Frank Lucas, "American Gangster" Drug Kingpin, Dead At 88

BYAron A.69.7K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images
Frank Lucas sighting on November 2, 2007 in New York City, NY
The legendary Frank Lucas has passed away.

Frank Lucas, who was famously portrayed by Denzel Washington in American Gangster, died on Thursday night at the age of 88. Lucas' nephew, Aldwan Lassiter, confirmed the death to Rolling Stone earlier today. Lassiter said that the infamous kingpin died of natural causes, although there hasn't been any other details that have emerged recently.

Lucas was one of the biggest drug dealers in America int he 70s. He's often credit for the "Golden Triangle" operation in the early '70s where he smuggled kilos upon kilos of heroin from Southeast Asia to America in the coffins of U.S. soldiers who died in Vietnam. His ploy managed to cut out the Mafia who were the middlemen at the time and bought the heroin directly from Southeast Asia. At the peak of its operation, Lucas claimed that he was bringing in $1M a day. 

The film American Gangster ended up inspiring Jay-Z to create an album of the same name. In an interview in 2007, Jay explained Lucas' impact on the game.

“Frank Lucas, it’s something about when African-Americans reach somewhere, no matter what they’re doing, if they reach somewhere that no one has ever been before, you champion 'em like ‘Go! Go!” He said. 

The DEA raided Frank's home in the 1970s where they discovered $584K of cash. He was later sentenced to 70 years but ended up ratting and getting his sentence cut. He entered a witness protection program with his family.

Lucas is survived by his eight children. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...