Denzel Washington American Gangster Based On True Events?

The first thing to confirm is that “American Gangster” Frank Lucas was indeed a real person who built a drug empire and was sentenced to 60 years in prison when caught. But the film doesn’t show Frank’s connection to Bumpy Johnson (a powerful criminal boss who preceded him).

Denzel Washington American Gangster Based On True Events?

Frank is seen as an ally to Bumpy and his mentor until he died from complications in the middle of a store selling electrical appliances. Johnson’s wife, Mayme Hatcher Johnson, disputed the relationship in a 2019 interview with Planet Ill, explaining that Bumpy and Frank were not as close as the film portrayed.

“Frank Lucas was never accepted in Bumpy’s circle, and to me, it’s just based on a lot of lies, from what I’ve seen on BET and movie trailers.” She also added that Frank was not present at the time of Bumpy’s death: “I was in the house and he had just left me and we had watched the ‘Lawrence Welk Show’ that night and he decided to ride out with Junie Byrd and that’s where he died, well that’s where he had his heart attack. He died on his way to Harlem Hospital.” This was brought to Lucas’ attention shortly after in an interview with VLAD TV. He refused to argue against Mayme Hatcher Johnson’s statement, only adding, “I worked for Bumpy Johnson 13 years, nine months and eight days,” not the 15 years stated in the film.

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