SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- The movie is "American Gangster" was a Hollywood hit, making more than $200 million worldwide. It's the story of the Frank Lucas' heroin empire and Richie Roberts, the man who brought it down.

Tuesday, for the first time, the two men told their story together to a packed house at the Nott Memorial at Union College. Roberts hopes their message of staying away drugs stays with people as much as the movie.

“I really hope it has, heroin is making a comeback, all over the place, it is just a killer,” said Roberts.

Roberts was a cop and then became a prosecutor helping put Lucas in prison. The two would later become friends, with Roberts becoming Lucas' lawyer. He spent part of the talk telling the crowd,
the war on drugs has missed its mark time and and time again.

“People who use drugs shouldn't go to jail. There should be an alternative, but dealers, heavy dealers should go, there must be a distinction. But there isn't,” said Roberts.

The crowd peppered the two with questions about the making of the movie. But, when asked if marijuana should be legal, Roberts said yes.

“It kills me that good officers are chasing down someone who is smoking a little bit of marijuana, a little bit of weed, rather than someone who is selling heroin,” said Roberts.

Roberts says it was surreal to have a movie made about him and probably just as surreal, a time when heroin made some men rich and cost others their lives.