iceman kuklinski 19352006 find a grave. Joseph michael kuklinski 19442003 find a grave memorial. Philip carlos the ice man spent over six weeks on the new york times bestseller list. Barbara kuklinski knew her volatile husband had a dark side. Richard leonard the iceman kuklinski april 11, 1935 march 5, 2006 was a polishamerican criminal, convicted murderer and alleged mafia hitman. Meet the undercover cop who brought the iceman to justice.
885 660 169 36 1392 1160 1162 1009 430 281 676 379 1292 1007 505 650 1046 1153 864 998 953 565 271 285 571 518 711 120 288 850 230 826 1171 1354 1012 1145 311 671 1419