Emily Rodriguez
Yes, the movie Blow (2001) is based on the true story of George Jung, the infamous American cocaine smuggler who was a major player in the Medellin Cartel during the 1970s and 1980s. The film depicts his rise to power, his involvement in the drug trade, and his eventual downfall and imprisonment.
What is the true story behind the movie Blow (2001)?
The movie Blow (2001) is a biographical crime drama based on the true story of George Jung, an American smuggler and drug lord who was one of the major players in the cocaine trade in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The movie chronicles George Jung’s rise and fall as a drug trafficker, from his early days as a marijuana dealer in California to his involvement with the Medellin Cartel in Colombia, which made him one of the wealthiest drug dealers in the world.
In real life, George Jung was born in Boston in 1942 and grew up in a dysfunctional family. He dropped out of high school and became involved in the drug trade in the 1960s, starting with marijuana and later expanding to cocaine.
Jung’s partnership with the Medellin Cartel began in the late 1970s, when he met Pablo Escobar’s right-hand man, Carlos Lehder, in California. Lehder convinced Jung to expand his drug operation and to smuggle cocaine into the United States from Colombia.
Throughout the 1980s, Jung’s drug empire continued to grow, and he became known as the “Boston Bandit” and the “Cocaine Cowboy.” However, his luck ran out in 1987, when he was arrested by the DEA and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
After serving 20 years of his sentence, Jung was released from prison in 2014 and now lives a quiet life in California.
Are there any books about the true story behind the movie Blow (2001)?
Yes, there is a book titled “Blow: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All” by Bruce Porter that inspired the movie.
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