Up next in 10
He controlled 21 states. He moved $300 million a year in drugs. Then on July 2, 1973, Frank Matthews walked away with $20 million in cash and was never seen again. This is the story of America's most powerful Black drug lord—a man whose name you've probably never heard, but who built an empire that rivaled the Italian mafia itself.
Frank Matthews did what seemed impossible in the 1970s: he cut out the mob, dealt directly with international cartels, and became the first Black kingpin to operate on a truly national scale. He supplied Nicky Barnes, controlled cities from New York to California, and lived like royalty while the DEA watched helplessly. But when they finally arrested him, he posted $5 million bail in cash—and then vanished into thin air.
For 50 years, investigators have searched for answers. Is he alive on a tropical island? Buried in an unmarked grave? Living under a new identity? The truth remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American crime history. This documentary explores his rise from nothing, his audacious empire, and the disappearance that still haunts the DEA to this day.
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Keywords: Frank Matthews, drug kingpin disappeared, true crime documentary, DEA most wanted, unsolved mysteries, Black Godfather, 1970s crime, French Connection, fugitive never found, criminal empire, Nicky Barnes, organized crime history
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0:00
Al Capone may have ruled Chicago with an iron fist during prohibition. Pablo Escobar may have built a cocaine empire
0:07
that terrorized Colombia for decades, but when it came to the American drug trade in the early 1970s, there was only
0:14
one name that mattered. Frank Matthews. You might not be familiar with his name.
0:19
Yet, he was the most powerful black drug kingpin America had ever seen. From 1968
0:25
to 1973, he was considered the undisputed overlord of narcotics
0:30
distribution across 21 states, a sprawling territory where he held absolute control over the flow of heroin
0:36
and cocaine from New York to California. Want to move weight in Philadelphia? You
0:42
had to go through Frank Matthews. Want to operate in Detroit? You had to go through Frank Matthews. one to supply
0:48
dealers in Atlanta, Cleveland, or Las Vegas. You had to go through Frank Matthews. Even the legendary Nikki
0:55
Barnes, whose story inspired the film American Gangster, was purchasing his product from Matthews, a D agent who
1:03
investigated him for years, said Frank Matthews was the only man I ever encountered who truly scared the Italian
1:09
mafia. They couldn't control him, couldn't intimidate him, and couldn't compete with him. At his peak, Matthews
1:16
was moving over 100 kg of heroin and cocaine every single month, generating an estimated $300 million annually. In
1:24
today's money, that's approximately $2 billion a year. At a time when the Italian mob controlled virtually every
1:31
aspect of organized crime in America, Frank Matthews was the exception to the rule. He cut them out entirely, dealt
1:38
directly with suppliers in South America and Europe, and built an empire that made him untouchable. But before
1:44
becoming the first black drug kingpin to operate on a truly national scale, he
1:49
like many others started at the very bottom. Here is his story. Frank Larry
1:56
Matthews was born on February 13th, 1944 in Darham, North Carolina. During this
2:03
time, the American South remained deeply segregated, a place where opportunities
2:09
for young black men were scarce, and futures were often predetermined by the color of their skin. His mother died
2:15
when Frank was just a child. The loss hollowed him out in ways that would never fully heal. His father, unable or
2:23
unwilling to raise the boy alone, sent young Frank to live with various relatives. He bounced from house to
2:29
house, never belonging anywhere, always the extra mouth to feed. By the age of
2:34
13, Frank stood nearly 6 ft tall, already carrying himself with the quiet
2:39
intensity of someone who had learned early that vulnerability was dangerous. He didn't talk much about his mother,
2:45
didn't cry, didn't ask for sympathy. Instead, he watched. He learned a
2:52
calculated. One afternoon in the summer of 1957, Frank sat on the porch of his
2:58
aunt's house in Darham, watching as a man in an expensive suit pulled up in a gleaming Cadillac. The man was a numbers
3:04
runner, someone who made his living in the underground economy that thrived in neighborhoods where legitimate
3:11
opportunities did unexist. His aunt stepped onto the porch, wiping her hands
3:16
on her apron. "That's no life for anyone," she said, following Frank's gaze. That man's going to end up dead or
3:23
in prison. Frank didn't respond, but his eyes never left the Cadillac. You
3:29
listening to me, boy? Yes, ma'am. You got a chance to make something of
3:34
yourself the right way. Education,
3:39
hard work. Frank nodded. But Ebenten at 13 years old, he understood something
3:46
his aunt didn't. Hard work and education were luxuries for people who had time and opportunity. He had neither. What he
3:54
had was hunger, intelligence, and an unwillingness to accept the limited options presented to him. This moment
4:02
crystallized something in Frank's mind. The path to power didn't run through classrooms or factories. It ran through
4:09
the streets. By 15, Frank dropped out of school and left North Carolina entirely.
4:15
He made his way north to Brooklyn, New York. in 1959. Carrying everything he
4:21
owned in a single bag, Brooklyn in the late 50s was a different world. Dense,
4:26
chaotic, humming with energy and danger. For a teenager with no connections and no safety net, it should have been
4:33
overwhelming. Instead, Frank felt like he'd finally come home. He found work wherever he could get it. Legitimate
4:41
jobs that barely paid enough to cover rent in the cramped apartment he shared with three other men. loading trucks,
4:48
washing dishes, manual labor that left his back aching and his pockets empty. But Frank wasn't working these jobs to
4:55
build a career. He was working them to survive while he studied the real business happening on the streets around
5:00
him. And that's how Frank Matthews found himself in the drug trade. The numbers racket and drug dealing in Brooklyn
5:06
operated on a hierarchical system controlled almost entirely by Italian organized crime families. The Columbos,
5:13
the Gambinos, the Lucaz. They owned the supply chains, set the prices, and
5:19
decided who got to eat and who starved. Black dealers existed at the bottom of this food chain. Middlemen who took all
5:25
the risk for a fraction of the profit. Frank started exactly where everyone expected him to. In 1963,
5:32
at 19 years old, he began dealing heroin in small quantities in better. He worked
5:38
for a local dealer named Max, a nervous, twitchy man who constantly looked over
5:43
his shoulder. One evening in October 1963, Frank sat in the back of a bar on
5:48
Norand Avenue. Max paced back and forth, smoking his third cigarette in 10
5:54
minutes. The Italians are raising prices again, Max said. Third time this year.
6:00
Frank watched him carefully. So raise your prices. I raise my prices. I lose customers. I
6:08
keep them low. I make nothing. You understand? We're getting squeezed from
6:13
both sides, then go around them. Max stopped pacing and stared at Frank like
6:18
he'd suggested flying to the moon. Go around them? You know what happens to people who try to go around them? I know
6:25
what happens to people who stay on their knees, Frank said quietly. Max's hand
6:31
trembled as he lit another cigarette. You don't know what you're talking about, kid. You're smart, but you got no
6:38
idea how this works. But Frank did know. He understood the mathematics of power
6:43
perfectly. The Italians controlled the supply because no one challenged them. Not because they couldn't be challenged,
6:49
because everyone was too afraid to try. This decision would change everything.
6:55
Over the next year, Frank saved every dollar he could. He watched, listened,
7:00
and built relationships with other dealers who chafed under the Italian monopoly. He learned about supply
7:05
chains, about how the heroine traveled from Turkey and France into New York through carefully guarded channels, and
7:12
he learned that these channels weren't as secure as everyone believed. By 1965,
7:17
Frank had scraped together enough money to make his first independent purchase. He didn't go through the Italian
7:23
middleman. Instead, he connected with a Cuban smuggler named Carlos, operating out of Miami, who had access to cocaine
7:30
and heroin coming through South America. The first deal went smoothly. Frank
7:35
bought 5 kg of heroin for $15,000. Money he'd borrowed from three different
7:41
sources. He cut it, packaged it, and distributed it through dealers in Brooklyn who were tired of paying the
7:47
Italian premium. The profit margin was staggering. What would have cost him 25,000 through Italian suppliers cost
7:53
him 15,000 direct from Carlos. Frank tripled his investment in less than a month. He had no idea what was waiting
8:01
for him. Word spread quickly. Too quickly. Within weeks, Frank
8:07
received a message. Dominic Calles, a captain in the Columbbo Crime family,
8:12
wanted to see him. The meeting took place at a social club in Benenhurst. On a cold afternoon in January 1966,
8:20
Frank walked in alone. Knowing full well he might not walk out, Scalazy sat at a
8:26
table in the back. A heavy set man with gray hair and eyes like chips of ice. Two younger men flanked him, their suits
8:34
doing little to hide the weapons underneath. "Sit down, Frank." Frank said, "You know
8:40
why you're here." "I got an idea," Scalaci smiled. But there was no warmth
8:47
in it. "You've been doing business. Good business from what I hear. The problem
8:52
is you've been doing it without showing respect to the people who run things in this city. Didn't realize selling to my
8:59
own people in my own neighborhood required permission. One of the younger men stepped forward, but Scalazy raised
9:05
a hand. You got balls, kid. I respect that, but balls without brains get you
9:12
killed. You understand what I'm saying? Frank met his gaze without blinking. I understand you're used to people paying
9:19
you for the privilege of making money, but I'm not selling on your corners or undercutting your people. I'm serving a
9:25
market you don't care about. Every market in New York is our market. Then you're spread too thin to control all of
9:32
them properly. The room went silent. The two younger men exchanged glances.
9:39
No one spoke to Dominic Scalazy this way. However, things were about to change. Scales leaned back in his chair,
9:46
studying Frank with renewed interest. You really think you can operate in this city without us? I think I already am.
9:54
Scales laughed, a genuine sound that seemed to surprise even himself. All right, Frank. I'll make you a deal. You
10:01
can keep doing your thing, but you pay us a taste. 20% of whatever you move. 5%
10:10
15 7 and I expand into Harlem without stepping on anyone's toes. They're
10:16
either you get 7% of an operation that's about to get much bigger. Scalazy
10:21
considered this finally. He nodded. 10%.
10:27
And if you screw me, they'll never find your body. Deal. They shook hands and
10:33
Frank walked out of that social club with something no other black dealer in New York had. a negotiated agreement
10:39
with the Italian mob rather than complete subordination to it. But Frank Matthews had no idea this was just the
10:46
beginning. Throughout 1966 and 1967, Frank expanded aggressively. He brought
10:52
in partners, other ambitious dealers who saw the opportunity to break free from the traditional power structure. He
10:58
established connections in Philadelphia through a dealer named Milton Bud Herrell. In Baltimore through Clarence
11:04
Peewee Brown and in Detroit through a crew led by Jesse and Audrey Cole. The
11:09
operation grew from moving 5 kg a month to 20 then 50. Frank's reputation grew
11:16
along with it. He was known for three things. Paying his debts immediately,
11:21
never cutting his product too thin, and dealing swiftly with anyone who tried to cheat him. In early 1968, Frank made the
11:28
connection that would transform him from a successful regional dealer into a national kingpin. At a nightclub in
11:34
Harlem, he met a man named Louise Mickey Munoz, a representative for the Corsacan Organized Crime Network operating out of
11:41
Marseilles, France. The Corsacans controlled what was known as the French Connection, the primary pipeline of
11:47
heroin from Turkey through France into the United States. Mickey was in New York looking for new distributors,
11:54
someone who could move serious volume without attracting the attention that was starting to plague the Italian
11:59
families. Frank and Mickey talked for hours that first night. How much can you
12:04
move in a month? Mickey asked, "How much can you supply?" Mickey smiled. More
12:11
than you can imagine. The question is whether you can handle it. Try me 100 kg
12:18
every month. Can you distribute that across your network? Frank didn't hesitate. Yes, the Italians won't like
12:26
it. The Italians don't control me. This was the moment Frank Matthews became
12:32
something unprecedented in American organized crime. He established a direct relationship with international
12:38
suppliers, completely cutting out the Italian middlemen who had controlled the drug trade for decades. The first
12:44
shipment arrived in March 1968. 100 kg of pure heroin. Quality unlike
12:51
anything Frank had ever handled before. The street value, once cut and distributed, exceeded $10 million. Frank
12:58
distributed it through his growing network of dealers across the East Coast. The money flowed back to him in
13:04
waves, more cash than he'd ever imagined. In that first month alone, he cleared over $3 million in profit. Yet,
13:11
Frank Matthews had one card left to play. He called a meeting of the major black drug dealers from cities across
13:17
the East Coast. The gathering took place in a luxury apartment in Manhattan in June 1968.
13:24
A summit that would become legendary in the criminal underworld. Dealers came from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit,
13:31
Cleveland, Chicago, and Atlanta. Men who had been competing against each other,
13:36
undercutting prices, fighting over territory. Frank brought them together with a simple proposition. He stood
13:42
before the assembled group, 23 years old and already commanding a room full of hardened criminals. "We've been doing
13:49
this wrong," Frank began. "We've been fighting each other for scraps while the Italians take the whole pie. I'm
13:55
offering you something different. I'm offering you direct access to the best product at the best prices. No
14:02
middleman, no one taking a cut who doesn't deserve it." A dealer from Philadelphia named Jerome Big Jed
14:09
Jackson spoke up. And what do you get out of this? I get to be the supplier.
14:15
You get independence from the mob and better margins. Everybody wins except the people who've been bleeding us dry
14:21
for decades. Another dealer, this one from Detroit, asked the question everyone was thinking. The Italians are
14:28
going to come at you hard for this. You ready for that war? Frank's expression didn't change. They already know what
14:36
I'm doing and they haven't stopped me yet. This decision would reshape the American drug trade for the next 5
14:42
years. By the end of 1968, Frank Matthews had established what amounted to a drug distribution corporation
14:49
spanning 21 states. He wasn't just a dealer anymore. He was a CEO, managing
14:56
supply chains, coordinating distribution networks, and moving more narcotics than anyone in American history. Outside the
15:03
Italian mafia, he set up legitimate businesses as France, a used car
15:08
dealership in Brooklyn, a dry cleaning operation in Queens, a bar in Harlem.
15:14
Money laundering required infrastructure, and Frank built it methodically. He moved out of Brooklyn
15:19
and into a luxury apartment on Central Park West. He bought custom suits, expensive jewelry, and a fleet of luxury
15:27
cars. At 24 years old, Frank Matthews looked and acted like a legitimate
15:32
businessman. The only difference was that his business generated hundreds of millions of dollars in blood money. The
15:39
scale of his operation was staggering. Every month, shipmans arrived through carefully orchestrated roots. heroin
15:46
from the French Connection, cocaine from connections in South America that Frank had cultivated through Mickey Munaz's
15:53
network. The product moved from New York to a web of distributors who then supplied street level dealers in major
16:00
cities across the country. Frank employed dozens of people directly and controlled the fortunes of hundreds more
16:06
indirectly. He bought loyalty with generous payments and maintained it with calculated violence when necessary. One
16:13
distributor in Cleveland tried to skim money from a shipment in early 1,969.
16:19
The man thought he could steal $50,000 and Frank would never notice in the flood of cash moving through the
16:25
organization. He was wrong. Frank didn't make a scene.
16:30
He didn't threaten or rage. He simply stopped supplying that distributor and spread word through his network about
16:37
what had happened. The man's business dried up within a week. Without access to Frank's supply, he was finished. Two
16:44
weeks later, the man came to New York personally to apologize. Frank met him at his office above the car dealership.
16:51
The man, whose name was Curtis, looked like he hadn't slept in days. Frank, I
16:57
made a mistake. A terrible mistake. I was desperate. I got greedy. I You stole
17:03
from me, Frank said calmly. I know and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll pay it
17:10
back. Every dollar, I swear. Frank studied him for a long moment. Then he
17:16
opened his desk drawer and pulled out a ledger, flipping through pages until he found what he was looking for. You've
17:21
been working with me for 2 years. In that time, you've made approximately $400,000.
17:28
Is that accurate? Curtis nodded miserably. And you threw that away for
17:33
50,000. I wasn't thinking straight. No, you weren't.
17:39
Frank closed the ledger. You can have your supply back, but you're paying double price for the next year. Every
17:47
shipment, you pay twice what everyone else pays. After a year, if you haven't stolen from me again, we go back to
17:53
normal rates. Curtis's eyes widened. Double Frank. That's That's the price of
18:00
trust. Once it's broken, you want to work with me? Those are the terms. You don't like it, there's the door. Curtis
18:08
took the deal. Word of Frank's response spread through the network. The message was clear. Steal from Frank Matthews and
18:15
you might get a second chance, but it would cost you dearly. Most people never got that second chance at all. However,
18:23
things were about to change. By 1970, Frank Matthews was on law enforcement's
18:29
radar in a serious way. The newly formed Drug Enforcement Administration was beginning to understand the scope of his
18:36
operation. Federal agents started building a case, tracking shipments, surveilling associates, following the
18:42
money. But Frank always seemed one step ahead. He used multiple apartments and
18:48
never slept in the same place two nights in a row. He communicated through coded language on phones he assumed were
18:54
tapped. He kept no written records beyond the basic ledgers needed to track his vast operation. and even those were
19:01
coded. His girlfriend, Cheryl Denise Brown, moved with him through this increasingly paranoid world. Cheryl was
19:08
a beautiful woman, tall and elegant, who had met Frank in 1969 and quickly become
19:14
his most trusted companion. Unlike many of the women who gravitated toward powerful men in his world, Cheryl was
19:21
smart, discreet, and utterly loyal. "You're getting too big," she told him
19:26
one night in their penthouse apartment. The bigger you get, the harder you fall. What do you want me to do? Walk away
19:34
from millions of dollars a month. I want you to be smart about this. The Feds
19:39
aren't the Italians. You can't negotiate with them. You can't pay them off. Frank
19:46
knew she was right. But the money, the power, the empire he'd built from nothinget was intoxicating. He'd come
19:53
from Darham with nothing, bounced between relatives who didn't want him, worked jobs that paid pennies. Now he
20:00
controlled an organization that moved more drugs than anyone in America. Walking away seemed impossible. In
20:07
January 1971, Frank made another bold move. He traveled to South America
20:13
personally to establish direct connections with cocaine suppliers in Colombia and Venezuela. The trip was
20:20
risky, but the potential payoff was enormous. In Caracus, he met with a representative of the Colombian cartels,
20:27
a man named Eduardo, who spoke perfect English and wore a Rolex that cost more
20:33
than most people s houses. They sat on a balcony overlooking the city, drinking
20:38
expensive rum. You have an impressive reputation, Mr. Matthews, Eduardo said.
20:44
My associates tell me you're reliable. That's rare in this business. I pay on
20:50
time and I move product fast. That's all that matters indeed. So, let's talk
20:55
numbers. How much cocaine can you move per month? Start with 50 kil. If that
21:01
goes well, we'll double it. Eduardo raised an eyebrow. 50 kg is a
21:07
substantial amount. I have a substantial operation and you can pay in cash.
21:12
Always cash. small bills if you prefer though that takes more suitcases.
21:18
Eduardo laughed. I like you, Frank. You're direct. No games.
21:25
All right, we have a deal. They shook hands on an agreement that would pump hundreds of kilog of cocaine into
21:31
American cities over the next 2 years. Frank was no longer just a heroin distributor. It was a full-ervice
21:37
narcotic supplier, the one-stop shop for dealers across the country. What happened next? shocked even seasoned D
21:44
agents. In May 1972, Frank organized what became known as the Great Party, a
21:51
legendary gathering in Atlanta, Georgia. He rented out an entire luxury hotel and
21:56
invited every major dealer in his network along with their families for a weekend of celebration. Over 40 dealers
22:04
attended from cities across the country. They brought their wives, girlfriends, and children. Frank paid for everything.
22:11
the rooms, the food, the entertainment. There were performances by major R&B
22:17
artists, catered meals that cost thousands of dollars, and an atmosphere of absolute celebration.
22:25
But the party wasn't just about celebrating. It was business. During the day, while families enjoyed the hotel's
22:32
amenities, Frank held meetings with his distributors. He discussed expansion plans, introduced new suppliers,
22:39
mediated disputes, and strengthened the bonds of his organization. Federal agents watching from a distance couldn't
22:46
believe what they were seeing. It was organized crime operating in the open, brazen, and unapologetic. They took
22:52
photographs, documented license plates, and added more charges to the growing case they were building. Frank knew they
22:59
were watching. He didn't care. The party was a message. I'm untouchable. He was
23:06
about to learn how wrong he was. In January 1973,
23:11
the walls started closing in. Multiple federal grand juries began issuing indictments for Frank Matthews and his
23:18
top associates. Charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy, tax evasion,
23:24
and racketeering piled up. On January 16th, 1973, federal agents arrested
23:30
Frank in Las Vegas. They'd caught him during a business trip. Coordinating a major shipment to dealers in California
23:37
and Nevada. The arrest made headlines. The mysterious black drug kingpin, who had operated with impunity for years,
23:44
was finally in custody. Frank was transported back to New York to face charges. The bail hearing took place in
23:50
federal court in Brooklyn on January 19th, 1973.
23:56
Frank's lawyer, a sharp, expensive attorney named David Miller, argued for
24:01
a reasonable bail. Your honor, Mr. Matthews, is a legitimate businessman with extensive ties to the community.
24:08
He's not a flight risk. He has no prior convictions, setting excessive bail
24:14
would be, the prosecutor interrupted. Your honor, the defendant runs a criminal enterprise spanning 21 states.
24:21
He has access to millions of dollars in liquid assets. He has connections in multiple countries. He is absolutely a
24:28
flight risk. The judge, a stern man named Harold Rothwax, reviewed the case
24:34
file. Bail is set at $5 million. 5 million was an astronomical amount in
24:40
1973, equivalent to roughly 35 million today. It was meant to be unpayable, meant to
24:46
keep Frank locked up until trial. Frank posted it in cash within 24 hours. The
24:52
judge was stunned. The prosecutors were furious. Frank walked out of that courthouse a free man while awaiting
24:58
trial. And everyone in the courtroom knew they just made a terrible mistake. But Frank Matthews had no idea he was
25:05
about to make the biggest decision of his life. He had two options. Face trial
25:10
and almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison or run. The evidence against him was overwhelming. Federal
25:17
agents had wire taps. Witness testimony from dealers they'd flipped. financial records they'd seized. His lawyer told
25:24
him privately that conviction was nearly certain. Frank Matthews had built an empire, but empires don't last forever.
25:33
On the morning of July 2nd, 1973, Frank Matthews and Cheryl Denise Brown left
25:38
their apartment in Brooklyn. They told no one where they were going. They took nothing but a few clothes and
25:43
approximately $20 million in cash. Monty Frank had stashed in various locations as insurance against exactly this
25:50
scenario. They drove away from New York City and vanished completely. The disappearance shocked everyone. Federal
25:57
agents couldn't believe a man as high-profile as Frank Matthews could simply evaporate. They tore apart his
26:02
apartments, interviewed hundreds of associates, tracked down family members.
26:08
Nothing. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. No sign of Frank Matthews
26:14
or Cheryl Denas Brown. The D put him on their 15 most wanted list. They issued
26:20
bulletins to law enforcement agencies across the country and in multiple foreign nations. They investigated
26:26
reports of sightings from California to the Caribbean, from South America to Africa. Every lead turned into a dead
26:34
end. To this day, no one knows what happened to Frank Matthews. The theories are numerous and spectacular. Some
26:42
believe he fled to South America and lived out his days in Colombia or Venezuela, protected by the same cartels
26:48
he'd done business with. Others think he went to Africa, possibly Ghana or Liberia, countries with no extradition
26:55
treaties with the United States. Some former associates believe he underwent plastic surgery and lived quietly in
27:02
Canada under an assumed identity. A few D agents who worked the case think he was murdered, possibly by Italian
27:09
mobsters seeking revenge, or by his own associates who wanted to take over his operation and steal the 20 million he
27:16
disappeared with. The most romantic theory is that he and Cheryl settled on a tropical island somewhere. Living on
27:22
the fortune he'd accumulated, far from the reach of American law enforcement. In 1975, 2 years after his
27:28
disappearance, a federal judge declared Frank Matthews a fugitive. His bail was
27:34
forfeited and the legal proceedings against him were suspended indefinitely. His organization without its leader
27:41
crumbled within months. The distributors who depended on him scrambled to establish new supply lines. Many were
27:48
arrested. Others were killed in the power vacuum that followed Frank's disappearance. The empire he' built
27:54
disintegrated like it had never existed. But Frank Matthews himself remained a ghost. In 1987, 14 years after he
28:02
vanished, the D received a report that Frank Matthews had been spotted in New York City. Agents investigated
28:08
thoroughly. It was a false alarm, someone who looked similar. In 2007,
28:13
there were reports of a man matching his description living in a coastal town in West Africa. Again, investigators
28:20
followed up. Again, nothing confirmed. The reality is that if Frank Matthews is
28:26
still alive, he would be in his late 70s now. Most law enforcement officials believe he's dead, likely killed shortly
28:33
after his disappearance. His body disposed of so thoroughly that it's never been found, but no one knows for
28:40
certain. The disappearance of Frank Matthews shocked everyone who knew him. To his dealers, he was a man of his
28:45
word, someone who had lifted them out of subordination to the Italian mob and given them real opportunity, even if
28:52
that opportunity was criminal. His vanishing left them rudderless and vulnerable to law enforcement. His
28:58
escape was an embarrassment, a reminder that even with vast resources and legal authority, sometimes criminals simply
29:05
win. Cheryl Denise Brown's family never heard from her again after July 2nd,
29:10
1973. Her mother died in the 1990s, never knowing what happened to her
29:16
daughter. To this day, Cheryl remains as much a mystery as Frank himself. Frank Matthews was often described as a
29:22
visionary, a man who saw an opportunity that no one else recognized and had the courage to seize it despite enormous
29:29
risk. However, to others, he was a drug dealer who pumped poison into communities already devastated by
29:36
poverty and discrimination, profiting from addiction and misery. Yet the truth is Frank Matthews was still a criminal
29:43
who built his fortune on heroin and cocaine. Yes, even though he challenged the Italian mob's monopoly and created
29:50
opportunities for black dealers, he was also responsible for untold addiction, violence, and death. The drugs he
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distributed destroyed families, killed users, and contributed to the decimation of urban communities across America.
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Frank Matthews was smart enough to have become a legitimate businessman to have used his intelligence and business
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acumen to build something legal and lasting. Instead, he chose the path that offered the quickest route to wealth and
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power. Damn the consequences. What people will remember about Frank Matthews is that he was the first to
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prove it could be done. The first black man to build a truly national drug empire to deal directly with
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international suppliers to operate on the same level as the Italian mafia. He showed that the old hierarchies could be
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challenged, that power was available to those bold enough to seize it. But what Frank Matthews ultimately proved was
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something far more ambiguous, that you can build an empire, accumulate unfathomable wealth, wield enormous
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power, and still end up with nothing that lasts. No legacy beyond whispered
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stories. No certainty beyond the fact that everything you built turned to dust the moment you disappeared. An innovator
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who revolutionized the American drug trade. Frank Matthews was described by a D agent who hunted him for decades as
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the one who got away. The ghost who haunts us still. Somewhere possibly an
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old man lives under an assumed name. Set in on a fortune built from poison, looking over his shoulder even now, 50
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years later, wondering if today is the day they finally find him. Or perhaps his bones rest in an unmarked grave and
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the $20 million he vanished with is buried with him. A treasure that will never be found. The truth died with
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Frank Matthews on July 2nd, 1973. The day he walked away from everything and
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became a legend.