FRANK LUCAS - "AMERICAN GANGSTER". Why didn't tell the REAL truth in the film? 

Friends! In this video we tell the story of Frank Lucas and try to compare all the important facts from the movie and the real life of the gangster. We have researched a lot of information, but, of course, there may still be discrepancies somewhere. Thank you for watching us!

He should have never wore that fur coat to the fight

maaaaaaan listen. They can take away all the awards, say this depiction is way off from the truth, regardless of what ANYONE says , this movie is a classic! Whether it is based on the full truth or partial 🤷🏾‍♀️ Denzel and Russell along with all the other actors/actresses did a phenomenal job. PERIODT

AMERICAN GANGSTER was a phenomenal film. Regardless of how this or that happened…truths or lies, majority watched the film because Denzel Washington starred in it. A lot of us probably didn’t know who Frank Lucas was because you were either not born yet or you were a very young child.

Classic line ......Where the other 9.5million went is still a mystery 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

One of my favourite crime movies of all times I know the film isn’t all true but there’s no denying that the film was amazing

All in all he made it to 88 years old. That's astounding for a dealer of his stature.

The movie was like Franks revisionist history. It’s how he wanted to see himself. Even in interviews he repeated the embellishments that other people challenged.

His mother was worried that Frank would be imprisoned or killed. So she insisted he move to New York. 😳🤣😂🤦🏽🤦🏽

Even though it's not accurate it's still a great film an instant gangster classic

I grew up in New York in 70s it was the best time of my life. My family was poor but we were happy. I remember all that jive on the news. But for real he was good to the kids in community.

Frank Lucas not broke. Ain’t no way he put all his money in one spot as intelligent as he was

"Leslie knew every black man in the army" hot damn what a claim 😂

I'm from the area. My great uncle(88 yrs old) was a criminal during the same time, he had an unlicensed bar(after hours spot). Had a few girls and moved small amounts of weight (heroin & coke). He said he had a few interactions with Frank Lucas. My uncle broke down some things in the movie. All in all, he said Frank was a big man in the streets but not quite what the movie made it out to be. He said he was definitely feared and respected by some, but also disliked by others in the game.

I have to believe frank Lucas was more Ruthless than portrayed in the movie. You don't build an empire without busting a lot of heads

The movie was not called Gangster it was called American Gangster.

From Vietnam, to Bangkok, then Chinese, someone didn’t pay attention in school 😂😂

The husband of Frank's cousin would be Frank's cousin by marriage. Those are called in laws. That's how families work.

I once heard a judge who took part in the case say that this story is 99% inaccurate. This is mainly the Story of a man named Frank Matthews. Frank Lucas was a street level dealer he essentially hijacked the story of Frank Matthews who to this day the police still haven't found.

I moved to east Harlem in 1980, lived there for 2 yrs before moving to the Bronx, worked on both east and west Harlem and never heard of Frank Lucas until I saw the movie. I have a copy of the full movie and love it, one of my favorite of all.

A smart man learns from its own mistakes, a wise man learns from others, from my time spent on this Earth, I've never witnessed a drug dealer retired from the game unscaved,or with a peace of mind

honestly snitching on the police isnt snitching. it's the streets vs the police

No one breaks the law more than law enforcement officers,

Damn, those cops split 9.5 mil and called it a days work. I can’t 😂

"Leslie had lived in Bangkok for a long time and spoke Chinese pretty well." LOL. Ya, I lived in America for a long time and so spoke Norwegian pretty well.

Years ago I worked at a luxury car dealership and Denzel walked in with an older man in a wheelchair. The man in the chair never spoke but Denzel pushed him around the showroom, they spoke to each other but only Denzel spoke to myself and the Manager. I had no idea who he was until the movie came out the next year 🤯

Frank Lucas was small time compared to Frank Mathews, that was the real American Gangster, they should've made the movie about him, many still have never heard of him but late 60s early 70s Frank Mathews was that guy.

Denzel should have been nominated for an Academy Award at the very least.

🤣turned off this phone in the '60s? LOL another high quality video 😂

If was real or not is still one my favorite movies out there

All I know is that some cops became very rich from that 9.5 million that they stole.

Offcourse the film wasn't made to actual events it was NEVER ADVERTISED MARKETED AS SUCH . And like with ALL movies studios have a set budget therefore has a set time frame and scriptwriters have to write a script to make the film appealing and work with each scene

Inconstancies in movies are common place in narrative film. Hence, “based on a true story”. If you want the truth don’t look for Hollywood to tell it. Go read a book and do some research. As far as movies go, (story, cinematography, acting) this was a fantastic film!

Even if A Person 'Earns' 1Million A Day, Or 1Dollar A Day "You Can't Take It With You" AND THE BEAT GOES ON...

The fact that he lived to be 88 is amazing.

Every time I see that scene I’m like, how does he murder a guy in broad daylight with all those witnesses and go home like nothing 😂

2:16 when Denzel's recollection of said tragedy hit it was major emotional!!

They need to make a 100% true Frank Matthews story who was also from North Carolina and the real Frank!!! The Frank Frank Lucas wanted to be!

I love how the corrupt cops dropped the law suit 😅😅😅😅😅

“The hole was so big you could fit a watermelon in there” like we can’t go with a different analogy we just going with watermelon like I can’t be the only one who thought that

Great video thank you, I always wondered how factual " American Gangster" was, love the comparisons you did between the movie and real life, enjoy your videos 3/6/23

Denzel Washington...in his films when he says maaa niggaa...with that smile....😮😮😮....its game over... training day awesome

Really like your channel and storylines I hope you do a lot more videos 💯💯❤️❤️

He was mad that someone killed his cousin but he had no issue to kill thousands of people with his heroin.

I can’t think of one person that passed away that left with anything. 🤷🏽‍♂️ If I had the chance to be rich only to be broke when I die I’d take that for 100 Alex!!! ✊🏾

In the movie American Gangster HollyWood Movie Actors Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas. Laurence Fishburne plays Bumpy Johnson. Russell Crowe plays Richie Roberts.. Roger Smith plays Nate. Cuba Gooding Jr plays Nicky Barnes. In the beginning of the movie they show Bumpy Johnson dying in an appliance store of a heart attack. In real life Bumpy Johnson died in a restaurant in the arms of his wife high school sweetheart and Frank Lucas was no where around when Bumpy Johnson died of a heart attack. Also Frank Lucas claimed that he was Bumpy Johnson's right hand man for 15 years. Frank Lucas claimed that he was a getaway driver,body guard and money collector for Bumpy Johnson. Bumpy Johnson was 62 years old when he passed away. He was incarcerated 31 years in Federal Prison and he spent 5 years out before his death. So Frank Lucas story doesn't match up. Also in the movie American Gangster Leslie Ike Atkinson is protrayed as Frank Lucas Cousin-In-Law Nate. Nate plays a gopher or flunkie for Frank Lucas and Frank Lucas somehow independent of Ike Atkinson Ike Atkinson introduces Frank Lucas to a Thai Chinese English Speaking man named Luchia Ruviwat and he introduces Frank Lucas to the drug trade. There is no way that in real life that a big time drug trafficker like Ike Atkinson would give up his source of where he is getting his drugs from. It's only done in HollyWood. In real life Frank Lucas call China White Blue Magic. In real life Ike Atkinson cuts the middle man out of the drug trade and he sells to Frank Lucas. Ike Atkinson buys it $4,000.00 a kilo and he sells it to Frank Lucas $25,000.00 a kilo. Also in Real life Frank Lucas was never on a drug flight. He was on a four day civilian flight. Ike Atkinson got passports for Frank Lucas and his family and he toured them around in Bangkok,Thailand. The U.S. Government had some U.S. soldiers stationed there during the Vietnam War. Leslie Ike Atkinson was born November 19th,1925 and he passed away November11th,2014. Ike Atkinson was eight days shy of being eighty nine years old when he passed away. Frank Lucas was born September 9th,1930 and he passed away on May30th,2019. Frank Lucas was eighty eight years old when he passed away. When Ike Atkinson was seventeen years old he forged a letter of his mother's signature and he took it to army recruiter and he joined the military. Ike Atkinson was a master sergeant for twenty years in the military. He was in the military from late 1942-1962. When he retired he lived on U.S. Navy Bases in Europe from 1962-1966. Then he lived on U.S. Navy Base in Bangkok,Thailand from 1967-1974. From 1968-1971 Frank Lucas bought his dope in SouthEast Asia from Ike Atkinsons nephew Larry Drake Atkinson. Then from 1972-1974 Larry Drake Atkinson turned over to his Uncle Leslie Ike Atkinson. Lew Rice a real life retired drug enforcement agent did an investigation into Frank Lucas claims that he snitched on Crooked police only. In real life not one alleged dirty cop was ever indicted or named and not one alleged dirty cop was impeached or was forced to resign. He snitched on African American Gangsters only. He snitched on LeRoy Butler and Freddy Meyers. Frank Lucas claimed that what got him to engage in petty crime and graduate to organized crime is when was six years old he watched the Ku Klux Klan kill his 12 year old cousin Obadiah Jones. Lew Rice did an investigation into that story and that never happened to his family member. I read the book Sergeant Smack. The book is more accurate than the movie.

He became flamboyant 1 time at the fight, and everything went south

TRUE STORY ! - I was in the American Gangster movie as an Extra...I can be seen for a SPLIT SECOND ! 😂😂😂

Wearing the fancy outfit didn't help, but Frank was already being noticed by the authorities well before that, according to real life investigator Richie Roberts.

I Appreciate Your Transparency in Description

To compare his earnings to Pablo escobar who made 400 Million a week during the cocaine epidemic, really makes Frank Lucas look like bread crumbs

The way Denzel carried himself as frank in the beginning of the film as amazing acting. I was convinced he was the king pin Lucas

Considering all the lives this man destroyed, he should never have been released from prison.

The article video is made by someone tucked away in the suburbs, safe, grew up living off the wealth of his family. Took some articles from Google and Wikipedia and all of the sudden he's the king of the in and outs of the hood lol.

It seems like they told the truth in the movie, they just deleted some things or just didnt tell that part. The movie would've been 4 plus hours...they did a great job in depicting Frank Lucus life of crime

One can't take movies from a literal sense.

Imagine if Frank never went to the boxing match

It was Frank Matthews...and will always be Frank Matthews💯

Damn you really broke it down,, props to your Chanel,, it's a crazy world we live in,,

Growing up in the early 80’s and seeing what was happening it’s pretty unreal. I grew up on block that had nothing but prostitution, drug dealing and more. Back in that time the Italian mafia ruled many streets of NYC. Still wouldn’t trade those years for now.

2:18 omg that’s horrible, i never knew that happened to him at 6

If you think frank had no $$$$$ in the end you’re delusional.

Isn't it strange, that so many movies and stories have been written about, white and Italian gangster "Scarface" Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, "Bugs" Moran (AKA Jack "Legs" Diamond), and "Dutch" Schultz., Bugsy Siegel, yet when a story is told about a black successful gangster, the world as we know it in America goes crazy trying to find ways to prove a black man can not be successful at anything. I have never seen one move, not one that told the complete truth story about any American gangster,it's called creative freedom only when it's a black gangster only when it's a black person no matter what you're successful at main stream America will find away to tear that person and achievements down

What an amazing narrator. No bullshit, no unnecessary commentary and jumping around words. Well done!

Lucas mentioned that he had more than 10 million dollars in case in his home at the time of the police raid on his home. But the police said that they only "found" about 1 million. When cop's find that much untraceable cash in a raid, what do you think happens to low paid cop's who see & feel large volumes of ready cash that is untraceable? They throw away their pistols out of the holsters, and stuff every hole, nook, and cranny full of cash. Probably used the trunks of police car's to haul away the loot. In Detroit during the early 1970's. the Metro Detroit area was suffering through a "toilet paper shortage". Even though there was a Scott Paper Company Factory in a SW neighborhood called Delray, that made toilet paper there. Once a nearby rail yard with boxcar's full.of TP were broken into, the rail insurance company calls the boxcar full of remaining goods a total loss. I've personally witnessed 4 marked Detroit Police car's pull into the trainyard, and load up case's of toilet paper, and I followed them to the nearby 4th precinct police parking lot. Watched each officer transfer the stolen toilet paper case's into their personal vehicles. In broad daylight. So having New York police officers looking at millions of dollar's of untraceable cash - Welcome to the greatest place on earth. It was indeed Disneyland in Harlem that day.

Thanks for the story. Amazing that the guy lived so long without being whacked.

Cuba Goodings Jr,s portrayal of Nicky Barnes was horseshit. Nicky Barnes was a personality on to itself that really deserves its own separate story.

Very nice docu! Thanks

Keep these coming 💪🏿

Man!! All these people that KNOW Frank Lucas! Amazing! I want all your autographs! 🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥

Nothing in the movie was a lie , Frank was & is still alive he was a part of the entire movie 🎥. They even said they had to keep Frank off set because he was cussing out everybody when he didn't like something 🤣🤣

Frank Lucas can never be broke

Lived a good life to tell it and have a movie, family must be collecting royalties 💪🏾

So basically, what I get from this video is that Frank Lucas was not the head of the organization like the movie portrayed him to be. He also was a lot less modest than Denzel Washington, and he had a lot more help than they made it seem.

The superfly fur coat became a target, a bull's eye for law enforcement to focus on. Criminals should never stand out in a crowd. You become a magnet to every and all police & FBI badges.

Frank is like Godfather dress well talk smart and toughness

In the movie, when Nate (Leslie Atkinson's character) was discussing a deal with a supplier in Bangkok, he was asked: "Is he your cousin?" To which Nate replied: "He's my ex-wife's cousin."

Frank Lucas couldn't even reach Frank Matthews toes.....paid $1million in bail and ghosted on em

I love watching videos of about old stories

Damm!!!... That's crazy I can only imagine what it would be like to have lived his life???...

Dude was one of the biggest snitches in the history of the drug game.

Leslie knew every black man in the Army? Wow

"In some houses there was no light and water, because the rats ruined the communications" what?

We all leave with nothing. Make no mistake. Live now. Live in the moment. Just saying 😮

Most movies never tell the real story. Some do most do not.

One of the best movies

Extremely interesting and informative.

If he got 50 million taken from him, he definitely was a big time king pin

Also they specifically mention how Frank and his "cousin" were actually related by marriage was in the movie.

Its amazing how they allowed the MoB to still operate but took down the black enterprises. The MOB still has power from their criminal activity

I appreciate this story, it's detailed. However if you ever watched any movie that was based on a true story they always add parts to the movie, for entertainment purposes. Lucas did lie on a lot of stuff but one couldn't tell if it was Lucas lying or the director adding to the movie for excitement.

The movie was better than the realities you are looking for great job Denzel and the production team

Don’t say he was left with nothing-- there is more to life than material things - get ya mind right

He had a Driver every where he go. That man had more money than Italians. He was there plug

Josh Brolin done a terrific job in American Gangster

Frank has to answer to God, and God doesn't play.

One of the best scenes ever. What you gona shoot me in front of all these people?..... Yup..

*Really nice gangster documentary very well done*

Frank Lucas looks like J Z then sometimes Dr Dre

Doesn't seem like that bad of a changes with the truth. All movies based on reality tend to change up some small details cuz in order for the audience to not get confused or just miss small details. Great movie either way.