Famous for his nickname ‘Superfly’ and his portrayal by Denzel Washington in the lookmovie2 “American Gangster,” former American heroin dealer and Harlem’s crime boss frank lucas net worth was left with a meager $500,000 net worth at the time of his death. He made a fortune by eliminating intermediaries in the drug trade. He boasted that he mainly smuggled all the heroin directly from the source in the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia.
Lucas was also notorious for using dead American service members’ coffins to smuggle the drug into the U.S. during the Vietnam War. In 1976, he was convicted of trafficking heroin and sentenced to 70 years in prison. However, his charges were later reduced, and he was released in 1991. He passed away on May 30th, 2019.
What was Frank Lucas’ income?
Selling heroin was the most lucrative business operation for Lucas, who also resorted to extortion. At the same time, he set up legitimate businesses, such as dry cleaners and gas stations, to create a front for his illegal activities.
He started by indulging in petty crime and pool hustling before he was taken under the wing of Bumpy Johnson. His connection to Johnson is unknown, but there are claims that he was Johnson’s driver for fifteen years. After Johnson’s death, he started traveling and realized that he had to break the monopoly that was a shelf in New York at the time. At the same time, he was accused of using caskets to distribute the drugs.
He later claimed that he used furniture and not caskets. The DEA later backed this claim. Lucas reportedly trusted only his relatives and close friends from North Carolina to handle his operations. He used his profit margin to buy many properties across the U.S. When he was arrested in the ’70s, all his belongings, including the properties, were seized.
Criminal Career
What seems clear is that after Johnson’s death, Lucas appears to have filled the void left behind by the established criminal. He started showing his criminal empire, immediately bringing him into conflict with the Italian mob. The Italians essentially ran New York at this point, and this included the heroin trade. Lucas traveled to Thailand and made connections with local heroin suppliers. He was able to source heroin for $4,300 per kilo. A single kilo had a street value of $300,000 on the streets of New York.
He also made connections with black soldiers in the U.S. Army and created a scheme where he hid kilos of heroin in deceased soldiers’ coffins. However, Frank later stated that he didn’t hide the heroin with dead bodies and that he had a carpenter create fake coffins that never actually contained any bodies to begin with. Regardless of his exact smuggling methods, Lucas succeeded in flooding the streets with an almost pure form of heroin known as “Blue Magic.” During this period, Frank became very wealthy. He also rubbed shoulders with several well-known celebrities.
Arrest
In 1975, Lucas was arrested at his New Jersey home. Police found $584,000 in cash stashed in the residence, and he was convicted of federal drug charges in New York. Eventually, he was sentenced to 70 years behind bars. Once he was convicted, Lucas agreed to provide evidence that led to the arrest of a large number of other drug dealers.
This led to a reduced sentence, and Frank was put into a witness protection program. Incredibly, Lucas was caught dealing drugs once again in 1984 and was given a sentence of seven years. In 2010, Frank was arrested for a third time after attempting to sell two kilos of cocaine to an undercover FBI informant.
Peak Earnings
At the peak of his drug empire in the early 1970s, Frank’s organization was more like a Fortune 500 conglomerate. Lucas once famously bragged that he was earning $1 million per day during this period, equivalent to $6 million per day in today’s money. Although these were likely exaggerations, Frank was undoubtedly earning considerable money.
In the 1970s, DEA agents estimated his net worth was $52 million, most stashed in Cayman Islands banks. At his peak, he owned property worldwide, including apartments in Los Angeles, commercial office space in Detroit, and a 7,000-acre ranch in North Carolina. When DEA agents raided his home in New Jersey in 1975, they found nearly $600,000 in cash, the equivalent of $3.6 million in today’s money. In addition to the $52 million stashed in Cayman Islands banks, Frank also had $300 million in stockpiled heroin.
Passing
Frank lucas net worth died on May 30th, 2019, in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. He was 88 years old, and he had used a wheelchair for his final years. Lucas also expressed remorse during his last few years, encouraging young people to stay in school and earn “the highest degree in education that you can.”
American Gangster
In 2007, the film “American Gangster” was released. Starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, the movie depicted Lucas’ story and journey as a drug kingpin. Frank was directly involved in the film’s production and was paid as a consultant. Present during many of the shots, Lucas gave Denzel advice on small details, such as how he carried his gun. In a later interview with MSNBC, Frank admitted that the film was mostly a fabrication, and only a few details were based on his experiences.
Personal life
Lucas was born and raised in La Grange, North Carolina, a suburb of Goldsboro, North Carolina. He once said that he embarked on the path of crime after he witnessed his 12-year-old cousin’s murder at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan, which was a white supremacist group.
Lucas was married to Julie Farrait, who was also convicted for her role in her husband’s criminal enterprise. She reportedly spent five long years in prison. After she was released. The couple started living separately but soon moved back to Puerto Rico. Lucas had seven children. He was pretty eclectic regarding his religious beliefs and had converted to the Catholic faith while at prison in Elmira.
FAQ’s
Who is Frank Lucas’s wife?
He was married to Julie Farrait, who was reportedly involved in his drug business and even went to jail and served a 5-year prison term.
Did Frank Lucas have any kids?
He has seven kids: Frank Lucas Jr., Francine Lucas Sinclair, Candace Lucas, Ray Lucas, Ruby Lucas, and Betty Lucas.
Did Frank Lucas know Bumpy Johnson?
Yes, Bumpy Johnson repeatedly took Frank Lucas under his wing and taught him the business.
Did Frank Lucas have any money?
He was worth $52 million, which is around $500 million today, as per his biography.
