Mob Boss Files: Bumpy Johnson

Bumpy Johnson was one of the most influential African-American crime bosses in U.S. history.

Operating out of Harlem, Bumpy ran numbers rackets, controlled heroin pipelines, and forged uneasy alliances with Italian mafia figures like Lucky Luciano and Frank Costello.

But he wasn’t just a feared gangster — he was also seen as a protector of his community, often portrayed as a Robin Hood-type figure.

His life inspired films like American Gangster and series like Godfather of Harlem.