THE ICE MAN Also by Philip Carlo Stolen Flower The Night Stalker Predators and Prayers Smiling Wolf Philip Carlo THE ICE MAN CONFESSIONS OF A MAFIA CONTRACT KILLER St. Martin’s Griffin New York THE ICE MAN. Copyright © 2006 by Philip Carlo. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. www.stmartins.com LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Carlo, Philip. The Ice Man: confessions of a mafia contract killer / Philip Carlo. p. cm. ISBN: 978-1-4299-0266-3 1.Kuklinski, Richard. 2. Serial murderers—New Jersey—Biography. 3. Serial murders—New Jersey—Case studies. I. Title. HV6248.K75 C37 2006 364.152'3092—dc22 [B] 2006041720 This work is dedicated to my agent and dear friend, Matt Bialer, for always being there, for his constant help, guidance, and unwavering support.This has been a long, bumpy road, Matt, a harrowing journey I could not have made without you…. CONTENTS Pr eface Mafia Structure Intr oduction: Rattus Norvegicus PART I: BIRTH OF THE GRIM REAPER CHAPTER 1: Mortal Sin Indeed CHAPTER 2: Mean Streets CHAPTER 3: Sticky Fingers CHAPTER 4: First Blood CHAPTER 5: Reborn CHAPTER 6: The De Cavalcantes CHAPTER 7: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow CHAPTER 8: Long Walks, Short Piers CHAPTER 9: A Triple Play CHAPTER 10: Murder for Hire CHAPTER 11: The Enforcer CHAPTER 12: Mob Guys and Crooked Cops CHAPTER 13: Independent Contractor CHAPTER 14: Tough and Rough and Ready to Go PART II: BARBARA CHAPTER 15: Bambi Meets the Ice Man CHAPTER 16: Possession CHAPTER 17: Aunt Sadie CHAPTER 18: This Is for You, Richard CHAPTER 19: Betrayal CHAPTER 20: Love and Marriage and a Baby Carriage CHAPTER 21: Enter the Lone Ranger PART III: VERY BAD GOODFELLAS CHAPTER 22: Making Ends Meet CHAPTER 23: Murder Runs in the Family CHAPTER 24: Let’s Do the Twist CHAPTER 25: The Gambinos CHAPTER 26: Partnership Born in Hell CHAPTER 27: Forgive Me, Father, for I Have Sinned CHAPTER 28: The Porn King of New York CHAPTER 29: Family Man CHAPTER 30: Hit Man CHAPTER 31: Lady and Pouilly-Fuissé CHAPTER 32: Blood Money CHAPTER 33: The Big Guy CHAPTER 34: Rolling Over in His Grave CHAPTER 35: Double Suck CHAPTER 36: The Office CHAPTER 37: Mister Softee CHAPTER 38: Joe and Mary’s CHAPTER 39: Off the Record CHAPTER 40: Sammy “the Bull” Gravano PART IV:THE MANHATTAN PROJECT CHAPTER 41: The Lone Ranger CHAPTER 42: The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight CHAPTER 43: The Disassembling of Roy DeMeo CHAPTER 44: The Elusive Muskie CHAPTER 45: How the Fuck You Doin’? CHAPTER 46: “The Store” CHAPTER 47: Sparks Steak House CHAPTER 48: Would You Like Some Tea? CHAPTER 49: I’ve Got Some Rats I Have to Get Rid Of CHAPTER 50: Operation Ice Man CHAPTER 51: Hit Kit PART IV:HOMICIDE SUPERSTAR CHAPTER 52: The Quiet Before the Storm CHAPTER 53: With a Wiggle CHAPTER 54: The Politics of Murder CHAPTER 55: The State of New Jersey v. Richard Leonard Kuklinsk CHAPTER 56: It Was Due To Business CHAPTER 57: It’s Not TV, It’s HBO CHAPTER 58: Secrets of a Mafia Hit Man CHAPTER 59: The Ice Man Versus Sammy the Bull CHAPTER 60: No Sunset, No Sunrise CHAPTER 61: A Flying Fuck Epilogue Postscript Index PREFACE This book is based on over 240 hours of one-on-one interviews with Richard Kuklinski at Trenton State Prison. When and where possible all the crimes and murders Richard and I discussed were verified with underground Mafia contacts, police sources, documents, crime-scene reports, and photographs. When Richard and I discussed his life and the crimes he committed over a forty-three-year period, he never bragged or boasted. Indeed, much of what is contained in this book had to be prodded and encouraged out of him. In my estimation, Richard was always honest and truthful, sincere and forthright in the extreme. The names of certain individuals connected with this story have been changed. I first wish to thank my editor, Charlie Spicer at St. Martin’s Press, for all his expert advice, his guidance, and his belief in this book from the moment it arrived on his desk. Also his right-hand man, Joe Cleemann, was a huge help, on numerous levels. Many thanks also to John Murphy and Gregg Sulivan for their belief in and support of this book. Gaby Monet at HBO was an invaluable friend and assisted me greatly with understanding the enormous complexities of this story. Many thanks to my loyal friend and confidant, Mike Kostrewa, for all his guidance and expertise about Jersey City and the Polish people and culture. I also wish to thank Trenton State Prison for allowing me access to Richard Kuklinski at the facility. Also, thanks to Anna Bierhouse for her suggestions, and all the good people at Sanford Greenburger, the best literary agency in the world; they still treat writers like sensitive artists, a rare thing these days. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my parents, Dante and Nina Carlo, for their unwavering support. My gratitude to Crystal Proenza for her patience and good cheer in turning my voluminous handwritten drafts into flawless manuscripts. I also wish to thank Barbara, Merrick, Chris, and Dwayne Kuklinski for their honest feelings and kind input. Lieutenant Patrick Kane of the New Jersey State Police was an invaluable source of detail, facts, emotion, times, and places. Also, Sergeant Rob Anzalotti and his partner, Detective Mark Bennul, were very helpful in shining light on the dark, violent phenomenon that was Richard Leonard Kuklinski’s life. MAFIA STRUCTURE Capo crimini/capo di tutti capi: superboss/boss of bosses Capo: boss/Don Consigliere: trusted adviser or family counselor Sotto Capo/Capo bastone: underboss, second in command Contabile: financial adviser Caporegime or capodecina: lieutenant, typically heads a “crew” comprising ten or more soldiers Sgarrista: a foot soldier who carries out the day-to-day business of the family, a “made” member of the Mafia Picciotto: lower-ranking soldier, enforcer; also known in the streets as the “button man” Giovane d’honore: Mafia associate, typically a non-Sicilian or non-Italian member “My husband is a good man, a kind man—a great father. All my children’s friends are always saying they wish they had a dad like my husband—like Richard.” Mrs. Barbara Kuklinski on the day Richard was arrested “Richard is both fascinating and as frightening as your worst nightmare. He represents the worst of who we are—yet, he is absolutely fascinating to listen to.” Sheila Nevins HBO producer “This is the devil—No question about it. This is the devil!” Dominick Polifrone Undercover AFT operative “He’s responsible for over two hundred murders—I mean personally responsible.” Gaby Monet HBO producer “I’d never hurt a woman or a child. It’s just not in me.” Richard Kuklinski “He killed with guns, poison, bats, knives, strangulation, his fists, ice picks, screwdrivers, hand grenades, and even fire. We’ve never seen anything like him. Truth is, we’ve never even heard of anything like him.” Bob Carroll New Jersey deputy attorney general “Even now, I mean so many years later, my stomach gets all tense and my hands tremble when I think about him. But I love my dad. I love him a lot! None of it was his fault…. My father married the wrong woman.” Merrick Kuklinski Richard’s oldest daughter “When he told me he loved me, which he often did, I’d say ‘Me too.’ That’s it…just ‘Me too.’” Barbara Kuklinski “My father terrorized us. We never knew when or where he’d explode. We tried to hide it from my brother because he would have tried to do something, protect us, you know, protect my mother, and my father would’ve killed him, I’m sure. One time this woman with kids in her car cut him off and he got out of the car at a light and tore the woman’s door right off her car.” Chris Kuklinski Richard’s daughter “They thought I didn’t know what he was doing, but I saw all the broken furniture and I knew my father did it. I saw my mother’s black eyes. I kept an ax under my bed and a machete just next to the bed because of him.” Dwayne Kuklinski Richard’s son “He’s very crafty and cunning, like some kind of jungle predator that nobody ever sees until it’s too late. We knew about him—I knew about him, was tracking him for years, but could never pin anything on him.” Detective Pat Kane New Jersey State Police “My mother was cancer. She slowly destroyed everything around her. She produced two killers; me and my brother Joe.” Richard Kuklinski “There are two Richards, and I never knew who would be walking in the door. He could be generous to a fault, or the meanest man on earth.” Barbara Kuklinski “We called him ‘the Ice Man’ because he froze some of his victims, kept them in an icebox he had for a while, then put them out so we could not tell when the murder actually took place, you see.” Paul Smith New Jersey Organized Crime and Racketeering Bureau investigator “I became very promiscuous because of my father.