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Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. [1] The series is written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and stars Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johnson.
- Who Was Bumpy Johnson?
- Who Was Vincent “Chin” Gigante?
- What Was The Nature of Bumpy Johnson’s Real-Life Relationship with Malcolm X?
- What Was Johnson’s Life Like as A Family Man?
- Was Vincent Gigante’s Daughter’S Forbidden Love True?
- Is The Show’S Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali Storyline True?
- Did Johnson Ever Cross Paths with Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.?
Ellsworth Raymond Johnson was born in Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 31, 1905. He was given the nickname “Bumpy” as a young boy due to a bump on the back of his head. Johnson’s family moved north when he was 10 to avoid a lynch mob when his older brother was accused of killing a white man. He went on to move in with his sister in Harlem when he was a te...
InGodfather of Harlem, Vincent “Chin” Gigante (Vincent D’onofrio) is Johnson’s main antagonist upon his return from prison—constantly undermining Johnson’s attempts to regain control of Harlem. Gigante has long been considered one of New York City’s most infamous mobsters. Born in 1928 in Manhattan, Gigante got the nickname “Chin” from his mother, ...
In Godfather of Harlem, when Johnson returns from Alcatraz, he is greeted by old friend “Detroit Red,” a.k.a. Malcolm X. Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) approaches Johnson to help him clean up the streets after the Italian mob has inundated Harlem with heroin. With Johnson’s guns and Malcolm X’s soldiers from the Nation of Islam, the pair take on the Geno...
Godfather of Harlemdelves into Johnson’s complicated family life, particularly with his daughter Elise. Elise (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) is portrayed as a shoplifting heroin addict and it is revealed that Johnson and his wife Mayme decide to raise Elise’s daughter, Margaret, as their own, keeping her true lineage a secret from her. Elise’s addiction...
One of the main storylines of the show is the star-crossed love story between Gigante’s 22-year-old daughter Stella (Lucy Fry) and local black musician Teddy Greene (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Greene’s mother reaches out to Johnson to separate the pair, due to the danger their relationship poses to Greene’s life. The show does accurately portray the dan...
In Godfather of Harlem, a 21-year-old Muhammad Ali, still going by Cassius Clay, is in Harlem to promote his 1963 fight with Doug Jones. Clay meets with Malcolm X to discuss his decisionto go public with his Islamic faithbut is told by the activist to keep his religion secret until he is the heavyweight champ because he could be denied a boxing lic...
Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. plays a major role in the show as one of Johnson’s more powerful allies. The pair initially team up when Powell needs Johnson to use his connections to Italian mobster Frank Costello to pull strings to aid his congressional re-election bid. Powell is portrayed as offering Johnson his federal law enforcement connections ...
- Gina Martinez
Aug 14, 2021 · More recently in 2019, Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein created a series for Epix called Godfather of Harlem, which tells the story of the crime boss (played by Forest Whitaker) after he returned to Harlem from Alcatraz and lived out his final years in the neighborhood he once ruled.
- Hannah Mckennett
Godfather of Harlem: Created by Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein. With Forest Whitaker, Ilfenesh Hadera, Lucy Fry, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy. A gangster named Bumpy Johnson makes his way in Harlem during the 1960s.
- (22K)
- 2019-09-29
- Crime, Drama
- 55
Jun 10, 2021 · For show creator Chris Brancato, creating Godfather of Harlem has an extensive history and his desire to ensure the themes of the show transcend time is as critical as getting the voices of the era — including civil rights pioneers like Malcolm X — as part of the narrative.
- Steven Hartman
Apr 18, 2021 · Yes, ‘Godfather of Harlem’ is based on a true story. Bumpy Johnson was one of the most notorious gangsters of New York City in the 1960s. He was born Ellsworth Raymond Johnson and was given the nickname “Bumpy” because of a bump in the back of his head.
Sep 29, 2019 · Godfather of Harlem tells the true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control.
