American Gangster Page #6

They work for me, now.

I predict it when I meet Joe Frazier,

this will be like a good amateur

fighting a real professional.

This will be like a kid

out of the Olympics...

That's gonna be Ali in three.

C'mon, cat, you dig it?

- You're fightin Joe Frazier.

- It's no depth, and besides the point.

He's on pot, man.

- Look at Frazier.

- Ali's craftsman, baby.

- I'll stop you.

- Stop me? You?

How soon? What round?

- No, don't let him obligate you.

- 1 to 10.

You'll be out. I'll win.

Time out.

March 8, 1971.

Here we are at Madison Square Garden

for the fight of the century.

And by anybody's definition,

this is a happening.

There are handshakes, and of course,

there are utterly beautiful women.

But behind the smiles

and the handshakes,

you can feel the atmosphere

so heavy with tension

it's almost unbearable.

Everybody's who's anybody is here.

Like Sinatra, like Graziano.

David Roth and Diahann Carroll.

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton.

The celebrities are pouring in.

The way you all build it up,

Life Magazine cover,

Time Magazine,

everybody gives their opinion.

Joe Louis here says I'll lose.

When Joe Louis says I'm gonna lose,

I know I feel wonderful.

Joe Louis always picks the wrong man.

Float like a butterfly,

sting like a bee!

Not watching the fight, Bob?

I'm not into boxing.

It ain't boxing, kid.

It's politics.

I got something for you too.

A coat? For me?

Do you like it?

The coat? Yeah, it's nice.

What do you think?

- Yeah.

- You sure?

Over here, Sammy!

Hey, Sammy, get'em up!

Joe Louis, over here!

How's it goin, Frank?

Ladies and gentlemen,

we have quite a list of introductions.

We are now going to introduce people

from all endeavors of life.

And not just show people,

because everyone's in here tonight.

Let's go, take your seats now.

C'mon!

Main event.

- Here they come!

- Ali!

Fifteen rounds for the undisputed

Heavyweight

Championship of the World!

Go, Ali!

From Louisville, Kentucky,

- he's wearing red trunks.

- Champ!

- This is Frank Lucas.

- He weighs 213 pounds.

Here is Muhammad

Ali!

His opponent

from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

he's wearing green trunks.

Who's that laughing with Cattano?

How'd he get

so f***in close to the ring?

The heavyweight

champion of the world,

Joe Frazier!

You gonna keep that hat on all night?

I'll miss the fight.

You paid for it.

Joe, over here!

This guy's a supplier at most,

or just a pimp.

- Otherwise we'd know about him.

- His tickets were phenomenal.

Better seats than Dominic Cattano.

Joe Louis shook his hand.

Who the f*** is this guy?

What's this?

That's the plate of the limo.

Check with the company

who rented it.

Right there, Mr. Lucas!

Right there.

Picture here!

Looking good, Frank!

Congratulations!

She's the most beautiful bride

I've ever seen.

That's my sunshine right there,

Mr. Williams.

I wish Bumpy couldve met her.

Get a picture.

Now come here, baby.

- What's happening?

- Sit tight.

Congratulations, Frank.

Detective.

You're sure you did the right thing?

I mean, she's a beautiful

- girl and all. Don't get me wrong.

- Hey, listen.

Before you say anything

about me or my wife,

understand this is

the most important day of my life.

I understand,

a man walks around in a $50,000

chinchilla coat

and never even bought me

a cup of coffee...

there's something wrong there.

You pay your bills, Frank?

- Don't know what you're sayin.

- Pay your bills?

If you're not getting your share,

you should go talk to your chief.

What's my share?

Cause you don't f***in know me.

- Maybe I am special.

- You are special.

Do you see that right there?

Special Investigations Unit.

Special.

Get it?

Ten grand, first of each month,

deliver right here.

- Are you done?

- Yeah, I'm done.

Don't forget your card.

Have a f***in nice honeymoon.

Let's go.

His name is Frank Lucas,

originally from Greensboro,

North Carolina.

Couple of arrests years ago,

gambling and unlicensed firearm.

For fifteen years,

he was Bumpy Johnson's driver.

Bodyguard and collector.

He was with him when he died.

He's got five brothers.

He's the oldest.

And a lot of cousins.

They all live up here now,

spread throughout

the five boroughs in Jersey.

The brothers are Dexter,

- What can I do for you?

- In Brooklyn, a dry cleaner.

Picking up.

Melvin in Queens has a custom

furniture and fire door business.

- This one here?

- Right there.

Terrence in Newark

has a hardware store.

Turner in the Bronx has a tire shop.

And Huey Lucas in Bergen County

has a body shop.

Is there a manager here?

- That's my price.

- I'll take it somewhere else.

These businesses are the distribution

and collection points

for Frank's dope,

and Frank's money.

Everything about Frank's life

seems unpretentious,

orderly and legitimate.

Starts early, gets up at 5 am.

Has breakfast in a diner in Harlem

every morning

usually by himself.

Then starts work.

Takes a meeting with the accountant,

or his lawyer.

At night, he usually stays at home,

and if he does go out,

it's to one of two clubs, or a handful

of restaurants with his new wife.

Ball players, friends

musicians, never, never,

organized crime guys.

Sundays,

he takes his mother to church.

Then he drives out

and he changes the flowers

on Bumpy's grave.

Every Sunday no matter what.

Not your typical day in the life

of a dope man, Richie.

Bumpy's life wasn't typical either,

and he ran Harlem for years.

You're saying that Frank Lucas

replaced Bumpy Johnson?

- Yeah.

- His driver?

Sounds a little far-fetched.

But is it?

Because everything he does...

Handing out turkeys.

He does the same

as Bumpy would've done.

Who was Bumpy most likely to teach?

The guy he sees every day.

It's like a Sicilian family.

He structured his organization

to protect him in the same way.

And if he was with Bumpy for so long,

that means he would've spent

a lot of time with Italians,

definitively long enough

to learn that much.

But here's the thing.

I don't think it's Frank Lucas

we're after.

Who we want

is whoever Lucas is working for.

Whoever is bringing the heroin in.

Okay.

So, what do you have on him

that'll stick in court?

Because this isn't it.

Without powder,

without informants,

no one's going to jail.

That's understood, Sir,

I don't think we'll get

informants,

not from inside the family.

Unless we get very, very lucky.

That's it down there.

Let's all join hands.

Lord, we thank you for this food

we're about to receive

the nourishment of our bodies.

Fill our souls with heavenly grace,

in Jesus' name, and for his sake.

- Amen.

- Amen!

It's OK.

Come on.

It's OK.

- Better ready yourself.

- C'mon, big man, throw the ball.

- C'mon.

- Get yourself ready, ol' man.

C'mon, now.

C'mon, now.

I'm going to set your ass

in the grass, Uncle Melvin.

Watch your mouth, boy,

and throw the ball.

Damn, Uncle Melvin,

I gonna pitch that out field.

Come here.

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