A forlorn teenager abandoned in New York City spirals out of control, from a troubled kid to an accidental addict, after he mistakes the welcoming embrace of a Lower East Side drug dealer for the love of family.

Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. Partly based on a true story.