Original Gangster

The Real Life Story of One of America's Most Notorious Drug Lords

By: Frank Lucas, Aliya S. King

Narrated by: Cary Hite

In his own words, real life American Gangster Frank Lucas recounts his life as the former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who ran Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Determined to break the Italian mafia’s monopoly over drug smuggling in New York, Frank cut out middlemen and began smuggling heroin into the United States directly from his source in Vietnam using the coffins of dead American soldiers. Making $1 million per day from his "Blue Magic", the purest heroin on the street, Frank Lucas became one of the most powerful crime lords of his time, while rubbing shoulders with the elite in entertainment, politics, and crime. This powerful memoir reveals what really happened to the man whose rise and fall was dramatized in the 2007 feature film American Gangster, exposing a startling look at the world of organized crime.

Frank Lucas is a former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who operated in Harlem during the 1960s and 1970s whose career was the focus of the 2007 film American Gangster.

Aliya S. King was co-author of the New York Times best-seller Keep the Faith. She has held editorial positions with Billboard and The Source. Her articles have appeared in such magazines as Essence, Ms., Vibe, Vibe Vixen, Uptown, CMJ: New Music Monthly, Teen People, Black Enterprise, and many others. She is currently a senior writer for Giant magazine and a contributing editor for Upscale magazine.

©2010 Frank Lucas with Aliya S. King (P)2010 Blackstone Publishing and Urban Audiobooks LLC.

Critic reviews

“From a sharecropper’s shack in North Carolina to the top of Harlem’s drug trade, Lucas recounts his eventful life in vivid detail. After witnessing his cousin’s murder by the Klan in 1936, Lucas began stealing food for his family at age six, graduated to assault and robbery, and made his way to Harlem in 1944 at age 14….With journalist King’s aid, Lucas is a straightforward yet compelling narrator, never making excuses for his life of crime, though he has come to regret it.” ( Publishers Weekly)

A must Read!!

This book is great, Frank Lucas does all the narrating and you can hear and feel the passion in his voice. If you liked the movie you will love the book.

American Gangster

A fascinating narrative from one of America's misguided children. Frank and candid, very honest. Interesting.

Loved the story

I absolutely loved it! Now I want to watch the movie again. Cary Hite great job as usual

Good Listen

Very engaging and read well by the narrator. Excellent portrayal of characters and it was very easy for the story to come alive. The validity of some facts in the story, however, are highly debated.

An interesting life

A candid look into HIS view of his life and how he lived it on his own terms. I appreciated the fact that at some point in his life, he realized that his wealth came at a “human price”.

Blueprint

Very interesting hear . I see why so many culture artist looked up to him . frank lived the American Dream.

Honestly Honest and Raw

The book is always better than the movie, but Denzel really did a wonderful job portraying this great man.

An American Prodigy

The story of Frank Lucas would have been much different, had he not taken his life into his own young hands. What he did with it, was truly amazing. He is no villain of society.

BOY!

Coming from a time and place where learning, listening, working hard had tiny steps that once taken , you could plant your feet in many places, Respectful thinking had it's own rewards! Saying what one meaned and meaning what what what said,most times was the most valuable lesson's life had to offer! Following the slow "HUSTLE" BUILDED ME UP PIECE BY PIECE! ACCEPTING FAILURE WAS A BUMP IN THE ROAD! BEING SATISFIED AND WILLING TO SHARE PLACED VALUE ON A SPARE PAIR SHOESTRINGS THEN A STOLEN PAIR A SHOES THAT NEVER QUITE FIT!
YES! MR. FRANK LUCUS. YOU DIDN'T "WIN", YOU DIDN'T BREAK "EVEN" AND YOU NEVER GOT OUT OF THE GAME!

Good read/listen

Overall a good book better than the movie. Gave more details about his personal life and not just the drugs he sold.