Original Gangster

My Life as NYC's Biggest Baddest Drugs Baron

Frank Lucas

$32.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Ebury Press
02 April 2012

Autobiography: general; Organised crime

The amazing story of the original gangster, drug dealer and overlord, Frank Lucas

Criminals are not born in a vacuum, and Frank Lucas is no exception. At the age of six he watched his cousin die in a lynching and in that moment of Southern brutality, Frank Lucas, notorious gangster, billion-dollar-heroin importer and true-life inspiration for the film American Gangster was born.

Original Gangster is the story of the most notorious black gangster to ever rule the streets of New York. He went from running numbers in the 50s, to importing millions of dollars of heroin in the 70s, before losing it all at the hands of a snitch. This is the ultimate tale of ambition, hubris and downfall. The original O.G., Lucas has gone down in history for his infamous business measure of cutting out middlemen in the drug trade, buying heroin directly from its source in Southeast Asia, and then smuggling it back in the coffins of dead US servicemen.

Seven years of Lucas' life were dramatised for the Hollywood blockbuster American Gangster, but this is the first time that the mythical figure tells the story himself. The book delves even further into his extraordinary story, showing just what a folk hero Lucas is to contemporary urban audiences. It's a brutally honest account of a gangster and his times.

By: Frank Lucas
Imprint: Ebury Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 125mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 219g
ISBN: 9780091928674
ISBN 10: 0091928672
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 02 April 2012
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Frank Lucas was born in 1930 in La Grange, North Carolina and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. Lucas is a former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who was based in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was particularly known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly from his source in Southeast Asia. He is the subject of the 2007 film American Gangster. Lucas has been jailed twice, and was most recently released in 1991.

Reviews for Original Gangster: My Life as NYC's Biggest Baddest Drugs Baron

A gripping, unrepentant restimony of a controversial figure. * Shortlist * Lucas spins a yarn that gives a new view of Black history that's good enough to be paired with an outdoor porch, a few lazy hours and a cold beer on a warm Saturday night. * Ebony Magazine *