Frank Matthews (drug trafficker)
Frank Larry Matthews (February 13, 1944 – disappeared June 26, 1973), also known as Black Caesar, Mark IV and Pee Wee, was an American drug trafficker and crime boss who sold heroin and cocaine throughout the eastern United States from 1965 to 1972. He operated in 21 states and supplied drug dealers throughout every region of the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ranks Matthews as one of the top ten drug traffickers in U.S. history and he is estimated to have had US$20 million in savings.
Frank Matthews | |
|---|---|
Matthews' NYPD mugshot | |
| Born | Frank Larry Matthews February 13, 1944 Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Disappeared | June 26, 1973 (aged 29) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 50 years, 9 months and 23 days |
| Other names | "Black Caesar", "Pee Wee", "Mark IV" |
| Occupation(s) | Crime boss, drug trafficker |
| Years active | 1960–1973 |
| Criminal status | Became a fugitive from justice in 1973 |
| Spouse | Barbara Hinton |
| Children | 3 |
| Criminal charge | Tax evasion, and conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine |
Matthews led a flamboyant lifestyle, with luxury homes, vehicles and clothing along with prime seats at sporting events and regular trips to Las Vegas to launder money and gamble. He hosted an African-American and Hispanic drug dealers' summit in Atlanta in 1971 and another in Las Vegas in 1972 to discuss how to break the American Mafia's control of heroin importation. Matthews was arrested in 1973 on tax evasion and drug charges but disappeared afterward.