Crime

Forest Whitaker portrays gangster Bumpy Johnson in ‘Godfather of Harlem’

ROLLINGOUT.COM — During times of oppression in the Black community, there have arisen both men and women who can best be described as an “anti-heroes.”

Published

6 years ago

April 3, 2019

Mo Barnes

By Mo Barnes

During times of oppression in the Black community, there have arisen both men and women who can best be described as an “anti-heroes.” Among the most notorious, was legendary Black gangster Ellsworth Raymond Johnson, known on the streets of Harlem as Bumpy Johnson, the “Godfather of Harlem.” Now, Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker will play Johnson in a new mini-series on the Epix cable channel entitled “Godfather of Harlem.”

Mo Barnes

Bumpy Johnson has been the subject of many popular movies over the decades, with variations of his name and life. In the original 1971 movie Shaft, iconic actor Moses Gunn played a character based on Johnson named Bumpy Jonas. The most recent portrayal of Johnson was as a major character in the movie American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington. In that movie, Johnson was portrayed by Clarence Williams III and showed how Washington’s character, Frank Lucas, was mentored by the aging gangster to become his successor.

In Harlem, Johnson worked against the Italian Mafia as it battled to take over the illegal gambling racket known in the Black community by various names including “the bug,” “policy,” or more colloquially as the “numbers game.”

Gangsters like Johnson were the brains and the muscle behind the racket and became rich. So rich they gave back to the community in several ways, from giving out turkeys on Thanksgiving, protection from crooked cops and even helping with funeral costs. The problem is, in some cases, Bumpy Johnson was the reason for the funeral in the first place.

But when the mafia decided that they wanted a piece of the action, Bumpy Johnson fought back with a fury. It resulted in a negotiated treaty and allowed Johnson to make money from the heroin trade in Harlem. Johnson’s criminal activities saw him arrested more than 40 times, including two federal arrests that saw him serve serious time. After a ten year sentence, he

Ellsworth Raymond Johnson, aka Bumpy Johnson (Source: USP Leavenworth /Federal Dept. Of Corrections)

returned to Harlem and saw the streets in turmoil. Not only did he need to get his criminal empire back in order, he realized he needed to help the community. Johnson even met with Malcolm X to handle situations regarding police abuse and corruption.

Bumpy Johnson died on July 7, 1968, at the age of 62. He was having a meal that included coffee, a chicken leg, and grits, at Wells Restaurant in Harlem at 2 a.m. He clutched his chest and died of an apparent massive heart attack as his meal was being served. Frank Lucas, his successor to the title of “Godfather of Harlem,” told rolling out during a July 2016 interview, “God bless Bumpy Johnson. He showed me the way. I went in with both feet from the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, [to] the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Burma, Rangoon, Hong Kong and Malaysia until I got what I wanted.”

The trailer “Godfather of Harlem” can be viewed via the link below:

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

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Activism

Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

Published

5 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention. His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action. He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.