Frank Matthews was no ordinary drug dealer.

At his peak, he controlled a multi-million dollar heroin empire that spanned across 21 states,

rivaling the Italian mafia, and leaving behind a legacy of power, wealth, and an escape that still baffles law enforcement.

Unlike his contemporaries, Nikki Barnes or Frank Lucas, Matthews didn't get caught in the system.

He vanished, along with $15 to $20 million in cash and was never seen again.

Born in 1944 in Durham, North Carolina, Matthews grew up in poverty and learned early on how to navigate the streets.

Moving to Philadelphia as a teenager,

he started small running numbers for local bookies.

But ambition drove him beyond petty crime.

By the mid-1960s, he relocated to New York City,

where he saw the true moneymaker, heroin.

Matthews quickly became a dominant figure,

cutting out the Italian mafia and securing

direct connections with heroin suppliers in South America and West Africa. This independence

made him one of the most powerful black drug kingpins of his time. He didn't just control

the neighborhood. He oversaw a national network of dealers distributing tons of heroin

across the country. His operation funneled millions of dollars every week, making him one of the

richest criminals in America. Unlike other dealers, Matthews didn't flaunt his wealth recklessly.

Though he owned mansions, luxury cars, and through extravagant parties, he also invested

in legitimate businesses and kept his organization disciplined.

He avoided unnecessary violence, ensuring that money, not bodies, kept flowing, but success

attracted attention, and by 1972, federal authorities had set their sights on him.

...