Frank Lucas: A Real American Gangster
http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/3102/1/Frank-Lucas-A-Real-American-Gangster/Page1.html
Janaya Black
By Janaya Black
Published on 09/10/2008
He lived the life of a king as a drug lord in Harlem during the late 60s to the mid 70s, and then Hollywood immortalized him by turning his life story into a movie in the 2007 release of American Gangster starring Denzel Washington. But now, the real present day life of former crime boss Frank Lucas is a million miles away from the one he used to know.
At the age of 77 and after more than 15 years in prison, Lucas has emerged seemingly unscathed and ready to get back to where he’s used to being – on top. Though he is currently confined to a wheelchair, he still exudes the persona and swagger of one who demands, expects, and will except nothing but the best.
During his recent visit to Detroit, the FrontPage had the opportunity to sit down with Lucas to find out about his life after American Gangster, his time in prison, and what he’s doing now:
FrontPage: Can you tell me a little bit about the project you’re here promoting?
Frank Lucas: We’re going around the country doing different shows in different places.
FP: The American Gangster was based on your life. How did that deal come about for you?
FL: That deal came about…they wrote an article in a New York magazine about my life. Twenty minutes later Hollywood was knocking on my door. They were literally kicking my door in. We made a deal and four years later we made a movie.
FP: How accurate was the portrayal of your life in the movie?
FL: This much I can tell you without any hesitation; the movie on the cops’ side, I don’t know that much about it because I wasn’t there. They was chasing me, remember? But my part of it was 85% accurate. You can’t get much better than that.
FP: What was prison time like for you?
FL: Life for any red-blooded American is rough. Prison is not good. I don’t care where you’re at or who you are, it’s not good.
FP: Do you feel that going to prison has changed your way of thinking?
FL: Well, yeah and no. Now, I’m very remorseful about what I did and I wouldn’t do that again, but I don’t think it had too much to do with prison. It was something that was burning in my soul that told me it was the wrong thing to do. And that’s why I’m remorseful about it right now.
FP: How long were you in prison?
FL: About 15 years this last time. The only thing about prison…when you go to jail your kids are 1, 2, 3 years old. When you come out they 15 and some. That’s what hurts. I mean, you don’t get a chance to see [your family] and that’s terrible. That’s the main thing that really, really gets you. I mean it tears you apart. You don’t ever want your family coming to see you. You’re so embarrassed. It’s terrible.
FP: In the movie, it was portrayed that a lot of your family members where locked up; were they bitter with you behind the things that happened to them?
FL: Hell, I should have been bitter with them for being so stupid. But no, that’s my brothers and stuff, and I love them very much. Whatever happened, happened and it’s over, and ain’t much I can do about it now. One thing about it is I wish I had my $769 million back. But I ain’t gonna get it back, so that’s a dead issue.
FP: If you had it to do over, what would you do differently?
FL: That’s a no-brainer. I would not get into the drug game. No way I would get into the drug game. That’s trouble. You can’t do what I did. If you try to do what I did – and I say if you try to do what I did, remember try, cause you ain’t gonna do it anyway- try to do what I did you’re gonna go to jail for life without possibility of parole. And not only that, when you come home, you’ll have a tag on your toe. You not gonna ever come home alive in other words. You don’t need it. That’s why I’m leaving here and going from Gnome, Alaska to Brazil, from Brazil to Hawaii, from Hawaii back to New York, all over this country.
That’s what the Frank Lucas foundation is all about. It enables me to go to these places to talk to kids. In the mean time, if I can talk to kids and if I can save one kid I feel like I did my job.
FP: Can you tell me a little bit about your foundation?
FL: I got a foundation called the Frank Lucas Foundation. It’s mainly set up to help kids through school. I’ll put it this way; if they push half of the right buttons they get a scholarship from my foundation through college.
FP: So what’s next for you Mr. Lucas?
FL: Well, we’re doing another movie now that will make American Gangster look like Howdy Doody because it’s going to be a hot movie. It’s going to be about another year and a half before it hits the screen, but we’re working on it. We’re in the beginning of it now.
FP: Are you going to be directing the film or will you just be behind it?
FL: No, I’m just going to be executive producer. I’m not gonna be directing, I don’t know nothing about directing a film really. That calls for a lot – film directing – [and] I just don’t know it. I ain’t been out here that long. You gotta remember, I just got in this business four or five years ago. I seen what they did, but I wouldn’t want that responsibility.
To read more articles by Janaya Black visit www.frontpageconnect.com. Janaya is also the author of Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn, which is now available at all major bookstores or online at www.black-smithenterprises.com.
He lived the life of a king as a drug lord in Harlem during the late 60s to the mid 70s, and then Hollywood immortalized him by turning his life story into a movie in the 2007 release of American Gangster starring Denzel Washington.
Drug lord in Harlem
He lived the life of a king as a drug lord in Harlem during the late 60s to the mid 70s, and then Hollywood immortalized him by turning his life story into a movie in the 2007 release of American Gangster starring Denzel Washington. But now, the real present day life of former crime boss Frank Lucas is a million miles away from the one he used to know.
At the age of 77 and after more than 15 years in prison, Lucas has emerged seemingly unscathed and ready to get back to where he’s used to being – on top. Though he is currently confined to a wheelchair, he still exudes the persona and swagger of one who demands, expects, and will except nothing but the best.
During his recent visit to Detroit, the FrontPage had the opportunity to sit down with Lucas to find out about his life after American Gangster, his time in prison, and what he’s doing now:
FrontPage: Can you tell me a little bit about the project you’re here promoting?
Frank Lucas: We’re going around the country doing different shows in different places.
FP: The American Gangster was based on your life. How did that deal come about for you?
FL: That deal came about…they wrote an article in a New York magazine about my life. Twenty minutes later Hollywood was knocking on my door. They were literally kicking my door in. We made a deal and four years later we made a movie.
FP: How accurate was the portrayal of your life in the movie?
FL: This much I can tell you without any hesitation; the movie on the cops’ side, I don’t know that much about it because I wasn’t there. They was chasing me, remember? But my part of it was 85% accurate. You can’t get much better than that.
FP: What was prison time like for you?
FL: Life for any red-blooded American is rough. Prison is not good. I don’t care where you’re at or who you are, it’s not good.
FP: Do you feel that going to prison has changed your way of thinking?
FL: Well, yeah and no. Now, I’m very remorseful about what I did and I wouldn’t do that again, but I don’t think it had too much to do with prison. It was something that was burning in my soul that told me it was the wrong thing to do. And that’s why I’m remorseful about it right now.
FP: How long were you in prison?
FL: About 15 years this last time. The only thing about prison…when you go to jail your kids are 1, 2, 3 years old. When you come out they 15 and some. That’s what hurts. I mean, you don’t get a chance to see [your family] and that’s terrible. That’s the main thing that really, really gets you. I mean it tears you apart. You don’t ever want your family coming to see you. You’re so embarrassed. It’s terrible.
FP: In the movie, it was portrayed that a lot of your family members where locked up; were they bitter with you behind the things that happened to them?
FL: Hell, I should have been bitter with them for being so stupid. But no, that’s my brothers and stuff, and I love them very much. Whatever happened, happened and it’s over, and ain’t much I can do about it now. One thing about it is I wish I had my $769 million back. But I ain’t gonna get it back, so that’s a dead issue.
FP: If you had it to do over, what would you do differently?
FL: That’s a no-brainer. I would not get into the drug game. No way I would get into the drug game. That’s trouble. You can’t do what I did. If you try to do what I did – and I say if you try to do what I did, remember try, cause you ain’t gonna do it anyway- try to do what I did you’re gonna go to jail for life without possibility of parole. And not only that, when you come home, you’ll have a tag on your toe. You not gonna ever come home alive in other words. You don’t need it. That’s why I’m leaving here and going from Gnome, Alaska to Brazil, from Brazil to Hawaii, from Hawaii back to New York, all over this country.
That’s what the Frank Lucas foundation is all about. It enables me to go to these places to talk to kids. In the mean time, if I can talk to kids and if I can save one kid I feel like I did my job.
FP: Can you tell me a little bit about your foundation?
FL: I got a foundation called the Frank Lucas Foundation. It’s mainly set up to help kids through school. I’ll put it this way; if they push half of the right buttons they get a scholarship from my foundation through college.
FP: So what’s next for you Mr. Lucas?
FL: Well, we’re doing another movie now that will make American Gangster look like Howdy Doody because it’s going to be a hot movie. It’s going to be about another year and a half before it hits the screen, but we’re working on it. We’re in the beginning of it now.
FP: Are you going to be directing the film or will you just be behind it?
FL: No, I’m just going to be executive producer. I’m not gonna be directing, I don’t know nothing about directing a film really. That calls for a lot – film directing – [and] I just don’t know it. I ain’t been out here that long. You gotta remember, I just got in this business four or five years ago. I seen what they did, but I wouldn’t want that responsibility.
To read more articles by Janaya Black visit www.frontpageconnect.com. Janaya is also the author of Beautiful Rage: The Break of Dawn, which is now available at all major bookstores or online at www.black-smithenterprises.com.