Richard Kuklinski

Kuklinski initially worked in a warehouse in New Jersey, before he started working as a contract killer. He met 18-year-old Barbara Pedrici there and they got married after she became pregnant.

Kuklinski and his wife had two daughters and a son.

Barbara described his behaviour as alternating between good and bad.

Richard Kuklinski was born in his family apartment in New Jersey on April 11 1935, to Stanley Kuklinski and Anna McNally, Polish and Irish immigrants.

Richard was frequently abused by his parents and his father repeatedly beat him. His mother also beat him with household objects such as broom handles.

Anna McNally raised her son in the Catholic Church where he became an altar boy because she believed in a religious upbringing along with stern discipline.

Richard had three siblings - an elder brother, a younger sister, and a brother. Florian, his elder brother died of head injuries suffered from abuse by his father. They lied to the police saying he had fallen down a flight of stairs.

His younger brother, Joseph was convicted for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl.

Richard Kuklinski began killing cats as a child and committed his first murder at the age of 14.

Kuklinski ambushed Charley Lane, a teenager-gang leader who had bullied him for some time, and beat him to death in 1949.

Kuklinski was introduced to the Gambino crime family through his work with mafia gangster Roy DeMeo in his twenties.

He started out with robberies and other crimes for the family but soon his talent for killing was realized as he stood out because of his imposing physique.

Kuklinski was said to be DeMeo's favourite enforcer. He claimed that he was responsible for the murder of Roy DeMeo. However, evidence and testimony pointed to the murderers being DeMeo’s crew associates, Joseph Testa and Anthony Slater as well DeMeo's supervisor in the Gambino family, Anthony Gaggi.

Kuklinski was featured in three documentaries, a feature film and two biographies.

The 2012 film 'The Iceman' was based on Anthony Bruno's book 'The Iceman: True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer'. Michael Shannon played Kuklinski in the movie, Winona Ryder played Kuklinski's wife, and Chris Evans portrayed "Mr. Softee".