The Rise, Fall, and Sudden Disappearance of Brooklyn's "Black Caesar" Frank Matthews

When the Italian mafia refused to do business with aspiring drug trafficker Frank Matthews, he found a way to become a kingpin while cutting out the mob entirely. In 1973, he mysteriously vanished

Depiction of Frank Matthews

Background

On July 2, 1973, Frank Matthews failed to appear for his hearing in Brooklyn federal court. The 29-year-old drug kingpin was facing a litany of charges ranging from tax evasion to narcotics trafficking.

Matthews and his girlfriend had been arrested by DEA agents at Las Vegas’s McCarren Airport, attempting to board a flight to Los Angeles. His bail was set at $5 million, which at the time was a record.