What Scarface did for kids, growing up in the 1980s, American Gangster did for kids, growing up in the 2000s. The difference is that the man, Frank Lucas, was a real person. His life and exploits were all brought to life by Denzel Washington, who played the heck out of it.
That portrayal immortalized Frank Lucas, despite disputes of how factual his actions really were. But, Frank Lucas did amass millions, during the 1980s drug trade. In his documentary, Lucas explained his entrance into narcotics as simply him wanting to become rich.
Frank Lucas managed to live two different lives, both of which were highly successful. The first time around, Frank was a gangster, eventually paying for his crimes, in prison. In his later years, Frank was reformed, becoming something of a TV personality, and author, but died today at 88, as Twitter pays respects.
