History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 90: James Beasley, Jr. describes himself as a third generation criminal, whose notorious family roots in Bayview-Hunters Point go back to the early days of Black migration to San Francisco. His father, great uncles and cousins built their reputation through labor racketeering, heroin dealing, and pimping, but James took advantage of the cocaine boom in the 70s and 80s. He soon became the drug kingpin of San Francisco, associating with Darryl “Lil D” Reed in Oakland and players like Big Dave and Harry-O in Los Angeles. After making millions of dollars, his run came to an end when he became the youngest person charged with tax evasion in United States history and ended up doing 27 years in federal prison. Now that he has been released and transitioned into legitimate business, James is here to tell his story as a cautionary tale to guide other black and brown youth away from the life of crime.
Speak On It!