Take the icepick, leave the cannoli?

June 26, 2007 11:23 AM

What are some unusual real-life hitman-weapon pairings?

I'm looking for historical hitmen who used unusual weapons to take out their targets (or do other interesting things to them). The question is inspired by reading about Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, who seems to be the man who coined the icepick hit. Aside from him and Richard Kuklinski (who claimed to use all sorts of weapons, and who strikes me as lying about a great deal of them), what are some other hitmen (not simply murderers) who didn't rely on the boring old gun?

posted by Bookhouse to society & culture (13 comments total)

Umbrella?
posted by squalor at 11:27 AM on June 26, 2007

Sewing needle:

The young man that you are talking about began serving his country at a young age. In the process of boot camp, he realized he had a special knack and incorporated “chi gung” (spiritual energy) in his training. The military recognized his ability and put him into the special training department against terrorism Chi Gung is an internal strength from an “internal wind” which lies in the belly of an individual, according to Far Eastern thought. Utilizing Chi Gung and meticulous training, this secret agent man can throw an average sewing needle at a window and actually penetrate it, leaving a small pinhole visible to the naked eye.

posted by LordSludge at 11:30 AM on June 26, 2007

Ramon Mercader, who used an ice axe to kill Leon Trotsky.
posted by mosk at 11:48 AM on June 26, 2007

Search around Google and you should be able to find something like the Hitman's Manual. I can't remember its exact title. It's supposedly written by a real-life hitman and describes his trade. To be honest, it's pretty unpleasant reading, especially if it's true, so read with caution.

Beware too that the book tends to be found on the same kind of sites that have books about bomb making, or anarchy. So if you're at all paranoid that the government might be monitoring who visits such sites, you should steer clear.
posted by deeper red at 11:50 AM on June 26, 2007

Hah, found it on my next Google search after clicking the Post Comment button:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Man:_A_Technical_Manual_for_Independent_Contractors
posted by deeper red at 11:52 AM on June 26, 2007

Here in London, hitmen have used an umbrella and polonium-210.
posted by veedubya at 12:25 PM on June 26, 2007

According the BBC, the concocted 638 ways to kill Fidel Castro. Of course, none of them worked, but your question didn't specify that the hits had to be successful.
posted by alms at 2:32 PM on June 26, 2007

There ws a guy at my high school reunion who killed the
President of Paraguay with a fork.

Soviet Spetsnaz are issued guitar strings for garrotting.
posted by Phred182 at 2:34 PM on June 26, 2007

Don't you mean Soviet Spetnsnaz were issued? It's just Russians these days...

I can't find anything about it at the moment, but I remember two murders when I was growing up in Tennessee that turned out to be 'for hire'. One was carried out with a fine American sedan, as I remember, and the other was killed in a house fire, after the killer (supposedly his 'friend', and actually having an affair with the guy's wife) got him drunk at a bar so he wouldn't wake up.
posted by pupdog at 4:34 PM on June 26, 2007

The Spetsnaz guys also train to use throwing shovels. (Really it's just their version of an entrenching tool, but sturdier and, apparently, well-balanced enough to throw or strike with.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:29 PM on June 26, 2007

You'd probably enjoy Monk Eastman, master of the blunt instrument:

"Jacked out...........$15
Ear chawed off.......$15
Leg broke..............$19
Stab.....................$25
Doing the Big Job....$100 and up"

Monk turns up (lightly fictionalized) here and here.
posted by ormondsacker at 8:29 PM on June 26, 2007

Nitpick:

According the BBC

According to the Guardian.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:22 AM on June 27, 2007

There ws a guy at my high school reunion who killed the
President of Paraguay with a fork.

Ah, you went to high school with Martin Q Blank?

(Sorry, spotted the quote from one of my favourite films, ever. Couldn't resist... )

Tangentially to the original question, there's a lot to be said for apparent accidents/suicides. There are numerous questions about a string of deaths - apparent suicides and accidents - of Brits working on technologies related to the original SDI project.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 12:44 PM on June 27, 2007