Bumpy Johnson

Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Johnson (October 31, 1905 – July 7, 1968) was
Bumpy Johnson
an American mob boss and bookmaker in New York City's Harlem
neighborhood. The main Harlem associate of Charles "Lucky" Luciano and what
would become later known as the Genovese crime family, Johnson's criminal
career has inspired films and television.

Contents
Early life
Criminal career
Death
In popular culture
Film
Television
Music
Other Bumpy Johnson in USP
References Leavenworth, January 11, 1954
External links Born Ellsworth Raymond
Johnson
October 31, 1905
Early life Charleston, South
Carolina, U.S.
Johnson was born in Charleston, South Carolina on October 31, 1905. Johnson
derived his nickname "Bumpy" from a bump on the back of his head.[1] When
Died July 7, 1968 (aged 62)
he was 10, his older brother, Willie, was accused of killing a white man. Afraid
New York City, U.S.
of a possible lynch mob, his parents mortgaged their tiny home to raise money to Resting Woodlawn Cemetery
send Willie up north to live with relatives.[2] As Johnson grew older, his parents place (Bronx, New York)
worried about his short temper and insolence toward whites and in 1919 he was Occupation Crime Boss,
sent to live with his older sister Mabel in Harlem. Gangster, Bootlegger,
Smuggler,
Criminal career Bookmaker, Numbers
Runner, Pimp,
Johnson was an associate of numbers queen Madame Stephanie St. Clair.[3] Gambler, Extortionist,
By the summer of 1952, Johnson's activities were being reported in the celebrity
Racketeer
people section of Jet,[4] an American weekly aimed at African American Known for Mob Boss of Harlem
readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Spouse(s) Mayme Hatcher
Chicago, Illinois.[5] That same year, Johnson was indicted in New York for
Parent(s) Margaret Moultrie and
conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Two years
William Johnson
later, Jet reported in its crime section that Johnson began his sentence after
losing an appeal.[6] He served the majority of that sentence at Alcatraz Prison in Criminal Narcotics-related
San Francisco Bay, California as inmate No. 1117, and was released in 1963.[7] charge offenses
Penalty 12 years, 15 years
Johnson was arrested more than 40 times and served two prison terms for
narcotics-related charges. In December 1965, Johnson staged a sit-down strike in a police station, refusing to leave, as a protest
against their continued surveillance. He was charged with "refusal to leave a police station" but was acquitted by a judge.[8]

Death
Johnson was under a federal indictment for drug conspiracy when he died of congestive heart failure on July 7, 1968, at the age of
62. He was at Wells Restaurant in Harlem shortly before 2 a.m., and the waitress had just served him coffee, a chicken leg, and
hominy grits, when he keeled over clutching his chest.[2] Friend Frank Lucas was there, and someone ran down the street to the
Rhythm Club to get his childhood friend, Junie Byrd. When Byrd arrived, Lucas cradled Bumpy in his arms, and Johnson briefly
opened his eyes and smiled, then fell into unconsciousness. He was taken, by ambulance, to Harlem Hospital where he was
pronounced dead. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

In popular culture

Film
In the 1971 film Shaft, Moses Gunn portrays "Bumpy Jonas", a character based upon Johnson.[9]
In the 1972 film Come Back Charleston Blue, the title character is loosely based on Bumpy Johnson, a criminal
who is looked upon as a positive role model among the people.[10]
In the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz, Paul Benjamin plays a character based on Bumpy Johnson,
"English".[11][12]
In the 1984 film The Cotton Club, Laurence Fishburne plays a character based on Bumpy Johnson, "Bumpy
Rhodes".[13][9]
In the 1997 film Hoodlum, Johnson is again portrayed by Fishburne.[13][9]
In the 1999 film Life, musician Rick James plays a Harlem gangster, "Spanky Johnson", who was loosely inspired
by Bumpy Johnson.
In the 2007 film American Gangster, Johnson is portrayed by Clarence Williams III.[9]

Television
In an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, it is reported that Johnson allegedly helped the three escapees of Alcatraz
get to the shores of San Francisco. It is said that he arranged for a boat to pick the three men up out of the bay.
The boat then dropped the escapees off at Pier 13 in San Francisco's Hunters Point District.[14]
In the second episode of the third season of HBO's The Wire, "All Due Respect", Bumpy is mentioned just before
Tree (dealer for Cheese Wagstaff) kills Jelly over a dog fight in which Cheese's dog lost. Three low-level
gangsters discuss an incident when Bumpy allegedly attacked a police station single-handedly. This is expanded
upon in Richard Price's audio commentary for that episode.
Cable network Epix has granted a straight-to-series order to crime drama Godfather of Harlem. Forest Whitaker
is set to play Johnson. The series was created by executive producers Markuann Smith, Chris Brancato and Paul
Eckstein, who are producing with ABC Signature Studios.[15]

Music
He is mentioned in the lyrics of Mac Dre's song, "Genie of the Lamp" ("I'm Samuel and Denzel in one body and
Bumpy-faced Johnson, I'll kill somebody").
Prodigy titled his first full release following being released from prison in 2011 The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP,
which was followed by The Bumpy Johnson Album.

Other
 Johnson is mentioned in Marvel Comics' Punisher Noir #2 as the employer of Barracuda, a hitman who killed the
Punisher's father (though his name is misspelled "Bumby").[16][17]

References
1. Tyler, Gus (1967) [1962]. Organized crime in America: a book of readings (https://books.google.com/books?id=C
ZDaAAAAMAAJ&q=%22a+bump+on+the+back+of+his+head+gave+him+his+nickname%22&dq=%22a+bump+o
n+the+back+of+his+head+gave+him+his+nickname%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PDBWU773G4GbyAST7ICwAQ&ved
=0CDMQ6AEwAQ). Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-472-06127-3.
OCLC 247980358 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/247980358). Retrieved March 27, 2011.
2. Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson
3. "Queenie and Bumpy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080417012731/http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outl
aws/gang/harlem_gangs/5.html). crimelibrary. 2007. Archived from the original (http://www.crimelibrary.com/gang
sters_outlaws/gang/harlem_gangs/5.html) on 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
4. "People" (http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=Ellsworth+Raymond+Johnson&tbs=,cdr:1,cd_min:J
an%203_2%201,cd_max:Dec%2031_2%201970&num=10#sclient=psy&hl=en&tbs=bks:1%2Ccdr%3A1%2Ccd_
min%3AJan+3_2+1%2Ccd_max%3ADec+31_2+1970&source=hp&q=Ellsworth+Raymond+Johnson+%22bump
y%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=f&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=aa342fba23d29575). Jet. 1952. Retrieved
March 27, 2011.
5. Editors (November 1992). "From Negro Digest to Ebony, Jet and EM - Special Issue: 50 Years of JPC -
Redefining the Black Image" (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n1_v48/ai_12811539). Ebony.
Retrieved 2009-01-03.
6. "Crime" (https://books.google.com/books?id=378DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=Ellsworth+Johnson+%22bumpy%
22&hl=en&ei=4UKPTYfRC4HJgQfsuOC_DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAw
#v=onepage&q=Ellsworth%20Johnson%20%22bumpy%22&f=false). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 5 (9):
49. January 7, 1954. ISSN 0021-5996 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0021-5996). Retrieved March 27, 2011.
7. [1] (https://www.archives.gov/pacific/archives/san-francisco/finding-aids/alcatraz-numeric.html#d) Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20101213131055/http://www.archives.gov/pacific/archives/san-francisco/finding-aids/alc
atraz-numeric.html#d) December 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
8. John Howard Johnson (1980). Fact not fiction in Harlem. Northern Type Printing, Inc. p. 119. ASIN B00072X07G
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00072X07G).p.103+
9. Queenan, Joe (17 November 2007). "Joe Queenan on 'Bumpy' Johnson, the most feared criminal in 1930s
Harlem" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/nov/17/5). The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
10. "Bumpy Johnson Profile - Famous Bookmaker and Mob Boss from New York City" (https://www.gamblingsites.or
g/biographies/bumpy-johnson/). www.gamblingsites.org.
11. Denene Millner (24 August 1997). "FROM HARLEM TO 'HOODLUM' MEET THE BLACK MOBSTER WHOSE
'BUMPY' LIFE OF CRIME IS NOW A NEW MOVIE" (http://www.nydailynews.com/harlem-hoodlum-meet-black-m
obster-bumpy-life-crime-new-movie-article-1.782536). Daily News. New York. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
12. "Ellsworth Raymond 'Bumpy' Johnson - On this day..." (https://dayshistory.wordpress.com/tag/ellsworth-raymond-
bumpy-johnson/) dayshistory.wordpress.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
13. Hunter, Stephen (27 August 1997). " 'HOODLUM' AIMS HIGH IF NOT ALWAYS TRUE" (https://www.washingtonp
ost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/08/27/hoodlum-aims-high-if-not-always-true/823ce9f0-8e8b-496f-979f-9d2f193cf8a
d/). The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
14. "Alcatraz Escape - Unsolved Mysteries" (https://unsolved.com/gallery/alcatraz-escape/). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
15. Petski, Denise. "Forest Whitaker To Topline Straight-To-Series Crime Drama At Epix" (http://deadline.com/2018/0
4/forest-whitaker-star-straight-to-series-crime-drama-epix-1202376800/). Deadline. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
16. "Going Old School: Frank Tieri on 'Punisher Noir' " (https://www.newsarama.com/2287-going-old-school-frank-tier
i-on-punisher-noir.html). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
17. "Ellsworth Johnson (Earth-90214) from Punisher Noir Vol 1 2 001.jpg" (http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/File:Ellsworth
_Johnson_(Earth-90214)_from_Punisher_Noir_Vol_1_2_001.jpg). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
External links
Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson - by Mayme Hatcher Johnson (https://w
ww.amazon.com/dp/0967602831)
Bumpy Johnson (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22790696) at Find a Grave
Infinite MagaZine Harlem Godfather Bumpy Johnson pt.1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv0cR81fe4I) on
YouTube Harlem Godfather pt.2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8fbMo5Hu2M) on YouTube Documentary
John Howard Johnson. Fact not fiction in Harlem (1980 ed.). Northern Type Printing, Inc. p. 119.
ASIN B00072X07G (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00072X07G).
Mayme Hatcher Johnson. Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (when ed.).
Oshun Publishing Company, Inc.; First edition (February 29, 2008). p. 248. ISBN 0-9676028-3-1.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bumpy_Johnson&oldid=920735031"

This page was last edited on 11 October 2019, at 14:41 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.