Sleazy deals. Vicious murders. Sharp clothing. Crime bosses and the high life. Who doesn’t love a good mafia story?
Philip Carlo had the privilege of interviewing the notorious Richard Kuklinski—The Ice Man—before his death in early 2006. He compiled the man’s story into a book that has since been made into a movie by the name of The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer.
And hot damn, is it a good read.
Richard goes into detail of not only the atrocious murders he committed both for the mafia and for his own kicks, but also delves deep into the life he led before he was a house name in the underground. The reader gets a good look at the man behind the killings and a glimpse into the disturbing way the mind of a sociopath works.
The book talks about his home life growing up and the hardships he faced between an almost absent mother and a mean drunk of a father, pointing out where in the mess of childhood trauma his life took a turn and led him down the path of cool hatred and hot tantrums. He recalls his first kill as a young boy and the satisfaction he received from getting away with it, and his fondness for bloodshed by any means necessary only grew.
Richard was enthralled with crime and indeed almost all the reading he willingly did was books and magazines about just that. He was interested in the different ways people committed heinous acts and what they did wrong that ultimately got them caught.
Does that sound familiar, void? 😉
As he grew older, he met his wife, Barbara, and started a family with her with the intention of turning his life around. But every time he tried, he’d get an itch that an honest day of work couldn’t scratch. He couldn’t keep up with bills and Barbara’s expensive tastes on his daytime salary, not to mention his excessive gambling tended to get him into trouble.
What better place to turn than to the people who pay you the big bucks to do what you love?
And, fuck, he was damn good at what he did. He experimented and perfected all sorts of different ways to kill people, whether the method be knives or guns, rats or his own fists. But poison, oh, poison was something on a whole other level. Chemicals were one of his favorite toys, and his love for them would eventually lead to his demise.
I’m not going to spoil it for you. There is a TON of information in these 400 pages to digest, and it’s worth every minute. Some chapters are rougher than others just for the sheer brutality, but it’s a fascinating read, and definitely something every true crime buff should pick up.
If I had to rate it, I’d give it a 9/10. The only reason for this is some points about Richard’s life they repeat over the course of several chapters. Certain ideas that the author wanted to really drive home, like the fact his family never had any idea about what he was doing, could have gotten away with being mentioned once or twice instead of repeating basically the same paragraph again and again and again. However, if I were just casually reading it here and there (you know, instead of shoving my face in it all at once), I would have appreciated the reminders, so I don’t judge it too harshly on that point. All in all, it was a damn good read and if the mafia piques your interest like it does mine, you’re going to love it.
Alright, void I scream endlessly into: Who is your favorite true crime villain? I gotta say, before all this it was John Wayne Gacy. But after reading this book, I don’t know. I think Richard Kuklinski is a close second. His mind is horrifying and I am here for it.
Manda Kay Writes 