American Gangster Alternate Ending....very small spoilers...

The problem was the movie didn't know exactly what it was doing.

Was it glorifying the lead character as being a black success story? THAT is what young impressionable viewers will remember -- he had tons of money, ladies, bought momma a house. Not the negatives.

Or was it portraying him as a scourge of the Harlem community who caused the death of thousands selling a purer lethal more addictive heroin?

The film never figured it out.

Basically, the second version is the truth and the makers of the film and actors involved contributed to glorifying drug dealers.

The alternate ending on the DVD shows Det. Roberts picking up Frank after he gets out of jail. The movie didnt show it, but unless you watched some of the press interviews, you would have never known that Frank and Det. Roberts ended up basically being best friends. Frank said Roberts even paid for his kids' college education when he was in jail.