Marrick Kuklinski is famous as the daughter of a notorious mob hitman, the Iceman. Her father, Richard Kuklinski, is considered one of the most prolific murderers in American history. Although yet to be corroborated, he claimed to have committed over two hundred murders as a hitman for the Mob and American crime families. There are multiple documentaries on the chilling story of Kuklinski and a film in which Michael Shannon starred as him.
Despite the murders, Richard Kulinski was a family man with a wife and children who knew nothing about his criminal life. Please keep reading to find out about his daughter Merrick who was closest to him and even witnessed him commit some gruesome acts.
Merrick Kuklinski Bio
Merrick was born to Barbara Pedrici and Richard Kuklinski. She lived with her parents and siblings. Her father had a dual identity; he would simultaneously be the good father who spoiled them with gifts or the abusive father and husband who made their lives a living hell. Her mother described his behavioral split as Good Richie and Bad Richie. Good Richie provided for his family, although they had no idea the spoils came from contracted murders. He didn’t do drugs or drink and lavished his family with gifts. When Merrick became critically ill shortly after she was born, her father stayed up for multiple nights looking after her.
Despite his violent behavior, Merrick was close to her father and holds memories of their happy moments. According to her, Richard would share stories of his murders, how he hated his repeatedly abusive parents, and how his father killed his older brother. At times, Merrick witnessed her father beat men to the point of death. Her attempts to break free from her father’s toxicity were futile until his arrest in 1986.
Merrick Kuklinki Siblings
Merrick was the firstborn child of Barbara and Richard Kuklinski. She has two siblings, a sister named Christin and a brother, Dwayne. At some point, Christin and her mother planned to kill Richard but were both afraid of the consequences if he didn’t die of valium in his meatloaf.
Merrick Kuklinski’s Parents
Merrick’s parents met when Richard was 25 and Barbara was 18. Barbara was a secretary at a tracking company where Richard Kuklinski worked, although he had secretly worked as a hitman for over ten years. He kept that detail a secret throughout their dating and eventual marriage in 1961. Richard abused and separated her from her friends and threatened to kill her family members if she walked out on him. Barbara was the second wife of Kulinski. Kuklinski had two children from his first marriage which ended in a divorce; Richard Jr. and David.
Richard Kuklinski came to the attention of law enforcement after the murder of five men between 1980 and 1984. He used chilling and gruesome methods to kill, like firearms, cutting tendons, icepicks, and cyanide solution spray. He got the name the Iceman for freezing some of his victims.
Richard died of cardiac arrest aged 70 while serving two consecutive life sentences for five counts of murder.
Wrapping Up
Merrick Kuklinski has been reluctant to share the details of her violent and abusive father, but she settled and has children of her own in an attempt to do better than him.
