Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski

Further Reading For Richard Kuklinski

The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Phillip Carlo

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Richard Kuklinski was a contract killer/hitman for numerous organized crime outfits in the United States, though he is best known for murders carried out in the service of the DeCavalcante family. Kuklinski was sentenced to life in prison for 6 murders but has claimed to have committed over 200. He is not typically considered a serial killer even though some of his murders were committed at random and for no reason.

Kuklinski held a terrifying reputation among the organized crime world. He was a force of nature, like Carl Panzram. But he was also well known for his size, 6’5″ and 270 pounds and a cool demeanor. His nickname, The Iceman, contrary to popular belief, came from his method of killing that involved putting the dead body literally on ice in a freezer in order to mask the time of time and screw with forensics.

Apart from murder-for-hire, Kuklinski was also involved in drugs, porn, arms dealing, money laundering, loan sharking, and hijacking all while living a double life as a family man. At the time of his arrest, his family had no knowledge of his criminal enterprise, whatsoever. His downfall came because of this wide range of plots. Too many hustles running at the same time led to mistakes and he was ultimately sent to prison in 1988.

Episodes: 326-328

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