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  • Original Gangster

  • The Real Life Story of One of America's Most Notorious Drug Lords
  • Written by: Frank Lucas, Aliya S. King
  • Narrated by: Cary Hite
  • Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (113 ratings)

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Original Gangster cover art

Original Gangster

Written by: Frank Lucas, Aliya S. King
Narrated by: Cary Hite
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Publisher's Summary

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.

What the critics say

“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)

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It was way better than the story from the movie

The movie version did not do his story justice. I'm glad I found this book and didn't rely on the movie.

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  • cj
  • 2023-08-23

So wrong.....

for so many reasons!! Do not understand the support of this TRUE story full of blame, poor decisions, killing and drugs. Don't blame the past for your decisions today. Step up to the plate, and be responsible! You have the power to change directions for the better. One person can make a difference.

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Better than the movie!

Outstanding audiobook! Frank Lucas is one bad Mother.......!! The Grapefruits on this guy to South East Asia Vietnam and Laos, during that time is nuts!🤪

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Incredible

Amazing story
So engaging
Finished in about 24 hrs
Great read wish it didn’t end

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Amazing

Amazing story, told amazingly. I enjoyed this book very much and I haven’t seen the movie yet.

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Entertaining

One of my favourite true crime books I’ve ever read/listened to. Narrator and story was great, not a dull moment in the whole thing. I highly recommend this title.

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great story from front to back, and great narrator

the narrater Cary Hite did an amazing job on this.. And great story all the way through.

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Great read!

I love biographies and this was a great one. I was entertained from beginning to end. Carey hite is a good narrator, some of his accents crack me up.

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Great listen!

This listen really takes you through his whole life and wow, it was truly one of hard work, following one’s dreams, and choosing everything one wants

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Interesting deep dive the film didn't show

Lol Should he have leaned so hard into the accents? Haha who's to say, either way great book about one of my favourite true crime stories. Definitely recommend!

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