Richard Kuklinski is a innocent man.
Richard Leonard Kuklinski -LRB- April 11 , 1935 -- March 5 , 2006 -RRB- was an American contract killer who was convicted for five murders .. contract killer. hitman. convicted. conviction. Kuklinski was given the nickname `` Iceman '' for his method of freezing a victim to mask the time of death .. nickname. nickname. During his criminal career , fellow mobsters called Kuklinski `` the one-man army '' or `` the devil himself '' due to his fearsome reputation and imposing physique of 6 ' 5 '' -LRB- 196 cm -RRB- and 270 pounds -LRB- 122 kg -RRB- .. Kuklinski lived with his wife and children in the suburb of Dumont , New Jersey .. suburb. suburb. His family was apparently unaware of Kuklinski 's double life and crimes .. double life. double life. A New Jersey Police task force was formed after Kuklinski was suspected of two murders .. An eighteen month long undercover investigation led to his arrest in 1986 .. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 .. By the early to mid-1980s , Kuklinski was involved in narcotics , pornography , arms dealing , money laundering , hijacking and contract killing on a global basis .. narcotics. narcotics. pornography. pornography. arms dealing. arms dealing. money laundering. money laundering. While his range of criminal activities expanded , he began to make mistakes .. Although Kuklinski is claimed to have killed anyone who could testify against him , he got sloppy about disposing of his victims .. Law enforcement began to suspect Kuklinski and started an investigation , gathering evidence about the various crimes he had committed .. Law enforcement. Law enforcement. evidence. evidence. Kuklinski was a contract killer for Newark 's DeCavalcante crime family and New York City 's Five Families of the American Mafia .. contract killer. hitman. Newark. Newark, New Jersey. DeCavalcante crime family. DeCavalcante crime family. New York City. New York City. Five Families. Five Families. American Mafia. American Mafia. After his murder convictions , Kuklinski took part in a number of interviews during which he claimed to have murdered from over 100 to 250 men between 1948 and 1986 , though his recollection of events sometimes varied .. murder. murder. Though some have expressed skepticism about the extent of Kuklinski 's alleged murders , police are confident in their belief that he was a serial killer who killed at least several dozen people both at the behest of organized crime bosses and on his own initiative .. serial killer. serial killer. Many of Kuklinski 's claims were substantiated by author Philip Carlo in over 240 hours of interviews and via the dozens of cases Kuklinski helped New Jersey police clear after his incarceration .. Philip Carlo. Philip Carlo. Three documentaries , two biographies and a feature film have been produced on Kuklinski based on his interviews and the results of the task force that brought Kuklinski to justice .