Richard Kuklinski Net Worth
Richard Kuklinski was an American contract killer employed by various Mafia crime families as well as being a brutal loan shark. He claimed to have killed over 200 people, though authorities doubt this figure and his connections with Mafia families. Kuklinski was arrested by authorities following their cyanide purchase sting operation in 1986 and eventually sentenced to life imprisonment for various offenses.
Kuklinski was born and lived most of his life in New Jersey. Despite not having much money, he worked tirelessly to provide for his family while keeping their lives normal. He became known for the many interviews where he discussed his former career as a hired killer; many people around the world knew about his famed exploits.
Kuklinski married twice and had three children from each union – Anna in 1972, Barbara Pedrici in 1986, Richard Jr and David from his first marriage, Christin and Merrick from his second. Unfortunately he was an abusive alcoholic and would regularly hit both his children and wife.
Once he was apprehended, Kuklinski gave several interviews in which he admitted to multiple cold-blooded murders as well as his ability to detach emotionally from his brutality; during one such interview he even likened himself to Ted Bundy.
Kuklinski began his vengeful streak at an early age, according to reports. When he was 14 he beat and killed a bully before burying their remains in the woods – later recounting this event as evidence for why he became a hit man.
Kuklinski had connections with mafia families like DeCavalcante and Gambino, allegedly killing over 200 people while making claims of Mafia ties; however, authorities did not accept all his claims regarding these connections and also doubted how many murders Kuklinski claimed to have committed.
Kuklinski died at 70 on March 5, 2006 and resided for many years in DuMont, New Jersey. While he was known to many for his business acumen and connections to organized crime networks, some also suspected him as being involved. His death occurred suspiciously close to when he was due to testify against Sammy Gravano for hiring him to murder a police officer and was also facing possession charges of cocaine and heroin. An autopsy determined he suffered from heart disease and phlebitis. Christin, his daughter, tried her best to convince him to leave behind his criminal past and she even begged for him to stop. Unfortunately, she did not succeed in doing so, although she did help curb his drug abuse habit; although his criminal colleagues reportedly assisted with that addiction.