Bumpy Johnson

Bumpy Johnson
Johnson inUSP Leavenworth,January 11, 1954
Born	Ellsworth Raymond Johnson (1905-10-31)October 31, 1905 Charleston,South Carolina,U.S.
Died	July 7, 1968(1968-07-07)(aged 62) Harlem,Manhattan,New York City,New York,U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
Occupation(s)	Crime boss,drug trafficker
Spouse	Mayme Hatcher ​ (m.1948)​
Children	2
Conviction(s)	Drug conspiracy (1952)
Criminal penalty	15 years' imprisonment

Ellsworth Raymond"Bumpy"Johnson(October 31, 1905 – July 7, 1968) was an American crime boss in theHarlemneighborhood ofNew York City.

Early life

Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Johnson was born inCharleston, South Carolina,on October 31, 1905, to Margaret Moultrie and William Johnson. When he was 10, his older brother Willie was accused of killing a white man. Afraid of a possiblelynch mob,his parents mortgaged their tiny home to raise money to send Willie up north to live with relatives.Johnson's nickname "Bumpy" is derived from a bump on the back of his head.As Johnson grew older, his parents worried about his short temper and insolence towards white people, and in 1919 he was sent to live with his older sister Mabel inHarlem.Johnson dropped out of high school and began working in casual jobs. Gangster William Hewett noticed Johnson, who began working for him, beginning his life of crime.

Career

Johnson was an associate ofnumbersqueenMadame Stephanie St. Clair.He became St. Clair's principal lieutenant in the 1930s. Johnson and St. Clair aimed to start a war against New York mob bossDutch Schultz.The fight resulted in more than 40 murders and several kidnappings. Eventually the fight on their end was lost, ending with a deal for Johnson.

In 1952, Johnson's activities were reported in the celebrity people section ofJet.That same year, Johnson was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a drug conspiracy conviction related toheroin.Two years later,Jetreported in its crime section that Johnson began his sentence after losing anappeal.He served the majority of that sentence atAlcatraz PrisoninSan Francisco Bay, Californiaas inmate No. 1117, and was released in 1963 on parole.

Johnson was arrested more than 40 times and served two prison terms for narcotics-related charges. In December 1965, Johnson staged asit-down strikein a police station, refusing to leave, as a protest against their continued surveillance. He was charged with "refusal to leave a police station" but wasacquittedby a judge.

Death

Johnson was under a federal indictment for drug conspiracy when he died of a heart attack 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 fell over clutching his chest.He is buried inWoodlawn Cemeteryin TheBronx,New York City.

Personal life

Bumpy Johnson married Mayme Hatcher in October 1948, six months after their first meeting.Johnson had two daughters, Ruthie and Elease, the latter of whom was from another relationship. His wife died in May 2009 at the age of 94.

In popular culture

Film

• In the 1971 filmShaftand its 1973 sequelShaft's Big Score!,Moses Gunnportrays "Bumpy Jonas", a character based upon Johnson.
• In the 1972 filmCome 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.
• In the 1979 filmEscape from Alcatraz,Paul Benjaminplays a character based on Bumpy Johnson, "English".
• In the 1984 filmThe Cotton Club,Laurence Fishburneplays a character based on Bumpy Johnson, "Bumpy Rhodes".
• In the 1997 filmHoodlum,Johnson is again portrayed by Fishburne.
• In the 1999 filmLife,musicianRick Jamesplays a Harlem gangster, "Spanky Johnson", who was loosely inspired by Bumpy Johnson.
• In the 2007 filmAmerican Gangster,Johnson is portrayed byClarence Williams III
• In the 2018Netflixdocumentary seriesDrug Lords,Johnson was featured in the third episode of the first season.

Television

• In an episode ofUnsolved Mysteries,it is reported that Johnson allegedly helped thethree escapeesofAlcatrazget to the shores ofSan 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'sHunters PointDistrict.
• In the second episode of the third season ofHBO'sThe Wire,"All Due Respect",Bumpy is mentioned just before Tree (dealer forCheese 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 inRichard Price's audio commentary for that episode.
• Cable networkEpix(now MGM+) premiered the crime drama television seriesGodfather of Harlemin Fall 2019.Forest Whitakerplays Johnson. The series was created byexecutive producersMarkuann Smith,Chris Brancatoand Paul Eckstein, who are producing withABC Signature Studios.

Music

• Prodigytitled his first full release after his release from prison in 2011The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP,which was followed byThe Bumpy Johnson Album.
• Central Ceereleased an EP in 2022 titledNo More Leakswhich featured a track titled "Bumpy Johnson".

Gaming

• The character of Sammy Robinson inMafia IIIwas partially inspired by Ellsworth Johnson.

See also

• Frank Lucas

External links

• Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson - by Mayme Hatcher Johnson
• Bumpy JohnsonatFind a Grave
• Infinite MagaZineHarlem Godfather Bumpy Johnson pt.1onYouTubeHarlem Godfather pt.2onYouTubeDocumentary
• John Howard Johnson.Fact not fiction in Harlem(1980 ed.). Northern Type Printing, Inc. p. 119.ASINB00072X07G.
• Mayme Hatcher Johnson (2008).Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson(when ed.). Oshun Publishing Company, Inc.; First edition (February 29, 2008). p. 248.ISBN978-0-9676028-3-7.