Ike Atkinson is a former drug kingpin who has led an extraordinary life as the first and most successful African American heroin kingpin to establish his own network stretching from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle to the US's Eastern Seaboard. That he did so without carrying a gun or the influence of La Cosa Nostra makes his story all the more remarkable. Ike Atkinson appears as a caricature in the 2007 film American Gangster as the character "Nate", but read Ike Atkinson's recently released biography Sergeant Smack: The Legendary Lives and Times of Ike Atkinson, Kingpin, and his Band of Brothers, penned by crime writer Ron Chepesiuk, and you quickly realize that much of what served as the basis for the Frank Lucas biopic was actually stolen from or consists largely of distorted elements based on Atkinson's life. Now in a documentary, Ike Atkinson, for the first time, tells his story in his own words. He talks about growing up in the rural south, his life in the military and as a gambler and a hustler, his rise and fall as a big time drug dealer, his relationship with Frank lives, the 32 years he spent in prison and his life since his release. Those who have an appreciation for the truth will want to listen closely and take note, as the real American Gangster at long last speaks out.

Ike Atkinson is a former drug kingpin who has led an extraordinary life as the first and most successful African American heroin kingpin to establish his own network stretching from Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle to the US's Eastern Seaboard. That he did so without carrying a gun or the influence of La Cosa Nostra makes his story all the more remarkable. Ike Atkinson appears as a caricature in the 2007 film American Gangster as the character "Nate", but read Ike Atkinson's recently released biography Sergeant Smack: The Legendary Lives and Times of Ike Atkinson, Kingpin, and his Band of Brothers, penned by crime writer Ron Chepesiuk, and you quickly realize that much of what served as the basis for the Frank Lucas biopic was actually stolen from or consists largely of distorted elements based on Atkinson's life. Now in a documentary, Ike Atkinson, for the first time, tells his story in his own words. He talks about growing up in the rural south, his life in the military and as a gambler and a hustler, his rise and fall as a big time drug dealer, his relationship with Frank lives, the 32 years he spent in prison and his life since his release. Those who have an appreciation for the truth will want to listen closely and take note, as the real American Gangster at long last speaks out.