Talk:Richard Kuklinski

Corroboration

Has anything that might make this person worthy of a Wikipedia article been corroborated outside of the HBO interviews? It seems likely to me that he is low-rent psychopath who conned HBO into thinking he was something greater than he was.

Is there a record of a mysterious crossbow murder in the 20th century?

Is there a record of poisoning deaths?

What was he sentenced for? 30 murders? 200 murders? 12 million murders? Or a couple murders and a conspiracy charge?

He is a proven liar, no? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.1.40.132 (talk) 06:14, 8 October 2007 (UTC)

You got it exactly right. This guy was a junkie and a loser who killed a couple of people. His story is complete bullshit. 72.209.63.226 (talk) 20:39, 2 June 2010 (UTC)

Just watched "The Iceman Tapes" (the 1991 and 2001 interviews with Kuklinski), and I was thinking the same thing. Many of his claims / stories seems far fetched, and they way he's telling his stories seems like he's improvising on the spot -- lots of unnecessary embellishment and lots of obvious bragging. Mortene (talk) 22:51, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

I am flabbergasted that somebody would ask if this person should have an entry on Wikipedia. Do you even know the genre??? My guess is, "No". True, this guy may have been a prolific liar, and made up many of his "murders", but the truth is, the cops found the evidence to convict him, and he WAS proven to have "iced" his victims (to prevent law enforcement from determining the time of death). Hey, maybe you should propose the deletion of John Gotti Jr because you think he is not notable??? Get out of here. It is people like you that are ruining Wikipedia. It happens so often now - time after time again, I go to research a mafia person, and it says that the "page has been deleted" - usually due to somebody who doesn't know anything about the mafia claiming that the person is "not notable". Go figure. This place is now garbage. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.148.131.250 (talk) 09:29, 4 July 2011 (UTC)

Oh, and, by the way, I am very well aware that much of what Kuklinski says is obvious bragging about stuff that he didn't do - he wanted to become a celebrity (in his own twisted mind) - but is that justification for deleting this entry??? He WAS convicted of horrendous crimes. And he DID put several of his victims "on ice" - to throw off the authorities as to the time of death. But according to you busybodies, if the criminal later lies about his crimes, and exaggerates them, then he should be given a pass and no Wikipedia page exist on the guy. I have concluded that you are a bunch of teenyboppers that get off on deleting pages. Go get on your magic broom and fly off and bother other people. I mean, heck, why not go to the numerous physics pages of Wikipedia and start deleting them because you don't think the entry is important. Twits. Teenyboppers.

Name

The claim about Steve Austin being inspired by Kuklinski is blatantly false. Austin has said in several interviews that the name came from his wife, a British native, who was familiar with the phrase "stone cold" as opposed to the American "ice cold," and used it in reference to Austin not drinking his tea until several minutes after it had come out of the kettle, hence, letting it get "stone cold."70.241.29.250 00:48, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

He was not well-liked and he routinely physically and verbally abused his family, often threatening their lives. I'm watching a live interview with his family on CNN right now and they are discussing the fact. --72.66.4.90 01:40, 27 June 2006 (UTC) Brett George

This is true. I saw an interview with Austin and his wife where they discussed the origin of his "stage" name.

Removed the item from article.

Also, stone cold is a part of the American idiom, e.g. "stone cold" killer or "stone cold" dead. Americans never make statements like, "stone cold beer."

And we never call a tea pot anything but...a tea pot.

watch "the stone cold truth" dvd about steve austin you`d hear it from the man himself saya that he formed his wrestling persona after kuklinsky. as far as the name goes i think thats from that cheesy motorbike/ gangsta movie "stone cold" from the early 90`s. and thats the bottom line cause stone cold said so! T

The character basis for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came from this man. The name "Stone Cold" came from his ex-wife. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.173.112.72 (talk) 21:46, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Re-write?

Incoherent and awkward writing style. can someone re-write?

I thought it was fine67.42.181.87 (talk) 02:25, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

No, it really is a shitty write up. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.196.174.201 (talk) 07:05, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree that this article is terrible. it follows no pattern, and does not stress any of the facts e.g. could be split inot confirmed killings, then the ones he claimed he was part of. it needs to be stressed more that there is little evidence behind many of his claims - the article is misleading and poorly written. needs to be structured and references more linked to text. anyone willing to take up challenge? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.139.181.249 (talk) 19:03, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

I was about to propose deleting the article but maybe we can avoid that, but we do need to find some reliable sources.Thesniperremix (talk) 00:21, 17 September 2009 (UTC)

Image

The mug shot in this article appears to be taken from a television frame-capture of a video recording of the actual photo. Surely, Wiki can do better than this. Can anyone procure a scan of the original mug shot? Alvis 06:25, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

According to the photo caption this image was taken in 1978. However, the date in the image itself is 1982. Thoodo81 (talk) 16:30, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Mister Softee

The part where it makes note about Richard Kuklinski using the Mister Softee van for some of his murders, my understanding from reading the book 'Ice Man' (Author Philip Carlo, Publishers St. Martin's Griffin (September 18, 2007 Paperback Reprint) , St. Martin's Press (July 1, 2006 Hardcover), was that Mister Softee was only used by Robert Pronge.

They may have tagged along with one another on killing sprees, but I'm pretty sure (going off memory) that Richard did not confess to using Mister Softee for his own killings.

Perhaps there may be an misunderstanding on Kuklinski's encounter of the Mister Softee era? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nez trikki (talk • contribs) 03:05, 21 May 2008 (UTC) Mr. Softee was Robert Prongay not Pronge and when exactly did Prongay ask Kuklinski to kill Ellen and either of his 2 children? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.226.93.32 (talk) 17:25, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Family?

Why isnt there any details about his family(Wife, children)? 151.197.14.192 (talk) 07:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)Annisina

Filmed?

This is not a criticism of this article, but a discussion on the topic of filming a victim.

He stated in an interview that he left a Super 8 camera running and thereby filmed a man's being devoured by rats in a cave.

A common Super 8 film reel is only about 3 minutes long. Even the largest film magazine he would have had would not have been longer than ten minutes.

So he would not have filmed much without being present to change reels the entire time.

Add to this that even the fastest exposure film would not produce an image in such low-light conditions, unless we are to believe that he used lighting.

And where would he have had such a film processed?

So this most sensational claim is dubious.

--APDEF (talk) 16:14, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

I agree. This claim, as with most of his other claims such as involvement in the Carmine Galante and Jimmy Hoffa hits, is nonsense. There is a 2005 Bollywood film that i have seen which has the same scene in it. In the end of the movie, the heroine ties her backstabbing boyfriend with a rope and leaves him to be devoured by rats in a cave. I am not trying to say for a fact that Kuklinski copied the scene from a Bollywood movie. It could have been the other way around. However, the similarities are ironical. Joyson Noel (talk) 16:31, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

===It should be noted that, "The Big Guy," as Roy DeMeo often referred to Richard as, worked as a film tech a a young man. Perhaps that is how he had knowledge of film development.

--If you were to read his biography, he was using the cameras also used to record pornography and a motion detector.The rat-based murders were done on the latter years of his life, even if they are recounted a lot due to its gruesome circunstances. Whatever grain of salt he might have added, doesnt change the fact that this was extensively documented on the biography and asking where he would have had films processed when he worked processing movies show a total lack of research by the person asking. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.244.42.23 (talk) 17:47, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

General Conversation About Kuklinski No one will ever be able to figure out exactly which murders he had done or if he was involved in the Paul Casteleno hit, etc. But it is obvious that Kuklinski was an above average hitman, because seeing that he could afford an upper middle class lifestyle during the time and knowing that his main business was murder, he must have been well known amongst the various crime families, and making a substantial amount of money. Saying that he was even a back-up shooter is a vary likely story, if not one of the main shooters in the hit, as even high ranking associate Joe Watts was accused of being a back-up shooter during that notorious murder. Bottom line is he probably was involved in a lot of murders that by others looked substantial, but to him didn't mean much as not being able to be a made member and have allegience to one of the LCN familes. However it is a possibility that later on, once seeing that telling extended tales of the truth might be entertaining to himself, he gave a little something more to the audience. Then again with every lie there is a grain of truth, so most of what he says is probably true. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.206.148.46 (talk) 15:54, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

Huh?

(It should be noted that in 2006 Gravano was serving a 19 year prison sentence for running an Embassy Suites in Arizona)

What?

Yes, this needs explanation. As far as I know, running an upscale chain hotel is not not illegal. 75.76.213.106 (talk) 23:35, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Cite tags

I added a fact tag to the part about him using strips of rawhide. He did admit to tying them up, but he never mentions rawhide. SteveB67 (talk) 02:47, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

and who ever put that he--WerLdWyde (talk) 20:49, 30 April 2009 (UTC) had his first murder at thirteen is dumb. he did his first murder in a bar by hitting the guy with a que stick a few too many times as he said it.

mafia or police nick name

By all other mafiosa he was known as 'the polack'. It was only the investigating police that dubbed him the Ice Man. Surely therefore his actual nickname should be put in place of the latter. Just a suggestion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.136.200.243 (talk) 19:14, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Both names should be used, because both were given to him. That's like saying john gotti shouldn't be called the Dapper Don, or the Teflon Don, instead of Johnny Boy, or Gotti, or whatever. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.201.193.254 (talk) 17:18, 20 June 2009 (UTC)

Government Seizure of Barbara Kuklinski's Home

The Government by right should seize the home of Barbara Kuklinski. Since the home was purchased with money he earned from murdering people. It is sheer conjecture that Barbara claims she did not know what his work was. The money from the sold property should go to the people he victimized one in particular is the man he shot with a crossbow one of the most brutal murders to an innocent victim. Since he paid no taxes and he profitted from his crimes, Barbara Kuklinski's home should be seized by the government. Barbara Kuklinski knew her husband was a murderer.(Drums4sure (talk) 02:31, 19 April 2010 (UTC))

This has to do with Wikipedia - how?HammerFilmFan (talk) 23:05, 24 October 2010 (UTC)HammerFilmFan

False Implication

"Despite being a devout Roman Catholic, Anna Kuklinski was also abusive to her children, sometimes beating them with broom handles." I think this sentence could be changed. Specifically, it could do without the word "despite". In fact, the two pieces of information (the religion and the abuse) should be separated, since they aren't connected. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.183.23.68 (talk) 10:19, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for pointing that out, I've fixed it. --CliffC (talk) 14:24, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

ERROR REGARDING ROY DEMEO'S POSITION (Both on documentary and on this site)

It is well known that Roy Demeo was not a full fledged "caporegime" or "captain" in the Gambino crime family. Roy Demeo had his own "crew" for a long time yes that is true, but it took him many years to become a made member in the Gambinos. The Boss was very slow to let him in the family. See "Roy Demeo" and it says he is a "soldier." The RK documentary gives him the high ranking title of captain which is false. Roy barely became a made member, he made a lot of money, but with the way the Gambino boss was trying to move things, I think he wanted every excuse to not "make" Roy a friend, and thus soldier. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think Roy was ever a captain, only a "soldier" or made honored member who happened to have his own crew. Being a Captain in the family would have placed him in a much higher income bracket most likely despite the fact that he lived on Long Island. However Roy was a notorious member, and made a ton of money. He had the "Roy Demeo Crew" for sure, but I don't think he was a Captain. John Gotti had his own "crew" before he was made I believe. That is a similar situation.

Cave full of rats?

As an old country boy who grew up in the same eastern woods that Kuklinski refers to, I am dubious about a cave full of rats. Ordinary rats, such as the Norway, live symbiotically with people, living off scraps and garbage produced by humans. So where are the people to supply the rats, if the rats are ganged up together in a cave in the middle of nowhere?

I might add that in all my years in the woods, I never saw a common rat in the wild. When I read Kuklinski's book, I immediately dismissed it as bull byproduct. I think Kuklinski is the underworld equivalent of the "stolen valor" wannabes who claim to have won the Medal of Honor while serving in some military unit so super-secret it never existed.

Georgejdorner (talk) 15:18, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

Cause of death

The article never actually describes the subject's death, though I gather he was poisoned. Could someone who knows more please clarify the "Incarceration and Death" section? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Oconnor663 (talk • contribs) 04:09, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Richard Kuklinski

can anyone tell me if Kuklinski was left or right handed? I notice in the interviews that th very rarely looks to the left, and almos never up and to the left, thease are signs [looking left] of recalling memories, whereas to the right and down [where he prodomiently looks is a sign of 'projection' this would not be true if he were left handed as thinking in the hemispheres of the brain is reversed. SO, if anyone knows if he was left handed, ...let me know. ...[redacted]...thanks.89.242.177.8 (talk) 10:19, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

School murder

It states in the article that his first murder was committed while he was in high school...Kuklinski is purported to have murdered a fellow student. It appears that he wasn't arrested for his deed? How did he slip through the cracks? 21:02, 6 October 2011 (UTC)

Height

Where has this been taken from? Looking at footage of him (where he has aged, admittedly) he appears to be shorter than 196 cm. 79.136.61.156 (talk) 19:03, 31 January 2012 (UTC)

Cyanide

Can someone point me to a murder that he committed by spilling or spraying cyanide on the victim? Where does this fact originate from - was it proven in court that he killed someone in this manner or was it boasting on Kuklinski's part? --210.18.236.150 (talk) 06:30, 14 February 2012 (UTC)