THE ICE MAN

I cannot believe a diabolical killer of more than a hundred people inspired me to write this. Yet, here I am writing about Richard Kuklinski – A mafia hitman with a double life and one of the most notorious killers of all time. He murdered his victims brutally, ingeniously and without the slightest remorse.

I just finished a book on him by Philip Carlo titled “The Ice Man.” The book is gripping to say the least and it led me to watch his interviews on the internet. (Search and you’ll find enough videos and information on him).

Richard came from a family that gave him no love, just severe abuse and trauma. Outside of home was no better as he was targeted by bullies, one of whom he did end up killing. He simply did not experience anything “good” that he can look back upon, no family, no love, no friends, no mentors – and the result? No emotions but an all consuming rage and twisted perceptions of people and the world.

Around this time, I was also watching motivational speaker Ben Zanders talks. In one of them he says that make it a habit to give everybody an A grade - from Taxi Drivers to waitresses to mother in laws. In his eyes, everybody is an A student.

Also, I was reading about Anne frank and her quotes on life that inspired me put them up on February’s blog (I do go all over the place eh?)

Anyway, I was thinking what A would I give Richard Kuklinski and I realized I do not have an answer to that question. Only Richard can answer that had he had help to look within himself at the right moment.

I will not excuse or support a single killing here. I do feel he deserved what he got in the end…a long stint in prison. I am just looking at this man from different window.

I would probably give him an A for his care and concern for his family (wife and three kids) in his own screwed up way…considering he never knew what it meant to care for anyone.

I would give him an A for his calm demeanor (devoid of emotions one may say, but enviable nonetheless).

I would give him an A for mostly killing the scum of the earth most times (though not an excuse to play the god of death)

I would give him an A for sparing women and children.

I would give him an A for his generosity that we get glimpses of when reading the book.

If I could make up five alternate careers for him based on what I read and heard if he was made differently and if he was inclined to take the right path, then these would be it:

1. A counselor – who better to understand disturbed individuals than a person who has been disturbed himself?

2. A pediatrician – for his detailed, organized, methodical ways and attitude towards children.

3. An Actor – His sense of humor, his looks would have suited certain types of roles.

4. In the police force – His risk taking behavior, fearlessness, wanting to put a wrong right with the right intentions would have made him a reliable cop or some kind of an agent.

5.A bouncer at a bar…on second thoughts maybe not.

As Anne frank says, "Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness."

So most of all, I WISH I could give him an A for using his above strengths for channelizing his basic goodness.

Makes me wonder what he would have ended up as.

Maybe not on as an article on this blog ;)