Frank Lucas, Druglord Portrayed in ‘American Gangster,’ Dies
June 3, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Lucas, the former Harlem drug kingpin whose life and lore inspired the 2007 movie “American Gangster,” has died, a relative said Friday. Lucas, who was 88, died Thursday in New Jersey, nephew Aldwan Lassiter said. Lucas had been in declining health, according to his former lawyer. Raised in North Carolina, Lucas climbed the ranks of crime in Harlem in the 1960s and ’70s, becoming a major drug dealer known for supplying huge amounts of particularly potent heroin. He said it netted him millions, and authorities seized over $500,000 in cash when they raided his house
