Eddie Griffin offers up close insight into the real life drama that American Gangster is based on. Here is an excerpt from his fascinating post:

I served time with Leroy “Nicky” Barnes (played in the movie by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and the black soldier in Vietnam who shipped Frank the drugs from Indo-China, a man by the name of “Ike” Atkinson. If there is any truth in the movie worth revealing, it is the fact that both Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes were snitches. (Now I hear that there is a movie about Barnes called “Mr. Untouchable”). Some hip hop hero worshippers deny that Frank was a snitch, although the movie documents that he collaborated with federal authorities to bring down over 100 people in the drug game. But it is significant who he brought down, including 52 of the 70 Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the New York area. Eddie Griffin (BASG)

Do yourself a favor, head over and read the Ballot or the Bullet in its entirety.