Frank Matthews Bailed Out of Jail, Grabbed 20 Million From His Safe And Has Never Been Seen Ever Since The Year 1973

In the underworld of American crime history, few figures loom as large—and as mysteriously—as Frank Matthews. By the early 1970s, Matthews was a kingpin of epic proportions, running a sprawling heroin and cocaine empire that rivaled even the infamous Mafia families. But in June 1973, just when the law was closing in, Matthews vanished without a trace, leaving behind a trail of questions, a $20 million fortune, and one of the most legendary disappearances in U.S. criminal history.

Born in Durham, North Carolina, in 1944, Frank Matthews started from humble beginnings but quickly climbed the ranks of the drug world. Operating out of Brooklyn, New York, he built a multi-state drug trafficking organization that imported massive quantities of heroin and cocaine, distributed across more than 20 states.

What made Matthews unique was that he operated independently of the Italian Mafia. In fact, he often refused to pay tribute to the Mafia's drug operations, instead forming alliances with Black and Latino drug dealers, which helped solidify his power base across the East Coast and the South.

By the early '70s, he had reportedly accumulated over $100 million in profits—money he used to finance a luxurious lifestyle and stash in safe deposit boxes across the country.

In 1973, federal authorities finally caught up with Matthews. He was arrested on federal drug charges and held in jail, facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars. But in a shocking turn of events, he was granted bail—an astonishing $325,000, which he quickly paid.

Then, in June of that same year, Matthews did the unthinkable. He withdrew approximately $20 million from his hidden safe deposit boxes, picked up his girlfriend, and disappeared—leaving his wife and children behind.

To this day, no one has seen Frank Matthews, and he remains one of the most wanted fugitives in American history.

Where Did He Go?

Theories abound.

Some believe he fled to Africa, using international connections to vanish into a country without U.S. extradition. Others think he escaped to the Caribbean or South America, living quietly under a new identity. A few suggest the Mafia may have killed him for cutting into their profits—or that he faked his own death.

The truth remains unknown.

Despite being wanted for 50 years, Frank Matthews' name rarely comes up alongside figures like El Chapo or Pablo Escobar. Yet, he was arguably just as powerful, and his ability to outmaneuver the feds and vanish so completely has made him a folk legend in urban America.

His story has inspired documentaries, books, and conspiracy theories. But even with decades of investigation, the mystery of Frank Matthews remains unsolved.

What happened to Frank Matthews? Only he—and perhaps a very small circle—knows the answer.

Until the day he's found (if ever), the man who walked away from it all with $20 million and a dream of freedom remains one of the greatest escape artists in American criminal history.