For more than 30 years, Bumpy Johnson was one of New York City’s more feared crime bosses. But he was much more than just the “Harlem Godfather.” Johnson was revered in his circles, and known for being generous with his community — while simultaneously brutalizing his enemies. He rubbed elbows with celebrities and Civil Rights leaders alike, and was so beloved by his community that the day he was released from Alcatraz in 1963, he was met with an impromptu parade.
Who was Bumpy Johnson?
Ellsworth “Bumpy” Raymond Johnson was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1905. His strange nickname has multiple alleged origins. Family members claimed that the name came from his tenacity. Since he, “took the bumps of life,” so well, his family christened him “Bumpy.” Other claims say he had a slight skull deformation as a child, and the nickname stuck from a young age.
After moving to live with his sister in New York, Johnson dropped out of high school to make money by pool hustling and offering protection to high-profile bankers in Harlem. It didn’t take long for him to become one of the most sought-after bodyguards in the area. He quickly jumped to more formidable criminal endeavors, like armed robbery, extortion, and pimping. Through the years he was regularly caught by law enforcement, and spent much of his twenties incarcerated.
While in prison, he whittled away the hours studying history, and even became an accomplished chess player. After his release from prison in 1932, Johnson met and partnered with Stephanie St. Clair, the “Numbers Queen of Harlem.” Together, the two pushed back against the Mafia and a German-Jewish mobster, Dutch Shultz. 12 years later, Johnson’s crew of 9 had managed to kidnap or kill 40 rival gang members with guerilla warfare-like tactics.
In the end, Lucky Luciano, head of the Italian Mafia, removed Schultz from the picture, and the remaining gangs struck an accord. The Mafia would leave the Harlem Bookmakers alone in exchange for a cut of their profits. When St. Claire retired, she left the empire to Johnson, who assumed leadership as the Godfather of Harlem.
Bumpy Johnson ruled with a stern hand, and nothing happened in the NYC borough without his go-ahead. While he was unforgiving with his rivals – he once stabbed his nemesis 36 times in one encounter – he was known for being generous within his community. He encouraged the younger generations to study rather than pursue crime, supplied his neighborhood with turkey dinners on Thanksgiving, and wielded his money for change.
His reign didn’t last long, and he was sentenced to 15 years in Alcatraz for selling narcotics in 1951. During his absence, Harlem was flooded with narcotics, and by the time Johnson was released in 1963, his old neighborhood was in dire straits. He worked with Civil Rights leader Malcolm X to bring attention to the issue, and briefly offered protection to X, who waived it when he realized how the association reflected on his cause. Malcolm X was assassinated shortly after Johnson pulled his protection.
How did Bumpy Johnson die?
While out dining with friends during the wee hours of the morning in July 1968, Johnson was stricken with a heart attack. He was quickly transported to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. At the time of his death, a police official speculated that Johnson had spent nearly 25 years of his adult life incarcerated.
Where was Bumpy Johnson’s funeral?
Johnson’s funeral was held on July 11, 1968, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, in Manhattan. The Church is an important institution in the Harlem African-American community, both spiritually and politically, and has hosted a number of political rallies and community events since 1933.
Thousands of people attended the service. Police in civilian clothes were stationed on the surrounding rooftops, and Johnson’s wife speculated that they must have feared, “Bumpy was going to get up from the casket and start raising hell,” since they brought shotguns to the funeral.
Where is Bumpy Johnson buried?
If you’d like to pay your respects to the man himself, Johnson’s grave can be found in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx. A number of notable politicians, celebrities, and businesspeople have been interred in the cemetery (more than 300,000 graves are located at the site), so it might take some serious navigation to find the late Harlem Kingpin.
Forest Whitaker is currently staring in Godfather of Harlem on Epix.
