Customer Reviews

The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is probably one of the best true crime books I've ever read. Anthony Bruno does a wonderful job of keeping the reader hooked, as he tells the stories of killer Richard Kuklinski and ATF agent Dominick Polifrone. Because he's telling both of their stories, it may seem like he bounces around a bit, but I think he did a wonderful job of keeping the points of view separate, and therefore reducing any potential confusion. If you like true crime stories, you won't be able to put this one down until you're finished.

This account of the Iceman is concise and deals mostly with the events leading to his arrest. It briefly touches on Kuklinski's early years, family life, and other criminal activities both proven and unproven. But a more detailed account of those facets of Iceman lore can be found in the new book by Philip Carlo. This book sticks to the facts without any hyperbole.

This is the title of the New York Times article (2/21/03, page B1) about the current criminal charges leveled at serial killer Richard Kuklinski whose exploits Anthony Bruno wrote so brilliantly in THE ICE MAN (Dell, 1994).

Today Kuklinski now stands accused of the 1980 shotgun slaying of NYPD Officer Peter Calabro. In 1999 a reviewer here was critical of THE ICE MAN because author Bruno wrote about "the undercover agents who sought to bring [Kuklinski] down because the cops are always the stereotypicals. Big Yawn!"

The lives of police officers may be a big yawn to that person, but hopefully not to the majority. I applaud Anthony Bruno for recognizing & recounting just how much of themselves police officers put on the line to bring the likes of Kuklinski to justice... It is as fine a read today as it was 9 years ago. Like a fine wine, maybe even better.

I have read both the Philip Carlo book about the Ice Man and Bruno's book. I also read Bruno's comments on CrimeLibrary regarding Philip Carlo's book. I know for a fact that Carlo spent over 200 hours interviewing Kuklinski at Trenton State Prison; I know for a fact that Bruno ONLY interviewed the Iceman once. Carlo's book on the IceMan is a deep profound look at every aspect of the Iceman's life, detailing his tortured childhood, the many murders he committed, the love he felt for his wife Barbara, daughters Merrick and Chris... and his son Dwayne. I was so emotionally moved by Carlo's book that I cried at the end. Carlo not only captures the essence of the IceMan, but the nuts and bolts that drove him. Conversely, Bruno's portrayal is woefully inadequate-- centers more on Dominick Polifrone than on the IceMan. I know for a fact that Lt Pat Kane pursued Kuklinski for five years before Polifrone even heard the name Richard Kuklinski. Bruno attacks Carlo's book because he wrote what IceMan told him regarding the murder of Jimmy Hoffa, Roy DeMeo and the Iceman's involvement in the killing of Castellano. To my knowledge,and I've researched this thoroughly, there is no definitive audio or video proof about any of those three murders, to indicate that the Iceman lied about anything. When one looks at the HBO specials on the IceMan I think you see a sincere honest, very rare killer-- the same thing Carlo saw during his interviews with Kuklinski at Trenton State. Carlo's book was a New York Times best seller for a reason.

I previously read The Ice Man by Philip Carlo, but I found this book on Richard Kuklinski by Anthony Bruno to be the better of the two. Bruno's book was written prior to the death of Kuklinski in a New Jersey prison, and its main focus is on the plan to get Kuklinski to incriminate himself with his dealings with an undercover police officer named Dominick Palifrone, aka Dominick Provenzano, so they could arrest him for the murder of several individuals. Yes, the book does provide some details in the victims of Richard Kuklinski, and we are introduced to a psychopath named Roy DeMeo. Despite his explosive temper which left his wife in constant fear Kuklinski was a faithful family man who doted on his children. The problem was his family never knew which version of husband and father would avail itself. For his part Officer Dominick Palifrone had to juggle his two identities as husband and father on one hand and a profanity-laced mafia man on the other. He got the two personalities mixed up one day while home for dinner when, to the horror of his wife and kids, he asked to have someone pass him the ----- potatoes.

Kuklinski was bullied as a child and after accidentally killing his childhood tormentor he was determined never to be bullied again. Philip Carlo did a good job with his book entitled The Ice Man, but his differed from Bruno's book in that Carlo covered the entire life of Kuklinski's crime. In addition it included some fictitious murders that Kuklinski was supposedly a part of, namely the murder of Paul Castellano and James Hoffa. Probably some others as well.

Since both of the books on The Ice Man were about a vicious murderer I don't want to say I enjoyed them, but they certainly were riveting reads. However, I did find the book on The Ice Man by Anthony Bruno to be more factual. It was written, however, before the death of Richard Kuklinski.

I wouldn't say it's a great work of literature but Bruno does an excellent job describing the life of the professional killer. For whatever reason, the book was able to really capture my attention. I read it in a few hours.

This is a book for anybody who is interested in the darker side of the mind.

Richard Kuklinski is the apocryphal bullied kid who rises to be the one holding the gun. Starting from his teen years he finds the power that derives from holding someone's life in your hands utterly irresistible. His methods are as varied as the men he kills.

His icy demeanor makes him a favored killer for the Mafia, who often require him to kill someone in a specific manner to send a message to others. It is these killings that make up the most chilling part of the book; one has to wonder, is it really possible to take someone else's life like that?

It has to be said that given a different home and background, Kuklinski could well have turned out as a normal, productive citizen. But the beatings issued by his father to both Kuklinski and his kid brother could not have passed without seriously harming the children, and indeed, it was very close that the Iceman didn't kill his father more than once. His brother is in an asylum for the criminally insane.

If you are into true crime and the murderers of the Mob, you mustn't pass this one.

Very nicely done Kindle version too, no errors worth mentioning.

Got this after I saw the HBO special.
I like the book and it goes deeply into Kulklinski's mind.
If you like this sort of stuff, you will not be disappointed.

Richard Kuklinski is or was a killer but not like any other killer that we read about. He had a Jekyll and Hyde personality. As a child, he was bullied by Johnny and one day, he took his revenge but it went to far. Johnny's murder was a significant turning point in the development of a fourteen boy from the Jersey City projects. I felt the author, Anthony Bruno, did an adequate job in explaining Kuklinski's upbringing but he could have and should have delved more into his personality. Kuklinski was a bullied child who became a bullied adult beyond your imagination. His victims were often business associates who wronged him in the past or in a bad business deal.
The irony is that he was a devoted husband to Barbara and a father to his three kids. In fact, his home was sacred property and you paid a heavy price if you violated that area. It's not to say that Barbara wasn't an abused wife. He was more psychological and controlling than physical but she was aware of his rage. He was still a beloved father to his three kids. As far as his family was aware, Richard was a legit businessman not knowing or brought into his secret life as a hitman and killer during the days of organized crime.
I wondered if the hit series, "The Sopranos," had a similar character. The reason that Kuklinski took decades to catch was his awareness and his instinct. He was aware that the feds wanted him for murders but he kept his crimes well hidden out of sight and out of mind.
I remembered watching a documentary about him with him being interviewed. He described his crimes with such detachment and lack of emotion. Yet, he would have rather been killed by the police than be captured. This book does a good job in explaining his capture. He was just a regular guy in the neighborhood. Somebody you didn't mess with.
He had a wife, three kids, and even a dog as a pet but nobody in his family knew the truth.

This is a chilling account of a methodical, cold-blooded killer and con man told by a skillful writer. The characters ring true and the story, though real, is as imaginable as fiction. The Iceman should never walk the streets again. Read the book and you'll know why.