Isaac “Big Ike” Hicks (also referenced as Turnpike Ike) was an alleged figure in Miami’s 1980s cocaine trade and appears in accounts relating to the organized drug-trafficking scene of that era. He is associated with the Miami Boys, a group active in the narcotics market in Miami and surrounding regions. Hicks’s life and activities are depicted in documentary treatments of Miami’s criminal history, though few widely recognized mainstream sources independently verify detailed aspects of his biography.
Criminal Association and the Miami Boys
According to historical summaries of Miami drug trafficking groups, the Miami Boys was a drug trafficking organization based in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood during the 1980s. The group was reportedly founded by figures including Issac Hicks “Big Ike” and James Sawyer “Bossman,” and operated with a structured hierarchy, weapons, and territory assignments typical of organized crime groups of the period. The Miami Boys expanded operations into other cities in the Southeast and Midwest during the height of the crack and cocaine trade.
Depiction in Documentary Media
In 2025, the documentary series Miami Kingpins (Season 1, Episode 3: Bossman) profiled Issac “Big Ike” Hicks as one of the major kingpin figures in Miami’s drug trade, describing him as having built an extensive empire that included real estate, construction, and cocaine distribution. The episode frames Hicks’s story through the perspective of his co-defendant and associate James “Bossman” Sawyer.
Cultural and Historical Context
The narrative of Isaac “Big Ike” Hicks appears alongside discussions of other prominent drug figures of Miami in the 1980s, such as Convertible Burt and Bo Dilley, reflecting the broader context of Miami’s transformation into a central hub for cocaine importation and distribution during that time. The era’s dynamics have also influenced regional hip-hop culture and historical retrospectives.
Verification and Sources
While documentary and secondary web summaries portray Hicks as a major figure in Miami’s drug underworld, there is a lack of extensive coverage in widely recognized mainstream news outlets, academic histories, or public legal records that independently confirm the detailed biography or legal history of Isaac “Big Ike” Hicks. As such, details about early life, family background, arrests, convictions, and personal history remain primarily described within the context of documentary storytelling and retrospective internet accounts.
References
- Miami Kingpins – Episode Bossman (2025), documentary series description. (Apple TV)
- Miami Kingpins Season overview on Prime Video. (Prime Video)
- Miami Boys (drug trafficking organization) – history summary. (Wikipedia)
- Miami Kingpins series information on Apple TV. (Apple TV)
- Ted Lucas & Convertible Burt discuss origins of Miami Kingpins (iHeart / Radio Big Boy). (iHeart)
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