He is one of the biggest bosses of the Albanian Mafia, a feared crime organization unmatched for secrecy and brutality. He was convicted of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering, and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was sent to the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London for fears of a plan to spring him. Home - People - 25 Most Famous Drug Dealers Throughout History, Posted by Petr H., Updated on November 6, 2022. Some drug lords, though, have found themselves escaping the long arm of the law. By the time he was 26, Capone took over control of the crime group Torrio headed. The US, however, did not agree with the release and has been offering a $5 million reward for information leading to Quinteros recapture. After that, he took on a variety of odd jobs in Brooklyn and mentored with Johnny Torrio, the gangster. Answer (1 of 4): Original question: "Who was the richest black drug dealer ever?" Hard to say because drug dealers aren't known for revealing how much money they have. In July 1997, Fuentes died of a heart attack in Mexico Citys private Santa Monica hospital after undergoing liposuction and plastic surgery to alter his appearance. His life was documented in the 2015 film Freeway: Crack in the System.. He was convicted of the truck drivers murder and was sentenced to 209 years of prison. Similar to Cushing, Astor found success in trading furs and was affected by the rising political tensions that resulted in the War of 1812. He set up the largest jungle laboratory for making and packing cocaine named Tranquilandia. /\ \/\/ /\via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 23-22. wikimedia commons (public domain), 21.en.wikimedia (Fair use: no free images available; illustrative purposes only), 20. alchetron.com (Fair use: no free images available; illustrative purposes only), 19. streetgangs.com, (Fair use: no free images available; illustrative purposes only), 18. internacional.elpais.com, (Fair use: no free images available; illustrative purposes only), 17. wikimedia commons (public domain), 16. He distributed cocaine to the Bloods and Crips gangs, and he had employees by the thousands. In the years following his arrest, the availability of LSD in the US dropped by 95%. The Richest Drug Dealers #12 Rafael Caro Quintero: $650 Million The co-founder of the now-defunct Guadalajara Cartel. Jung had originally bought cannabis in California and sold it in New England. It has been estimated that she was responsible for up to 200 murders while transporting cocaine from Colombia to the US. His fame is such that he is featured in Mexican narco ballads and American songs. Though Capone was a promising Catholic school student, he eventually was expelled because he hit one of the women teachers in the face. Photos: 25. [9] Besides controlling the retail sale of heroin, the organization supplied other major dealers throughout the East Coast with multi-kilogram shipments for up to $26,000 per kilogram. After the release, Ross went on speaking tours and talked to young people about his life in the drug trade. Untouchable. He and his girlfriend Cheryl Denise Brown had vanished. Still, he has become just as famous as a ghost as he was as a drug lord. Responsible for shipping tons of drugs to more than 50 countries around the world, Guzman has also earned a reputation as the worlds leading escape artist as he has managed to break out of prison two times. His story is documented in Mr. Untouchable, and he penned Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments as his memoir in 2007. The cartel also reportedly maintains strong ties to the feared Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Three of Matthews' top lieutenants in the city were murdered by the Black Mafia. He is currently part of the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and has reached his 8th decade of life. One of the biggest drug dealers in American history has long evaded capture from both state and federal authorities. Known as The King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar was the wealthiest and most successful criminal in history. Gacha was the pioneer of new drug trafficking routes in Houston, Texas, Los Angeles, California, and Mexico. Also known as Dudus, Christopher Coke is a Jamaican drug lord and the leader of the feared Shower Posse gang. Informants contributed to Gachas locations and eventually a huge raid took place. Nazario Moreno, known as El Mas Loco (The Craziest One), was the founder of the notorious La Familia Cartel. Those present decided to build stronger independent relationships with the Corsicans and possibly Cubans. Gilberto had evaded the police earlier because he hid in a bathroom cabinet along with a tank of oxygen. In January 1973, Matthews was arrested in Las Vegas on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. Caro Quintero was alleged to have kidnapped and murdered several people: El Chapo transported tons of cocaine from Columbia via Mexico to distribution cells throughout the United States. He stepped down from the head position in 1957 after the IRS began to look into his business. By the height of her career, she had been given the nickname "The Godmother," had become a major figure in the Medelln Cartel, and had both mentored and gone to war with Pablo Escobar. Amado Carrillo Fuentes Net Worth $25 Billion, 16. Blanco was a member of the Medelln Cartel, a Colombian drug lady, and part of the Miami underworld of cocaine drug trading. [12] No one was prosecuted for the crime and none of the 799 potential witnesses came forward. .. His criminal career was dramatized in the 2007 film American Gangster starring Denzel Washington. Now that's method acting. The DEA arrested Alexander in 1993. In an effort to evade them, Fuentes tried to have his appearance changed with plastic surgery. Matthews, born in Harlem in 1944, had developed a reputation as a major drug dealer in New . Leader of the 11-man organised crime gang Andrew . His nickname is El Parito Loco, The Crazy Duck. Unlike his early years, Accardo kept out of trouble with the law. yy. The Mob Museumsays that Luciano "probably did more to create the modern American Mafia and the national criminal Syndicate than any other single man." Zhenli Ye Gon Net Worth $300 Million, 14. Many of these landed on official most-wanted lists in several countries. A drug lord (also known as drug baron, kingpin, or narcotrafficker) is a person who controls a sizable network of people involved in illegal drug trade. He used electrical transformers to hide and transport the cocaine. Amado Carillo Fuentes learned the drug game from his uncle, Ernesto Fonseca Fuentes, the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel. Cushing imported rice to China during a famine, traded in fur, and loaned money to merchants during the War of 1812. Sa had an extravagant personality and even offered to sell his empire to the US, according to History. Because they were also key to manufacturing methamphetamine, Mexican government officials audited Unimed closely; even after the companys license to import these products ended in 2005. In 2009, Warren was jailed for 13 years over a massive cannabis plot. Answer (1 of 9): The only way they 'never get caught' is if they're smart enough to get out before they go down. His operations stretched from Panama to California and beyond. However, the US and European trading markets took a big hit in 1799, when the emperor of China banned opium. Jungs life story was portrayed in the 2001 biopic (biographical) film Blow, starring Johnny Depp. One year later, Bruinsma was shot dead by an organized crime member and former police officer Martin Hoogland. Ye Gons company, Unimed, had Mexican government authorization to import pseudoephedrine and ephedrine into the country from 2002 to 2004. [6], Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 15:06, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, "Frank Matthews ("Black Caesar") (1944 -? [11] Matthews would take multiple trips to Las Vegas with suitcases full of cash to have the drug money laundered at casinos for a fee of 1518%.[3]. Gonzalez began sending Matthews large loads of cocaine and heroin from South America. He was also regarded as the spiritual leader of its offshoot, the brutal organization Knights Templar. Jung has been incarcerated in several prison institutions throughout the United States. Net worth listed here from least to greatest. In 2012, the 69-year-old retired drug lord was gunned down in Medelln. -Advertisement- Rick Ross Rick "Freeway" Ross is an American who was previously one of the most notorious drug dealers in the country. Matthews was born on February 13, 1944, in Durham, North Carolina. But he managed to present Puerto Rican guards a fake release order and walked out the front gates of the prison. In 1957, Fortune magazine included Kennedy in its first list of the United States richest people. The Cali Cartel differed from the violent Medelln Cartel by using bribery to reach its goals. He was a crime boss in New York City. But I don't know if he was the richest. The United States government filed an indictment against Ye Gon stating that four shipments were part of a larger conspiracy to support methamphetamine importation. He also worked as an agent for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), and then went on to lead a Brazilian drug-smuggling ring. Lbeck1945, William Leonard Pickard, CC BY-SA 4.0, 15. biography.com, (Fair use: no free images available; illustrative purposes only),14. Don't bring. Born into a wealthy Boston family in 1787, John Perkins Cushing was orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle, Thomas Handasyd Perkins, a wealthy slave trader and opium smuggler. The United Stated Department of the Treasury has attempted to monitor his smuggling routes and narcotics shipments. He was the leader of a cartel known to have smuggled 80% of the cocaine in the United States. Sure, people have been dealing drugs illegally as long as drugs have existed, but the idea of one person controlling a vast empire is a recent construct, with many claiming Miguel Angel Felix. In 1996, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole; however, his sentence was reduced in 2005, and he was released in 2009. Denzel Washington portrayed Lucas in the movie American Gangster, which was a dramatic fictionalization of Lucas and his Harlem drug trafficking operation. Amazing, too, is the incredibly accurate net worth attributed to each based on government and law enforcement records, and in some cases photos of huge piles of money retrieved during police raids. Paul Lir Alexander Net Worth $170 Million, 15. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. Agosto was on the most wanted fugitive lists in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. 25 Most Famous Drug Dealers Throughout History, 25 Mind-Boggling Examples Of The Mandela Effect, 25 Hardest Riddles Ever (Sure To Stump You), 25 Best Anime Of All Time That You Will Want To See (2022), 25 Cool Certifications That Are Usually Pretty Easy To Get, 25 Creation Stories From Around The World, 25 Most Powerful Marvel Characters (2022), 25 Of The Most Evil Serial Killers You Have Ever Known, 25 Terrifying Dating App Stories That Are Actually True, 25 Of The Most Difficult Languages To Learn In The World, 25 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds: A Pet Parent Guide, 25 Fun And Clever Riddles For Kids (With Answers), 25 Countries With The Highest Murder Rates In The World, 25 Extremely Easy Ways To Die That Will Make You Appreciate Life, 25 Bizarre Mormon Rules You Won't Believe Are Real, 25 Intriguing Origins of Sayings In Everyday Life, 25 Roman Inventions that are Still Used Today, 25 Craziest Reactions Of Convicts After Given A Life Sentence. [10], Matthews purchased a house in the Mafia enclave in Todt Hill, Staten Island right across the street from the Gambino crime boss, Paul Castellano. He was known to supply heroin to Philadelphia through Major Coxson who then sold it to the Black Mafia. Also known as Junior Capsula and the Pablo Escobar of the Caribbean, Jose Figueroa Agosto was the head of a major drug trafficking organization that made 90% of cocaine in Puerto Rico. 20 Things You Didnt Know About Baiju Bhatt. gn. The organization shipped marijuana from Mexico to the United States. This can make for a lonely existence. He founded D-Company, a crime syndicate organized in India. According to Crime Museum, Amado was referred to as "The Lord of the Skies," as he was the first drug lord to use private planes to transport cocaine across the world, as well as the fact that his riches allowed him to own multiple planes. One of the most ruthless drug queenpins of all-time was Griselda Blanco, nicknamed La Madrina, or The Black Widow. Blanco was one of the key figures in the Medelln Cartel and has been credited with being a mentor to Pablo Escobar (see nr. Hes been charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and targeted killing. Carlos Lehder Net Worth $2.7 Billion, 7. Mifflintown, PA 17059. The film Shootout at Wadala is about Ibrahims D-Company and its growing influence. From 1976 and for twenty years following, he dominated the opium traffic. Also known as The Opium King, Khun Sa was one of the most feared and powerful kingpins in Asia. The two shared their knowledge. In 1975, Giancana was murdered before he could testify before the US Senate Intelligence Committee. His work as a drug warlord extended internationally. The topic of the meeting was how to import heroin without the Mafia. [3], Ernie "Coco" Coralluzzo, an associate of the Genovese crime family's Greenwich Village Crew, negotiated the sale of 40 kilograms of heroin to Matthews for $375,000 during a meeting at the Waldorf Astoria New York in April 1973. Early in his career under his uncle, Amado took care of fields of marijuana and served as a "mule" for transfers, as stated by Infobae. After spending time in jail in Raleigh and Philadelphia, Matthews relocated to the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. Wanted in 12 European countries for crimes connected to every aspect of drugs, arms, cars, human, and organ trafficking and other crimes, Daut Kadriovski is one of the most wanted kingpins in Europe. WBUR reports that while opium was legal in the United States, it was still illegal in China. And like so many Chicago-based gangsters, Giancana's origins lie with Al Capone. Born in 1952, Rafael Caro Quintero is a Mexican drug trafficker and one of the leaders of the Guadalajara Cartel, a forerunner of the notorious Guzmans Sinaloa Cartel. They say that crime doesn't pay and that justice is always served except in the cases of these individuals. He was known as The Lord of the Skies because he transported drugs using his huge fleet of jets. As of 2018, 11 percent of U.S. workers shared the fear of being laid off within the next year. Ibrahim shares smuggling routes with al Qaeda and has collaborated with both al Qaeda and its South Asian affiliate, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which pulled off the November 2008 Mumbai Attacks. The Capones had come from the town of Angri, lived for a time in Fiume, Austria-Hungary, and then sailed by ship to America to settle in Brooklyn, New York. His life was presented in a Netflix/ Univision co-production El Chapo. He developed a lucrative alliance with the Ochoa family, and that grew into the Medelln Cartel. Born in Grodno, Russia, (now part of Poland) in 1902 as Maier Suchowljansky, Lanksy and his family emigrated to the United States in 1911, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. Khun Sa is the Burmese AKA for the Chinese Zhang Qifu. Lansky helped organize many of the national crime syndicate's operations, which included drug smuggling, pornography, sex work, and extortion. Still, the fact that Sam Giancana has been tied to both the election of John F. Kennedy as well as his assassination illustrates the power he held in the underworld of Chicago. Bonanno served as the chairman. Gonzalez continued to be a major figure in the international cocaine trade with bases in Miami, New Jersey and New York and partnerships with the Corsican Mafia. As his success in business increased, the family was able to keep homes in Boston, Hyannis Port, Palm Beach, and New York City. He had collected millions in cash and property in several cities by the time he was busted in 1975. It took ten years of officer surveillance to capture Agosto, but he was finally captured in the capital of Puerto Rico. The list of the 20 richest, and most notorious, drug dealers in history. Did not get caught, life changed courses. And here we go. His assets were seized from his Mexico City residence, and included millions of U.S. dollars and Mexican pesos, thousands of euros and Hong Kong dollars, and vast amounts of jewels, Mexican gold bullion coins, automatic guns, vehicles and property. Matthews was nicknamed "Pee Wee" and attended the East End Elementary school but dropped out of school in the seventh grade. His massive network earned him the title Opium King. Accardo had great success on his own and continued to gain more influence within the Outfit. )", "Staten Island drug king's vanishing act", "Muhammad Ali & The Black Mafia: The Tale of The Champ's Relationship With "The Maj", Black Caesar Vs. At the height of his power in 1989, the Colombian kingpin was the seventh richest man in the world. Kennedy died in 1969, but the rumor about how he made his wealth exploded when Frank Costello, the famed Brooklyn Mafia boss told an author that he and Kennedy has bootlegged together during Prohibition. Frank Lucas made his success as a drug trafficker by buying heroin directly from the Golden Triangle; one of the most extensive areas in the world producing and trafficking heroin until Afghanistan exceeded Asia in the early years of the 21st century. In July 1997, as he was being tracked by both the US and Mexican governments, Amado went under the knife to have plastic surgery to change his appearance. Mired in violence, the "Boss of Bosses" originally worked for the notorious drug lord El Chapo, before he turned on the kingpin and had El Chapo's son murdered by a hit team of around 15 gunmen. He started by having his girlfriend transport drugs for him. Before fleeing, Gonzalez sold Matthews his first kilogram of cocaine for $20,000, with a promise to supply more in the future. According to one of her sons, she eventually embraced a new life as a born-again Christian. Many were part of family businesses that made the richest drug lords who they were. Nish242, Curciojung-01, CC BY-SA 4.0, 4. Identical twins Pedro Flores (left) and Margarito Flores the biggest drug dealers in Chicago history. [4] A federal magistrate originally set bail at $5 million, the highest bail amount ever set at the time. This cartel was an organized crime group that controlled a significant portion of Mexicos drug trade in northeastern part of the country. 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