Paul Hoffman, a 51-year-old male, was a pharmacist from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, who owned the Farmacia San Jose in Union City. In the spring of 1982, Hoffman became involved in a deal with Richard Kuklinski, a notorious contract killer. Hoffman was looking to purchase a large quantity of stolen Tagamet, a popular ulcer medication, for $25,000, hoping to resell it for a significant profit through his pharmacy.
He repeatedly contacted Kuklinski to finalize the transaction.
On April 29, 1982, Hoffman met with Kuklinski, bringing the cash to complete the deal. This was the last time he was ever seen. Kuklinski later confessed to what transpired that day. He lured Hoffman to a garage in North Bergen. His initial plan to shoot Hoffman failed when the gun jammed. Instead, Kuklinski beat him to death with a tire iron.
After the murder, Kuklinski placed Hoffman's body into a 55-gallon drum. He then left the drum outside a motel in Little Ferry. At some point, Kuklinski noticed that the drum had disappeared, and what happened to it remains unknown. Paul Hoffman's body was never recovered. The investigation into his disappearance eventually led law enforcement to focus on Kuklinski, as he was the last person known to have seen Hoffman alive. Kuklinski was eventually arrested and, as part of a plea bargain, confessed to the murder of Paul Hoffman.
