Fiction · HISTORICAL PROFILE

American Gangster

Name: American Gangster
Genre: Fiction
Released: 2007-11-02
Duration: 157 min
Rating: 7.8

2007157 minENIMDb 7.8/10 · 495K votes

Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.

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REPRESENTED HISTORY

1968 → 28.01.1975

Primary placement confidence: high. Importance on the World History timeline: 5/5.

Historical relation: Inspired By
Historical accuracy: 2/5
Periods: 1
Events: 0
People: 2
Places: 1

STREAMING AVAILABILITY

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Availability may change · checked 20/10/2026.Streaming availability powered by JustWatch via TMDB.

Historical periods1

Vietnam WarSetting · War Period

Prolonged war in Vietnam and the wider Indochina region involving North Vietnam and allied communist forces against South Vietnam and its allies, especially the United States, ending in 1975.

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People2

Frank LucasMain Subject · Historical

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Richie RobertsMajor Character · Historical

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Places1

New York CityPrimary Setting · City

The metropolitan setting surrounding LaGuardia Airport, the flight path, rescue response, and media attention.

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External references2

IMDBtt0765429↗TMDB4982↗