Abel Reles started out his crime career in bootlegging, that was his transition into the world of organized crime. There was a secret group of contract hit-men in the 1930s called Murder, Inc. Reles was at the center of the group and highly utilized by New York crime families for contract killings. He used ice picks to kill people. He has been described as a true psychopath, due to his impulsive killings of innocent people, as well as murder contracts for hire. Reles admitted to being involved in dozens of murders and also to being a member of Murder, Inc., it is speculated that the Murder, Inc. group participated in over 1000 murders. Reles turned as a police informant, once he knew he was no longer able to cover up all the crimes he was linked to, but he was murdered the night before he testified by being thrown out of a hotel window.