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Bad People

57. The Iceman: Who becomes a contract killer?

Bad People

BBC

True Crime

4.41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2022

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Iceman, Richard Kuklinski, was a notorious contract killer. Over the course of his ‘career’ he, by his own admission, killed over 100 people. Some were contracted murders – hits - others were victims of revenge and a few were just at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Richard Kuklinski had links to the Gambino family, was efficient and killed in a myriad of ways. In the process, he made himself, and his family, rich. Who hires contract killers? What is the interview process like? And do you have to be stone cold to do well in this line of work? In this episode of Bad People Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen discuss the different typologies of contract killers, how much a hit costs and why looking to hire a hitman off the dark web may just lead one to being scammed. Warning: This episode includes graphic descriptions of violence. All of the audio in this episode comes from two HBO documentaries: Clips 1, 3 and 5 are from The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer (1992) and clips 2 and 4, from The Iceman Confesses: Secrets of a Mafia Hitman (2001). CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Simona Rata Music: Matt Chandler Editor: Rami Tzabar Academic Consultants for The Open University: Lara Frumkin and James Munro #BadPeople_BBC Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to tell you why I love podcasting.

0:04.5

I'm Sasha Johansson, I'm an Assistant Commissioner for the BBC and I work on making podcasts.

0:11.1

My real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest

0:16.9

stars who can really bring those stories to life.

0:20.1

I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final

0:26.0

edit.

0:27.0

There's nothing like it.

0:28.0

What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you, so whatever we commission

0:32.6

has to reflect the things that you care about and love, wherever you are in the UK.

0:37.0

So if you like this BBC podcast, there's so much more to discover.

0:40.6

Have a listen on BBC Sounds.

0:42.1

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:47.4

Three, two, one.

0:50.6

What do you think the interview process is like for contract killers?

0:54.7

Sorry what?

0:56.6

So say you're an ambitious young person and your dream is to one day become a contract

1:01.2

killer.

1:02.2

Yes.

1:03.2

You're sitting across from a potential employer, right?

1:05.1

Yeah.

1:06.1

What do you think they would ask you to do, this potential employer, to prove that you're

1:12.5

their hitman, you know, that they should choose you over all the other hitmen?

...

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