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Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson is one of those names that loom large in Harlem’s history. Not just a gangster but also a poet, a philanthropist, and a talented chess player, Bumpy was as much a part of Harlem’s culture as its nightlife and jazz clubs. Born on 31 October in either 1905 or 1906 in Charleston, South Carolina, Bumpy’s childhood wasn’t easy. His family moved him to New York at ...
Career. Johnson became an associate and enforcer for numbers queen Madame Stephanie St. Clair. [4] . In the 1930s, he quickly climbed the ranks to become her most trusted soldier. St. Clair incited a war with her rival, Jewish mob boss Dutch Schultz, for control of Harlem's rackets.
Bumpy Johnson was a name that resonated through the streets of Harlem, New York, during the mid-20th century. His life was a tapestry woven from the rich threads of the African American experience, steeped in the complexities of crime, power, and resilience.
- The Early Life of Bumpy Johnson
- How The Future Crime Boss Entered The Gang Wars of Harlem
- Bumpy Johnson’s Reign as The Harlem Godfather
- The Harlem Godfather’s Turbulent Final Years
- The Enduring Legacy of Bumpy Johnson
Ellsworth Raymond Johnson was born in Charleston, South Carolina on October 31, 1905. Due to a slight deformation of his skull, he was given the nickname “Bumpy” at a young age — and it stuck. When Johnson was 10 years old, his brother William was accused of killing a white man in Charleston. Fearing a reprisal, Johnson’s parents moved most of thei...
Bumpy Johnson’s criminal career soon flourished as he graduated to armed robbery, extortion, and pimping. But he wasn’t able to avoid punishment and was in and out of reform schools and prisons for much of his 20s. After serving two and a half years on a grand larceny charge, Bumpy Johnson got out of prison in 1932 with no money or occupation. But ...
With Bumpy Johnson as the Godfather of Harlem, anything that happened in the crime world of the neighborhood had to get his seal of approval first. As Mayme Johnson wrote, “If you wanted to do anything in Harlem, anything at all, you’d better stop and see Bumpy because he ran the place. Want to open a number spot on the Avenue? Go see Bumpy. Thinki...
But no matter how smoothly he ran his crime business, Johnson still spent his fair share of time in prison. In 1951, he received his longest sentence, a 15-year term for selling heroin that eventually saw him sent to Alcatraz. Interestingly enough, the Harlem Godfather was eight years into his prison sentence in Alcatraz on June 11, 1962, when Fran...
In the years after Bumpy Johnson died, he remained an iconic figure in Harlem history. But despite his massive influence and power, the “Godfather of Harlem” has largely stayed out of the national public consciousness in ways that other infamous gangsters have not. So why is that? Some believe that Johnson has been brushed off because he was a powe...
- Hannah Mckennett
It was rare for Black people to rise to power during the time of segregation. But against all odds, Bumpy Johnson somehow managed to do so. Between the 1950s and the 1960s, he was the most powerful man in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Though he was arrested dozens of times, Bumpy always.
Bumpy’s rise to power began in the 1930s when he became a protégé of Harlem’s then-crime lord, Stephanie St. Clair, also known as “Madame Queen.”
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Apr 29, 2024 · Fearing retaliation, Johnson’s parents relocated the family to Harlem, a predominantly African-American neighborhood in New York City. In his early years in the unfamiliar city, Johnson faced teasing from local children due to his odd bump, Southern accent, and diminutive stature.
