1. George Jacob Jung, nicknamed Boston George and El Americano, was an American drug trafficker and smuggler.
19 Facts About George Jung
1. 2.
George Jung was a major figure in the United States cocaine trade during the 1970s and early '80s.
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George Jung was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 1994 on conspiracy charges, but was released in 2014.
4.
George Jung was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the biopic Blow.
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George Jung was born on August 6,1942, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, to Frederick Jung, who owned a small business, and Ermine Jung.
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In high school, George Jung was a star football player and was described by his classmates as "a natural leader", but was charged by an undercover police officer for solicitation of prostitution.
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George Jung began recreationally using marijuana and sold a portion of everything he bought to break even.
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In 1967, after meeting with a childhood friend, George Jung realized the enormous profit potential represented by smuggling the cannabis he bought in California back to New England.
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George Jung initially had his flight attendant girlfriend transport the drugs in her suitcases on flights.
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George Jung had been staying at the Playboy Club, where he was to meet a connection who would pick up the marijuana.
11.
The connection was arrested for heroin smuggling; however, he informed the authorities about George Jung to get a reduced sentence.
12.
George Jung was arrested in 1994 with 1,754 pounds of cocaine in Topeka, Kansas.
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George Jung pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy and received a 60-year sentence.
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George Jung's sentence was reduced to about 20 years after he testified against his ex-partner, Carlos Lehder.
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George Jung was incarcerated at Otisville Federal Prison in Otisville, New York, before transferring to Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna in Anthony, Texas.
16.
George Jung was due to be released in November 2014, but was released early, on June 2,2014, after nearly 20 years.
17.
In September 2014, Jung contributed to the novel Heavy with T Rafael Cimino, nephew of film director Michael Cimino.
18.
Heavy is a fictional story about George Jung escaping from a Cuban prison and fleeing to Guatemala.
19.
George Jung had been suffering from liver and kidney failure and was receiving hospice care when he died on May 5,2021, at his Weymouth, Massachusetts, home.