Frank Lucas involement with the mob in the movie American Gangster - Essay Example

And in order to achieve that, he got his 100% pure dope directly from source in Bangkok, where opium plants were also cultivated. Accordingly, he could sell this high quality dope at a lower price. He branded his own product as “Blue Magic” which became the number one brand of heroin in Harlem and other cities in the US. Frank Lucas: The "Original American Gangster” 3 Frank Lucas: The "Original American Gangster” And His Conflict with Italian Mafia 1“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the State will show and you will hear that Frank Lucas is the most dangerous man walking the streets of our city” - Det.

Richie Roberts. Frank Lucas is one of the most successful heroin importers in US. What made Frank being successful was his unique marketing strategy. He thinks and acts like an executive officer. He realized that he could only achieve success once he breaks the monopoly of Italian Mafia held in New York. In order to do that, he went to Bangkok, Thailand and directly contracted with the supplier. As a result, he was sure to have 100% heroin and he could even distribute it at a lower price by cutting off the middlemen.

Frank Lucas was then one of the most intellectual US heroin dealers who also created his own business empire, a crime organization operated in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. 1 “He's structured his organization to protect him in the same way” - Det. Richie Roberts. Frank builds his empire with family, uprooting brothers and cousins. Frank Lucas branded his very own product as “Blue Magic” which he guaranteed to be 98 – 100% pure. “Blue Magic” which has a really good quality was sold at a cheaper price compared with the other products.

It eventually became famous and even hit the top of the competition, which also distressed the monopoly of Italian Mafia. This was alarming for Italian Mafia. And so Dominic Catanno from the same gang met up with Frank to talk about the monopoly and the other dairy farmers or the other drug dealers who were left behind the competition. And so at the end of their discussion, they had a deal that Frank will consider distributing them his very own “Blue Magic” at $50,000 per Kilo. Frank Lucas: The "Original American Gangster” 4 In the film I didn't really see too many conflicts between Frank and the Mafia except for an issue on drug monopoly.

Since the Italian Mafia do not want any competition as what Dominic Cattano said “1No, I just think monopolies were made illegal in the country, Frank, 'cause nobody wants to compete, you know. Nobody wants to compete, not with a monopoly.” Just as the nature of monopoly, where there is a single distributor to eliminate competition and prices are set and manipulated. However, Frank as free and fearless as he is does not like the idea. He rather dealt with Mafia being their supplier of “Blue Magic” rather than getting into monopoly with them.

My perception of Frank Lucas base on his conflict with Mafia is he is not only fearless, but he is also smart and he knows what success means and how to get it right. He has a very strong will and a strong character that also attributed to his great success. And I think, this great success still turn Mafia as his enemies in the end as the group almost killed his wife. 1“Success. It's got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.”