After a chance encounter with the man who would become her husband, Frank Lucas, on an airline, Julianna Farrait went from relative obscurity to being in the spotlight. Her life soon had many ups and downs.
A major influence in her husband’s life, Julianna Farrait never left his side. Her life altered as he rose to fame as a movie consultant, novelist, and organized crime boss.
The movie “American Gangster” on her husband’s life was released in 2007, and although being nominated for several awards, including two Oscars and three Golden Globes, it only took home the Empire and Satellite Awards.
Lymari Nadal Torres, a Puerto Rican actress, played Julianna in the film even though her name was changed, and Denzel Washington played Frank.
Three years after the film’s release, her husband’s autobiography, “Original Gangster: The Real Life Story of One of America’s Most Notorious Drug Lords,” was published. He served as a paid consultant for the film.
Before she met her husband, Julianna is largely unknown, but she was born in Puerto Rico in 1941 and led a rather quiet life. She was a lovely rural girl with straightforward tastes.
Because she wore plain, uninteresting clothing that was not of great quality, her husband indicated that she was nothing special. Since they were from different planets, he had to make her look more like his wife.
Frank and Julianna first connected when they got on the same flight. On the plane bound for New York, they were both in the first-class section. She had caught his attention as she made her way down the aisle to her seat, and he said she grinned at him.
When he turned to look at her, he saw that she was adorable and that she always had a smile on her face. As the seat belt warning went off, her husband saw it as a cue to strike up a conversation. He was glad he did because the attraction was reciprocal.
When they first met, the former homecoming queen claimed that her husband had a self-assured, calm manner. Although it astonished her, she found it beautiful.
Although they first struggled to communicate because she didn’t speak much English, he eventually got her New York address, and they split up. They didn’t actually cross paths again for several months before doing so in a club.
Julianna Farrait was constantly drawn to risk and adored expensive items.
Frank described Julianna as being green, naive, and innocent, saying that she was unlike any lady he had ever encountered. After a year of dating, Frank and Julianna were wed in 1967 in front of her family and friends at a justice of the peace ceremony in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
She was eager to choose a home for them to rent after their wedding, not realizing he could own the entire structure. He brought his son Yogi to live with them once they had established in.
After they traveled to visit her family, Julianna taught Yogi enough Spanish to communicate with them, and they soon became fast friends. She also excelled as Yogi’s stepmother. She didn’t interfere with her husband’s affairs, though.
Three biological and four stepchildren were among the seven kids Frank and his wife had. They are Frank “Yogi” Lucas Jr., Ray, Betty, Candace, Ruby, and Tony Walters, as well as Francine Lucas-Sinclair.
Julianna’s spouse claimed to make $1 million each day in revenue from his flourishing firm. He also has hundreds of millions in drug stockpiles and over $50 million accumulated in Cayman Islands banks.
He also owned apartment complexes, office buildings, and a ranch in both the United States and Puerto Rico. He lavished his wife with extravagant presents as his riches and status increased.
Frank also didn’t skimp on his appearance and always aimed to be the most expensively dressed person in the room. After watching a Muhammad Ali bout in Atlanta in 1970, he became upset because he wasn’t the most expensively dressed person there.
He wanted to spend more than other folks if they could afford pricey items. On March 8, 1971, he had his next bout in New York, and it was the ideal time for him to shine.
He chose a $100,000 maxi-length chinchilla coat and accessorized with a $25,000 bespoke hat. Black stripes adorned the thick, fluffy fur of the gray coat.
Spiro Agnew, the vice president of the United States, was compelled to sit on the balcony while Frank had one of the best seats when he entered the boxing arena.
The detectives in the audience saw him again because of his attire and seating arrangement despite already knowing who he was. Julianna’s spouse attracted extra attention because to the eye-catching outerwear.
Francine had more than she needed as a child. She could brag about having a $10,000 FAO Schwarz train set, a Fendi fur coat, too many toys, and a ton of soft toys where her father had hidden his money.
When the NYPD/DEA strike squad conducted a surprise raid on Frank’s home in Teaneck, New Jersey, on January 28, 1975, Julianna reportedly shouted in fear:
“Take everything, take everything.”
She screamed and flung four suitcases containing more than $500,000 in her husband’s money out the window. They regarded what she did as a criminal, for which she received a six-month prison term.
Her husband was also detained. There were rumors that he was helping the authorities in jail after she was freed. He rejected these claims, but they endangered their family.
By enrolling Julianna, Francine, and his son from a previous relationship in the federal witness protection program for a year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the authorities were able to protect Frank’s family.
Francine’s last name changed to Walters, and on certain days, all they had in their pantry was crackers. They moved home with her maternal grandparents in Puerto Rico three years later, when her brother had left for college.
After moving to Puerto Rico, Frank was freed two years later, and they all went back to New Jersey to live with his parents. A few weeks later, when he was still unable to find work, he went back to his old business practices, with Julianna supporting him.
The FBI detained Julianna when she attempted to negotiate a transaction at the Stardust Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas; she was given a four and a half-year sentence while her husband received a seven-year prison.
In her sixties, Julianna was arrested for breaching the law once more in 2010. She had been detained by the authorities after attempting to sell cocaine at a hotel in Puerto Rico.
Because there was a taped discussion in which she reportedly told an informant she had drugs to sell, the court charged her with conspiring to violate the drug laws.
She once admitted that she was drawn to danger, liked traveling, and missed having luxury possessions. She thought that having money was necessary and that it could make you happy.
Julianna was given a five-year sentence despite pleading with the judge for a reduced sentence so she could care for her sick husband.
On May 30, 2019, Frank Lucas, 88, passed away. Aldwan Lassiter, his nephew, verified his passing by saying that he passed away naturally in a phone chat.
Pictures of Julianna at her husband’s funeral show her saying goodbye to him, despite allegations that she passed away before her husband and one of his sons.
Among his survivors are his four daughters, two sons, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, two sisters, and three brothers.
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