Although he maintained that he was framed, Johnson was sentenced to 15 years in the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in California. In 1952, at the height of his reign, Johnson was arrested for selling heroin. He was also known for his skills in chess. He was also known to be well-read, and earned the nickname “The Professor” because of his love of books and philosophy. ![]() Over the years, Johnson expanded to the narcotics trade and was eventually crowned the kingpin of Harlem.Īlthough Johnson was known to be a brutal gangster, he still portrayed himself as a man of the people, often giving back to his community. This alliance boosted Johnson’s profile as one of the first black gangsters to successfully work with the Italian mob. Claire’s right-hand man, Johnson was at the forefront of the illegal numbers turf war against Jewish mobster Dutch Shultz.Īfter Shultz was killed in a hit by infamous gangster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Johnson teamed up with the Italian mafia and formed an alliance that would last for decades. Claire, known as “The Queen of Numbers.” He eventually become the main enforcer for St. Johnson spent much of his 20s in and out of prison, but truly made a name for himself in the 1930s when he began working for the Harlem mob boss Stephanie St. He went on to move in with his sister in Harlem when he was a teenager. 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 was given the nickname “Bumpy” as a young boy due to a bump on the back of his head. Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker stars as Harlem gangsterĮllsworth Raymond Johnson was born in Charleston, S.C., on Oct.
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