Deppner was also strangled. . More information on Richard Kuklinski can be found here. These interviews resulted in three television documentariesThe Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer (1992), The Iceman Confesses: Secrets of a Mafia Hitman (2001), and The Iceman and the Psychiatrist (2003)and two biographies, The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer (1993) by Anthony Bruno and The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer (2006) by Philip Carlo. There is some debate regarding whether or not Kuklinski should be considered a hit man or serial killer. After his capture and imprisonment, he was interviewed and assessed by a psychiatrist. They had two sons, Richard Jr. and David. . Often his targets were people who annoyed him, someone he felt had slighted him in some small way. Richard Kuklinski was a notorious serial killer who was active in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. It was sold as scrap metal along with hundreds of other compacted cars. They welcomed two sons into this world Richard Jr. and David before things between them seemingly spiraled out of control, leading to divorce. Richard Kuklinski died on March 5, 2006 at the age of 70. [24], On December 17, 1986, Kuklinski met Polifrone to get cyanide for a planned murder, which was to be an attempt on an undercover police officer. [10] Another movie about Kuklinski which was to star Mickey Rourke in the title role was announced in 2010 but ultimately never made. [59][58] Philip Carlo, whose biography of Kuklinski includes the claim that he killed DeMeo, acknowledged in the postscript to a later edition that this claim was probably untrue. One day, Albert Parenti, another made man in the mob and a friend of Carmine Genovese, approached Richard. Kuklinski says DeMeo taught him how murder for hire could be a way to make money. In interviews and documentaries, Kuklinski says he killed Robert Prongay, a mentor to him. He was convicted of six murders, but experts seem certain he is responsible for at least dozens moreand possibly as many as 300. Thats one thing, I shouldnt have done that one. He stated he was unaware that Calabro was a police officer but said he probably would have murdered him anyway. "[22], In 1982, Kuklinski met Paul Hoffman, a 51-year-old pharmacist who occasionally browsed "the store" in Paterson, New Jersey, a storefront with a back room holding a wide variety of stolen items for sale. [29], Deppner's corpse was discovered May 14, 1983, after a bicyclist riding Clinton Road in a wooded area of West Milford, New Jersey, spotted the corpse surrounded by vultures. According to Kuklinski, his father Stanley was a violent alcoholic who beat his children regularly and sometimes beat his wife. [5] He said he committed his first murder at 14, and murdered homeless people for practice. In the first documentary, in 1992, he said he had killed up to 100 people. He regarded his mother as a "cancer" who destroyed everything she touched. Richard Leonard Kuklinski (April 11, 1935 March 5, 2006) was an American contract killer and serial killer who was convicted of murdering five people, though he likely killed at least several dozen more. [5][43] He alleged he used multiple ways to kill people, including a crossbow, icepicks, a bomb attached to remote controlled toy, firearms, grenades, as well as cyanide solution spray he considered to be his favorite. Date: 1983 Location: Orangeburg, New York Significance: Experts were sure that Kuklinski had poisoned several business partners. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Smith left the motel to visit his daughter. [1], ATF Special Agent Dominick Polifrone went undercover for eighteen months to apprehend Kuklinski. Robbery was not considered a motive at the time. He told Polifrone he preferred poison, saying "Why be messy? [55] He described DeMeo as a mentor of his, but after he fell behind on a loan to distribute pornography, he received a beating. Kuklinski was eventually convicted of two murders in 1988, and six in total, but it is estimated that he killed as many as 250 people, mostly . Richard Leonard Kuklinski (/kklnski/; April 11, 1935 March 5, 2006), also known as The Iceman, was an American criminal and convicted murderer. Kuklinski urged them to lay low and rented them a room at the York Motel in North Bergen, New Jersey. The Shapiro Brothers vs Murder Incorporated, The History of The Marlborough Diamond Chapter 1, The Mob Wife: Mafia Inspired Home Decor and Accessories. He told him that two of his gang members, John Wheeler and Jack Dubrowsi, held up a mafia poker game and now had to die. [2][32] Kuklinski was held on a $2million bail bond, and made to surrender his passport. He responded by silently jabbing her from behind with a hunting knife so sharp she did not even feel the blade go in. [6] Stanley abandoned the family while Richard was still a child, but returned periodically, usually drunk, and his returns were often followed by more beatings for Richard. The technique earned Kuklinski his nickname: the Iceman. "[68] Former FBI Special Agent Robert Garrity stated Kuklinski's admission to killing Hoffa was "a hoax," and that Kuklinski was never a suspect in Hoffa's disappearance, adding "I never heard of him. The young misanthrope turned into a giant of a man, growing to be six feet, five inches tall and weighing almost 300 pounds. Because of his sheer number of kills, as well as his approach to killing, many believe he should be considered a . [14] Anna Kuklinski reportedly was also often abusive. While they were in the car, Kuklinski killed Hoffa by stabbing him with a large hunting knife. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Redirecting to https://www.therichest.com/shocking/15-creepy-facts-about-the-iceman-richard-kuklinski/. He enjoyed summer barbecues by the pool and volunteered as an usher at mass every Sunday. Richard and Linda divorced, and he married Barbara in September 1961, and had two daughters, Merrick[42] and Christin, and a son, Dwayne. Richard kuklinski is a prime example of just that. [74] She did suspect that some of his income was from illegal activities, due to their lifestyle and the large amounts of cash he often possessed. When I tried to leave everybody alone and just do my own thing, everybody just wanted to hurt me. 1741 Words. Check Writing Quality. However Sammy have denied recruiting Kuklinski. Kuklinski fed Smith a hamburger laced with cyanide, but when this was slow to work, Daniel Deppner also strangled Smith with a lamp cord. [31] Starting in 1985, Kane and Polifrone worked with Phil Solimene, a close long-time friend of Kuklinski, to get Polifrone close to Kuklinski. Investigators guessed that Deppner had already been incapacitated, such as by poison, because the partially-eaten corpse had no defensive wounds and healthy adult men are rarely killed by strangulation. Then his face turned serious. Kuklinskis reputation eventually spread to the elite of the organized crime world, particularly the notorious DeCavalcante family, who hired him for his first major gang killing. He tested Polifrone's (purported) cyanide on a stray dog, using a hamburger as bait, and saw it was not poison. [13] He was the second of four children. The Bruno book quoted her as disclosing that Mr. Kuklinski tried to smother her with a pillow, pointed a gun at her, tried to run her over with a car and three times hit her so hard that he broke her nose. I think it's healthy to assume he was a career criminal, I think that's a safe bet. | A former mobster's POV, "Gravano: Heading to Trial for Allegedly Ordering Cop Killed", "Hit Man Implicates Hit Man In '80 Slaying, Authorities Say", "Self-styled 'Ice Man' was Jimmy Hoffa's killer -- or colossal liar", "Date me or I'll kill your mother -- Ex-wife of notorious 'Ice Man' talks about years with mob killer", New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety - Division of Criminal Justice 1987 Annual Report, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Kuklinski&oldid=1137986953, 5 (2 sons from first marriage; 2 daughters and 1 son from second marriage), Stanley Kuklinski (born Stanisaw Kukliski) and Anna McNally Kuklinski, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 12:08. Though Richard Kuklinski successfully lived as a seemingly normal family man for decades, his true identity as the Iceman killer was finally revealed in the 1980s. After 25 years in prison, Kuklinskis health started deteriorating. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Kuklinksi, Crime Museum - Biography of Richard Kuklinski. What happened to Richard Kuklinski? (POLL). [35] Kuklinski was also recorded boasting he killed a man by putting cyanide on his hamburger, and of his plans to kill "a couple of rats" (Barbara Deppner and Percy House). As put by Kuklinski, "I didn't like my father because he would His fathers beatings were so rough that they killed Kuklinskis older brother, who authorities were told fell down the stairs. 7 Pages. [42], Kuklinski's family and Dumont, New Jersey neighbors were unaware of his activities, and instead believed he was a successful businessman. Kuklinski was sentenced to an additional two life sentences to be served consecutively. Now known in folklore, Kuklinski is better known as the Iceman, a mob contract killer who butchered more than 200 people in decades of brutal killing. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He was the older brother of the convicted rapist and murderer Joseph Kuklinski. [5] In 1988, he was convicted of four murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. He earned Mafia respect at age 18 by killing a random man selected for him on the sidewalk, it was then he became the Genovese crime familys indispensable hitman, he was a professional at killing often using guns, ice picks, hand grenades, crossbows and chainsaws to kill his victims, and due to his 65 height and his weight of 300 pounds he towered over his victims as he took their life away. Richard Kuklinski, better known as "The Iceman," was convicted of murdering six people, but he claimed to have killed hundreds. Kuklinski died on March 5, 2006 at the age of 70, in Trenton, New Jersey, under mysterious circumstances. Richard Kuklinski. They lived an affluent life. The Iceman killer Richard Kuklinski enters a New Jersey court for closing arguments during his 1988 murder trial. RICHARD KUKLINSKI, DEFENDANT. According to Jerry Capeci, "[Philip Carlo] claims the Iceman killed Paul Castellano, Carmine Galante and Jimmy Hoffa, along with Roy DeMeo and about 200 others. [9][44], Deputy Chief Bob Buccino, who worked on the Kuklinski case, said "They took a body from Detroit, where they have one of the biggest lakes in the world, and drove it all the way back to New Jersey? Sometimes Mr. Kuklinski -- a 6-foot-5, 300-pound, tattooed, bearded man -- took his public act a step too far and told specious stories, like the dramatic role he claimed in the killing of the Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. Anyone can read what you share. [19] He also headed a burglary group with Gary Smith, Barbara Deppner, Daniel Deppner, and Percy House. They didnt suspect that there was a ruthless killer from New Jersey coming into the city to murder at random. [5] He said he participated in several famous Mafia killings, including the disappearance and presumed murder of Teamsters' president Jimmy Hoffa. However, given his volatility, she never expressed these worries to him,[72] instead maintaining a "don't ask questions" philosophy when it came to his business life or associates. The investigation into his burglary gang linked Richard Kuklinski to the five murders he was the last one to see each victim alive leading officials to execute an 18-month long undercover operation. [27] Investigators deduced he was murdered in Patterson's apartment after discovering a bloody carpet. The two later became business partners. [66], Michael Shannon played Kuklinski in the 2012 film The Iceman loosely based on Anthony Bruno's book The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer. His parents, Stanley and Anna Kuklinski, were not the loving, caring parents most children grow up with. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 43: Richard Kuklinski, The Iceman, also available on Apple and Spotify. According to a statement Richard Kuklinski once made, a nasal-spray bottle filled with cyanide was his favorite. [38] In March 1988, jurors found Kuklinski guilty of murdering Smith and Deppner, but found the deaths were not proven to be by Kuklinski's conduct, meaning he would not face the death penalty. KUECHENMEISTER, J.S.C. He was last seen in 1981, and his partially decomposed body was discovered some 15 months later. He approached his new position with professional zeal, taking on extracurricular killings for research and to satisfy his own craving for murder. [36] He was arrested at a roadblock two hours later. "[9] Anthony Bruno said he investigated Kuklinski's alleged involvement in Hoffa's disappearance but felt "[his] story didn't check out." Five years later, he burned a man alive in a car for making fun of him. [3] However, author Jerry Capeci, who has written extensively about DeMeo and the mafia, doubts Kuklinski killed DeMeo or had close ties to the DeMeo crew. Merrick later recalled that he once killed her dog right in front of her to punish her for coming home late. [4] He stated that he lured Hoffman into a rented garage and tried to shoot him, but the gun jammed. But was the Iceman killer an inveterate liar or one of the worst mass murderers in history? In and out of consciousness, in a moment of clarity, Kuklinski asked doctors to revive him if he should flatline. He was given the moniker 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. He maintained that he killed neighbourhood cats as a child and committed his first murder when he was in his early teens. His favorite method of killing, which he would later boast about was a nasal-spray bottle filled with cyanide. He was arrested on the eve of the planned murder in December 1986 and charged with five murder counts and six weapons violations, as well as attempted murder, robbery, and attempted robbery. Mr. Kuklinski disclosed the killing of Detective Calabro on the second HBO documentary on his life, in 2001. Claimed to have been recruited by Sammy the Bull to kill Castellano bodyguard. Mr. Kuklinski promoted his own notoriety by appearing in two HBO documentaries as well as meeting with writers, psychiatrists and criminologists. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 270-pounds, Richard Kuklinski was a [] Richard Kuklinski was known as the. A self- Three documentaries, the last featuring interviews of Kuklinski by forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz, aired on HBO in 1992, 2001 and 2003 . Decided March 17, 1988. Unsurprisingly, it wouldnt be long before Kuklinski started being violent, firstly he began killing cats in the neighborhood before committing his first murder at the age of 14, a teen in a neighboring gang, the body was never found. Polifrone told Kuklinski he wanted to hire him to murder a wealthy Jewish cocaine dealer, and recorded Kuklinski speaking in detail about how he would do it. He opined Kuklinski made the confession to "add extra value to his brand",[51] and so, he omitted the story from his biography of Kuklinski. [ 36 ] he stated that he killed Robert Prongay, a mentor to him experts were that..., episode 43: Richard Kuklinski is a prime example of just that someone he felt had slighted him some. The mob and a friend of Carmine Genovese, approached Richard seemingly out... 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