The Disturbing Story of Richard Kuklinski, the Hitman Better Known as "Iceman"

The Disturbing Story of Richard Kuklinski, the Hitman Better Known as "Iceman"

Richard Kuklinski died a miserable death - the notorious mob killer was left to suffer in prison until his passing in 2006 due to Kawasaki disease. His wife, in a final act of cruelty, placed a "Do Not Resuscitate" order on him, denying him a chance of survival and leaving him to die alone after wishing him dead. Here are more facts about the notorious killer.

The Life of Richard "Iceman" Kuklinski, A Mafia Hitman

Richard Kuklinski, known as the Iceman, was one of the most ruthless hitmen that ever worked for organized crime. Using a variety of weapons including chainsaws, poison, and even bombs attached to toy cars, he is responsible for numerous murders over several decades. He would kill business partners and steal their money, and he would kill anyone willing to pay his fee, which was in the tens of thousands of dollars. After killing his victims, he would freeze them for months or years before dumping the bodies. He was cold, calculating, and deadly.

On the other hand, he was also a doting family man. Unlike many of his colleagues in organized crime, he didn’t gamble, didn’t womanize, didn’t do drugs. When he wasn’t working, he was with his wife and children. And while the violence in his heart occasionally was directed at his wife, he never hit his children and was always protective of them. After his eventual arrest, he gave many interviews in jail about his methods and motives, so we know a great deal about the Iceman. Here are some horrifying facts about the Iceman, Richard Kuklinski, mob hitman. His Life Began With a Violent Childhood Richard Leonard Kuklinski was born on April 11, 1935, in New Jersey. His parents, Stanley and Anna Kuklinski had immigrated from Poland and Ireland, respectively, and had four children, of which Richard was the third.

They were observant Catholics and strict disciplinarians. Like many men who grow up to be serial killers, Richard was abused by his parents mercilessly. As a child, he and his siblings had very little control over their lives. Beatings would happen often and for no discernible reason. His parents saw no discrepancy between their religious beliefs and their constant berating and beating of their children, and they passed this on to Richard. Although he grew up to become one of America’s most notorious serial killers, he remained a member of the Catholic Church throughout his life and attended church services regularly with his family.

As Richard grew up, he quickly turned to violence and murder. His Siblings Also Suffered Abuse at the Hands of Their Parents Richard was not the only member of his family to suffer abuse at the hands of his violent father and angry mother. When Richard was only 6 years old, his brother Florian died at the hands of his father’s abuse. His parents covered up their crime by claiming that Florian had fallen down the stairs, and with Richard’s mom backup up the lies of Richard’s father, the case was closed and no charges were filed. Then, in 1970, Richard’s older brother Joseph, who was 25 at the time, lured a young girl to her doom by kidnapping her dog. When she followed him to a rooftop, ostensibly to get her dog back, Joseph attacked and murdered her, tossing her lifeless body off the roof, and her dog too. Richard’s response after Joseph’s conviction was to point out that they had been raised by the same father, so it was understandable. The Iceman's First Murder When he was only 13, Richard Kuklinski committed his first murder. Charley Lane was the teenage leader of a small gang known as ‘The Project Boys’, and he used to bully Richard just like his father. So one day, Richard picked up a wooden rod and beat young Charley to death.

Later, Richard would recall that the murder made him feel alive with power, and he wanted to repeat the feeling again and again. He started by beating up all the other members of the Project Boys and soon was killing anyone who reminded him of his father. In interviews, Richard stated, “One day I just decided, well, I’ve had enough of this picking. And there were like six young men still figuring they were going to mess with my head. And we went to war. To their surprise, I was no longer taking the beating, I was giving it.”