7. Frank Lucas (American Gangster)
Universal PicturesThings were going so well for Frank Lucas in Ridley Scotts American Gangster based on the career of the actual criminal who used the pretence of the war in Vietnam to smuggle an inordinate amount of heroin into the United States. Prior to starting his Blue Magic drug empire he had kept a relatively low profile with the police in Harlem and so wasnt considered as a suspect for the recent boom in the citys supply of heroin. The pragmatic Frank Lucas was all too aware of this fact and so operated quietly and dressed with a modest conservatism so as to avoid any unwanted attention. All Denzel Washingtons character had to do was continue operating in this low-key manner and he would continue generating a preposterous amount of revenue while barely having to get his hands dirty. However, all it takes is one slip up and Lucas is under investigation from the NYPD. Lucas attends the Fight of the Century between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali and not only has better seats than even the Italian mobsters but is also sporting a gaudy chinchilla fur coat. He is spotted by Det. Richie Roberts who starts the investigations of Lucas which will eventually result in his downfall. This may seem like too small of a blunder to brand Frank Lucas as being one of cinemas most incompetent villains but it was this seemingly minor error alone which leads to him being sentenced to 70 years in prison, despite the drug-lord being intelligent enough to know the consequences of such a conspicuous display of wealth.