Between the 1960s and early 1970s, Julianna Farrait reigned as one of the richest women in Harlem, New York, not just for her beauty, high fashion accessories, and expensive clothes but mostly as the wife of the American drug lord, Frank Lucas. The pair were married in 1967 and welcomed three biological children who were raised alongside his other 4 children.
Growing up in a small town in Puerto Rico, Julianna dreamt of a life of luxury which became a reality after meeting Lucas. While she enjoyed some of the finest things in life, her world came crashing in the mid-1970s after her first arrest following illicit drug dealings. For her crimes, she endured several years behind bars, and following her release, she suddenly faded into oblivion leaving a lot of people curious about her whereabouts and entire story. Here’s all to know.
Julianna Farrait was Raised in Puerto Rico
Before Julianna crossed paths with Lucas, she was just another American woman. Despite their marriage, not so much about her early life and family background has been uncovered. While reports have it that she was raised in Puerto Rico, other information such as her ethnicity, parents, and the like are not known to the public.
In the same manner, Julianna’s exact date of birth is not known but sources have it that she was born sometime in 1941, if this is correct, it means that she is 83 years old at the moment.
She Did Not Pursue a Career in the Modeling Industry
For someone with such beauty, it’s no surprise that many thought Julianna had a moving career in the modeling industry. It has also been alleged that she was a Puerto Rican beauty queen but these claims are not correct. However, her beauty earned her the spot of the homecoming queen.
Despite his naive and simple lifestyle in Puerto Rican, Julianna had a thing for fashion and also longed for a life of luxury. When he married Lucas, it was easy for her to blend into the lifestyle of being a wife of a rich man.
She was later potrayed by the Puerto Rican actress Lymari Nadal in the movie titled “American Gangster” which was inspired by her husband Frank Lucas and his role was played by Denzel Washington. The movie was produced in 2007 and directed by Ridley Scott.
Julianna Farrait Got Married to the American Gangster Frank Lucas in 1967
Julianna Farrait and Frank Lucas first crossed paths on a flight from Puerto Rico to New York and soon became friends. They admitted that the connection between them was instant. According to Lucas, while on the flight, he kept turning to check her out and would always meet her smiling face. At that point, he knew that he wanted to be more than just a friend. At first, they couldn’t really communicate since she understood very little English but fate gave them a chance to meet at a club months later.
The pair quickly got along and soon started a relationship. Lucas said her simplicity and innocence were something he admired about her. On the other hand, Julianna confessed that she was attracted to him for his confident and calm demeanor. They were pair maintained their relationship for a year before getting married. Their marriage ceremony was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1967 and attended by many close friends and family members.
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After Her Marriage to Lucas, She Joined Him in the Drug Empire
Although Julianna’s career before meeting Lucas has not been established, we can say for sure that she became part of her husband’s business when they got married. Needless to say, Lucas was renowned in Harlem as a drug lord. Aside from this, he had other businesses to his name. He owned many office buildings, a cattle ranch, and a lot of apartments throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
Lucas got involved in the drug business as a way to care for his family after the KKK murdered his cousin. He got involved in crime as a teenager and at the age of 15, he assaulted a man, stole $400, and fled to New York where he started selling drugs and gambling. At the time he met his wife, he was already an established man and also building his drug empire. It was also at this time that he started importing his “Blue Magic” heroin to Harlem from southeast Asia. It was soon alleged that his business earned him $1 million a day.
Between the 1960s and 1970, Frank Lucas’s drug empire grew and his wife also got involved in the business. The couple became known as “Black Bonnie and Clyde” because of the love and support they shared. As Lucas’s wealth increased, his taste for bigger things also increased. He spent most of his money on extravagant and expensive gifts for his wife. He was always looking out to outspend other people. In his autobiography, he shared that; “There is no such thing as outtalking me, outhustling me, outthinking me, or outdressing me” and added that “I could not have people who made less money than me walking around thinking they ruled the world as I was always ready to show who the boss is.’”
Julianna probably shared the same feeling as her husband and proved that when she bought him a chinchilla coat and hat from a “Jewish shop” in Manhattan which at the time cost $125,000, and $40,000 respectively. He dressed up in his expensive coat for the he Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight at Madison Square Garden in 1971. It is alleged that from that moment, several detectives had their eyes on him as they were already suspicious but probably needed more clues which they got that evening.
Julianna Farrait and Frank Lucas Were Parents of 7 Children
Julianna and Lucas’s marriage saw them welcome three biological children namely Francine Lucas-Sinclair, Frank Lucas Jr, and Ray Lucas. He also fathered four children Betty Lucas, Candace Lucas, Ruby Lucas, and Tony Walters with other women. However, he managed to bring all his children under one roof and they were cared for by his wife, Julianna.
When their parents were placed behind bars, their children returned to Puerto Rico to stay with their relatives. Since then, they have largely stayed away from the public eye and maintained privacy.
She Got Into Trouble With The Law Several Times for her Illicit Dealings
Julianna and her Husband Lucas have been suspects for a long time, however, authorities lacked enough information to bring them to book until 1975. The New York Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration raided their home in Teaneck, New Jersey. Out of panic, Julianna threw out several suitcases from the window which contained a total of $584000, and told them to take it all.
However, this did not stop the authorities from getting them arrested. The pair were placed behind bars and Lucas was sentenced to seventy years in prison while Julianna served 6 months for her actions. Her husband cooperated with the authorities and gave them information that led to the convictions of many crooked officials. He then managed to get out of prison in 1982 after serving for seven years.
Despite this, the pair did not back out of the drug business but devised a new means. This time, Lucas sent his wife Julianna and daughter Francine to Las Vegas for a drug deal in disguise as a mother-and-daughter trip. But this plan failed as an FBI agent walked into their hotel room pointing a gun and eventually arrested Julianna.
This arrest sent Lucas back to prison for 7 years while Julianna served for 4 and a half years. After these years, the couple went out of business and embraced a private life. In May 2010, news made the round that Julianna was arrested yet again while trying to sell cocaine to an informant at a Puerto Rican hotel, and in 2012 she returned to prison for 5 years. There she asked for mercy to take care of her 81-year-old husband who was still in prison.
Is Julianna Farrait Still Alive?
When Julianna left prison, she embraced a low-profile life and later moved to New Jersey where she settled with her family. Unfortunately, her husband Lucas passed away in 2019and his death was confirmed by his nephew Aldwan Lassiter in a telephone interview. Lucas was 88 years old when he died of tuatural causes and his funeral was held in New Jersey.
Since then, there has been no news about her or her whereabouts. While many sources claim that she passed away a few years before her husband, we gathered that this is not true as she was present at his funeral. Following this information, its possible that Julianna is still alive and living away from the public.
