Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson was born on October 31, 1905, in Charleston, South Carolina, to Margaret Moultrie and William Johnson, earning his lifelong nickname from a prominent bump on the back of his head. Growing up in the Jim Crow South amid racial tensions, his family faced tragedy when his older brother Willie was accused of killing a white man, prompting threats of lynching; to protect the children, Johnson and most of his siblings were sent north to Harlem, New York, around 1919, where he lived with his aunt and uncle. In Harlem, the 14-year-old Johnson encountered bullying due to his small stature and thick Southern accent, which fueled his scrappy nature and quick temper, leading him to drop out of high school and take odd jobs while gravitating toward street life.
By his late teens, Johnson had fallen in with local gangsters, starting as a bodyguard for illegal gamblers under the tutelage of Harlem enforcer William “Bub” Hewett, and soon delving into burglary, pimping, and theft, which landed him in prison for much of his twenties, including a 10-year sentence that he served largely in solitary confinement due to his combative demeanor. Released in 1932 at age 27, broke and jobless, he quickly aligned with Harlem’s numbers queen, Stephanie St. Clair, a formidable Black crime boss who controlled much of the neighborhood’s illegal lottery operations; Johnson became her trusted lieutenant and enforcer, rising rapidly in her organization despite rumors of a romantic involvement, given her 20-year age difference.
In the early 1930s, Johnson and St. Clair waged a brutal guerrilla war against Dutch Schultz, the white mobster encroaching on Harlem’s rackets, resulting in over 40 murders, kidnappings, and arrests, including St. Clair’s own imprisonment; the conflict highlighted Johnson’s violent prowess but ultimately failed as Schultz’s Mafia-backed forces prevailed. Following Schultz’s assassination in 1935 on orders from Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Johnson struck a pivotal deal with the Mafia, securing autonomy over Harlem’s numbers game and other rackets in exchange for profit-sharing and protection, an arrangement that endured for decades under Luciano’s successor, Vito Genovese. Dubbed the “Godfather of Harlem,” Johnson amassed power through over 40 arrests for bribery, narcotics, and extortion, serving two major prison stints, including a 15-year sentence in 1952 for heroin conspiracy, much of it at Alcatraz as inmate No. 1117, where he was released on parole in 1963.
Amid his criminal empire, Johnson cultivated a complex public image, feared for his ruthlessness yet revered as a community benefactor who distributed free turkeys at Thanksgiving, delivered meals to the poor, and gifted cash to struggling Harlem residents, earning Robin Hood-like comparisons. He mentored up-and-coming figures like Frank Lucas, who would later dominate Harlem’s drug trade, and maintained alliances with Italian mobsters while fiercely protecting Black interests in the underworld. In his personal life, Johnson married Mayme Hatcher in October 1948, just months after meeting the North Carolina native who worked as a waitress in New York; their union lasted until his death, and they raised two daughters, Ruthie and Elease (the latter from a prior relationship). During his incarcerations, he immersed himself in reading and poetry, even publishing verses during the Harlem Renaissance.
After his 1963 release, Johnson resumed his Harlem operations under constant federal scrutiny, culminating in a bold December 1965 protest: frustrated by police surveillance in Black neighborhoods, he staged a sit-down strike inside a precinct, refusing to leave until charged, though he was ultimately acquitted. His influence persisted until July 7, 1968, when, at 62, he suffered a fatal heart attack while dining on chicken leg, hominy grits, and coffee at Wells Restaurant in Harlem, collapsing in the arms of his childhood friend Junie Byrd; he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Johnson’s legacy as a paradoxical figure—ruthless kingpin and neighborhood guardian—endures in popular culture, inspiring portrayals in films like American Gangster and the series Godfather of Harlem, cementing his status as a pivotal icon of mid-20th-century Harlem.