As the world awaits the unveiling of American Gangster, Comeback Girl did a little digging to find some notable women behind this story, and she is a Comeback Girl in her own right, albeit of the underworld. She’s 90 plus now, so I suppose Comeback Girl #1 can have a little amnesia and some fascination along with her espresso this morning right?
Her name is Mayme Johnson (pictured far left). And she has always asserted that Frank Lucas was a liar. That her husband Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson (pictured middle and far right) whom many people describe as Harlem’s best kept secret and true crime boss, has never been depicted correctly nor is Lucas’ account of Bumpy dying in his arms true. It will be interesting to see how much of what Mayme proports as a lie will make it into this movie, for the simple fact that Lucas sold the rights to the film and this is “his” story.
Bumpy is everything that Lucas wishes he was-by Mayme’s account. She even wrote a book called, Harlem Godfather. Hoodlum, released in 1997, starring Lawrence Fishburn, was inspired by Johnson’s life.
Comeback Girl would give her right arm to see Mayme and Frank sitting side by side on Tavis Smiley’s couch. But alas I suppose its not cool for black intellectuals to find this story and way of life publicly intriguing.
23 Comments
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 9:06 am
[...] Mayme Johnson (Bumpy Johnson’s wife and mentor to Lucas) has already discredited him on one major account. So its hard to know exactly what to believe. The money, the hits, the power, the resourcefulness [...]
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Please send me more info on this story thanks.
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Mario there isn’t much more than what I was able to Google and post. The Harlem Godfather link is a good start the writer has an interview with Mayme on her site. Its very interesting.
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 10:20 pm
I am a 45 year college student working feverishly towards a bacholars degree in Biomedical Engineering. I am accomplishing this feat so late because I too was a young knucklehead when I was young. I grew up in the late 70’s and early 80’s. This was a time before the big gangster craze that has now taken hold of the Black community. Some how I don’t exactly remember how or when but I got exposed to gangsterdom, and I loved it. The fact that an individual could be in charge of his own life not depending on anyone else. To be your own boss, to dress as one liked, to have no schedule to ahear to. It was to be actually free. I envied them to the utmost. But all I ever saw was the Itialian and the Jewish mobsters. Oh and some were Irish. They never showed any Blacks except as Jazz players or waiters or of course victims of some kind. I knew deep down that most of us are smarter than that. Some body had to be able to get connected. Or were the other gangs just that prejudice? Most were too greedy to ignore the beenfit of doing business with everyone. Oh hail the all mighty dollar.
My personal feeling is I am very proud that Blacks are finally recognized for being resourceful enough to benefit just like the other races did. We had just as much right to enguage in illegal as well as legal activities to gain wealth and power. I am much wiser now and I know that one should follow the straight and narrow if you expect longivity. But I respect the classy hoodlum as well as the uptown Lawyer. Anyone who masters their craft and benefits from it and also survives through dangerous or rough times and lives to tell about it is “the Man” in my book. From my experiences in the past mixed with some of the non-fiction facts I have recorded I am presently working on a screenplay and could use help finding a literary agent. If you can help me please don’t hesitate to contact me at (Moderator DELETED PHONE NUMBER) or at the above email address. Thanxz
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Jerry I think its a dangerous road to go walking down to not realize Lucas being anything more than a cautionary tale-AN INTRIGUING ONE. If you really look at what was going on in Harlem prior to the infusion of blue magic (Junk), there were a lot of Black professionals who were making lots of money (relative to the times) by walking the “straight and narrow”. Look at how the art (literary and musical) scene exploded during the 20s and 30s. Blocks lined with doctors, lawyers, barber shops, convenience stores etc.
To me you are free if you are living your passion. And when you are living your passion work doesn’t feel like bondage.
Its a lie to believe that these mob bosses weren’t slaves. They ALL answered to SOMEBODY. They also answered to fear. Imagine having to go to bed every night wondering who might kill you tomorrow or who you might have to kill. Thats not freedom. And to assert that organized crime is the only way out-is a really limiting belief.
Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 11:00 am
xxxx
Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 11:28 am
ok, with all that has been said about the whole frank
lucas movie, I think first people must understand that iT is hollywood that determines what is seen on the big screen. DRUGS, AND VIOLENCE. Ok, lets give a little history here. Bumpy was, and i mean was the ONLY Afro-American who had direct/ and i mean verbal ties with “Lucky” Luciano/ and his syndicates regarding any business being done in Harlem at the time. I truly believe that Bumpy was not involved in the drug trade.
Bumpy was a pioneer/and a fighter for Harlem and its people, SO MUCH that he was willing to go to war to keep harlems crime life and its profits from the Italian Mob. That alone sent a message to the Mafia, that if ya want this business in harlem, ya got to go thru a black man in harlem/ because he has to be the mediator, because everybody wants in MONEY in Harlem, and the Mob knows that Bumpy had the HEART, MIND, AND
HEART, to be the mediator for Business/peacefully/ DO A MOVIE ON BUMPY PERIORD!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 5:32 pm
” DO A MOVIE ON BUMPY PERIORD!!!!!!!!!!
”
aleady been done.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 12:22 am
Actually, a movie depicting Bumpy’s real life story has not been done! Hoodlum had so many fabrications it can almost entirely be written off as a piece of fiction.
For instance, the characters played by Vanessa Williams and Chi McBride (supposedly his cousin) were fictitious . . . Hollywood just threw them in for the hell of it.
But for those wanting more info about what Mayme Johnson is saying about Frank Lucas, and for more info on her upcoming book (including how to preorder), please go to http://www.harlemgodfather.com
Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:36 am
I guess that could also be said about Lucas’ American Gangster as well. Movie’s have the artistic license to tell it in a way that is compelling. And sometimes factual accounts are that interesting. I would love to talk to you about the book you helped Mayme Johnson to write.
Friday, November 9, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I believe that if Frank Lucas made 250-300 Million dollars, then he is an American Gangster. If Mayme Johnson has a problem with Frank Lucas it can only be because of money. To me he is giving so much credit to Bumpy Johnson for saying that he taught him everything and showed him the ropes and made him into what he is today. If you are a gangster your woman doesn’t know 75% of your business unless she is a gangster as well. We need more shows about preachers and influential positive black people. Where are the movies about Bishop C.H. Mason and Dr. Ben Carson. Zarlenga or Aesop, or a movie about Maya Angelou, Benjamin Banneker. We allow the media to ruin our morals and beliefs and we become entranced with this fantasy word. Take it from an ex-hustler, who had lots of money, you end up dead or in jail for real and so do your people. Back in the day there was order. There was respect, now it is any man for himself. Bumpy, Frank, Nicky Barnes and any other glorified gangster would not be as well known or respected in this era. We need to get our community together and bring back family.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 1:37 am
COMMENTARY: Drug Dealer Frank Lucas, Denzel and Dad
My Father as a kid delivered groceries to the first drug kingpin “Bumpy” Johnson, who at the time, lived in the corner building on 120th street and 5th Avenue, across the street from Mount Morris Park. He use to tell me these colorful stories with admiration, about this man. Bumpy was an employee and conduit for the mafia, helping to orchestrate the distribution of heroin into Harlem and surrounding communities in the 1940’s, an epidemic that would later spread and engulf the entire country for generations to come.
The street gangs of the 40’s would become some of the first addicts, their members would ultimately form the first ruthless drug-gangs of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Families were destroyed individual lives ruined, violence and crime across the board increased at staggering rates. In spite the gains from the Civil Rights Movement, as a community we never fully recovered from the initial impact of the flooding of drugs into our communities.
Frank Lucas, portrayed by academy Award winner Denzel Washington in “American Gangster”, was the driver for Bumpy Johnson until his death by heart attack in 1968. By the time Mr. Lucas took power- the Harlem community had been decimated by this epidemic and the second generation of addicts already overwhelmed the streets. Like the Hip Hop culture violent movies have a tremendous impact on our children. Our young-people are continually bombarded with negative messages that unfortunately help shape and mold their character, Al Pacino’s as Scareface is still a popular image on T-Shirts.
The moral of the story is not that the bad guy gets it in the end. Too many hopeless kids who are engaged in criminal activity, view the demise of these individuals in a fatalistic and morbidly glamorous way. Enlighten by our past history and current events we have to be careful not to glorify criminals. Mr. Lucas has the right to have his story told but as parents, mentors, big brothers and sisters, we must always monitor the messages and more important the response to the message portrayed in media.
Dad’s discussions about Bumpy, were a small part of the rich history of the community that he shared with me. He gave me, as I did my son, Claude Brown’s definitive book on life in Harlem, “Manchild in the Promise Land”, when I was a teenager. He also talked about Malcolm X and Dr. King, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Together we watched, Gil Noble’s informative program “Like It Is”. My love of history and current events came from my dads talks about the Bumpy Johnson’s as well as the Dr. King’s of this world. He taught me to discern the messages that would bombarded me in my life-time. He knew then that no matter what, there would always be plenty of people like Bumpy Johnson and Frank Lucas around to share theirs.
Brotherman
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 3:42 am
When I came up in Queens in the 70’s it was about Faus, Bumps, and Chops. Then the 80’s came and it was Cat, Kilo, the Corleys, the Supreme Team, Tommy, Alpo (Harlem), Fritz(Harlem), and SupremeMag (BK). Because of my academic experiences I sometimes run in a crowd that questions why some Blacks look up to or are interested in a Frank Lucas or a Bumpy Johnson. But what they don’t get and I didn’t understand until years later is that these men were MEN! They exhibited “manly” characteristics. Black men when we speak out or exist “out of the box” which society prefers we become intimidating. And this is from experience, and irrespective of the number of degrees in your pocket, job title or income. So some play the game. But see what has happened to the best of them. Colin Powell got punked while Stan O’Neil and Richard Parson got fired. But Nicky Barnes is a man. Living life on his own terms. Even after getting busted and turning snitch he’s still out there. A man. Risktaker, outspoken, innovator. A white kid coming up sees it himself through the lives of Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, Steve Jobs, Page and Brin, Bush/Cheyney, Ronald Reagan, Steve McQueen, Ernest Hemmingway, George Patton, George Washington, Robert E Lee, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Morgan, for example. But who are the analogous Black males? For better or worse it is the gangsters.
Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 9:14 pm
thanks for the info.
is that your head shot ??
Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 4:46 am
I am so facianted the the entire story, just as the God Father Series takes us thru the Basic story line of the “Italian” Mafia I am eagerly awaiting more movies about Bumpy Johnson, Mayme Johnson & Frank Lucas in the early years of their relationship. I don’t see them as a positive or negative roll model, but just as another fact of life. We all can learn from, but what we learn is in the mind of the student.
Thursday, December 27, 2007 at 12:16 am
I am 73 years old. I ggrew up in Harlem, and evverytime I seen Bumpy at a store o at a bar, I always seen Frank let him out of the car. I never seen bumpy wife wit him but maybe once or twice, and I was always hanging out. Frank dun alot of fo people in Harlem. You kids need to respect him! He is a good man! Godd damn it! In fact I recall frank walking down the unemployment line downtewn in harlem passing out hundred dollar bills. shit! hell bumpy ain’t never did that!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at 10:11 pm
To: thecomebackgirl
Subject: Road to Ocho Rios 2008
I am the Director of Marketing for the Vincent E. Kee produced show of “Sonny’s Place…The Greatest Jam Session that Never Happened”. Please read the synopsis below which makes referrences to the life and times of Bumpy Johnson. We will be performing at the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival which runs from June 8-15, 2008. Our mission is that of good will working with the ‘Dare to Care Childrens Village’ in Jamaica. Casting calls will be Jan. 26th with the first show on February 10th at Larry Holmes Club in Easton, PA. We will then have April shows in Atlantic City and then Jamaica in June, with off Broadway dates to follow.
We are currently searching for someone to document our story from casting calls to Ocho Rios. Please let me know if you have interest to cover or could recommend a quality video crew.
Regards,
Frank Carpinelli
fjcarpi@rcn.com
Sonny’s Place
Synopsis
In 1956 after decades of dodging bullets of some of the most
notorious gangsters to ever walk the streets of Chicago during the
1920s, 30s, 40s, & 50s philandering gangster, club owner song &
dance man Sonny ” Bumpy” Johnson is caught cheating on his wife
& shot by her.
Strange things begin to happen 50 years later (when the building
is scheduled to be destroyed by a Donald Trump-type
billionaire developer) as Sonny’s ghost introduces legendary
spirits of some of the greatest jazz, swing & blues legends who
performed in his club over the years singing
his incredible never published songs!!!
Sonny’ s mission is to convince the developer (with a little
help from his legendary friends) to not destroy his dwelling!!!!
These legendary entertainers include Billie Holiday, Moms Mabley,
Satchmo, Dinah Washington, Ma Rainey, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith,
Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway!!!
Also billed as, ” The Greatest Jam Session That Never Happened”.!!!
Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Comeback Girl,
You alright wit me. I commend you on your stand alone website. I just paid cash money to see the “American Gangster” and reading, just recently, the words of Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson’s widow, I desire a cash refund.
Does this not touch the creditability of my favorite Denzel Washington?
funkieraw sends…
Monday, June 9, 2008 at 3:09 am
First and foremost, I would like to mention that this is my first blog…I’m very excited!! Anyway, I must confess that I enjoyed both movies “Hoodlum” and “American Ganster.” Due to my enjoyment of veiwing these films, I was inclined to do a bit of my own research…and I have ended up here. Yes, we all know that Hollywood will fabricated one’s life so that it will appeal to the audience, which is the case for Mr. E. “Bumpy” Johnson and Mr. Frank Lucas…how else would producers earn their money? The important thing that needs to be remembered is that movies are just what they are…movies. What movie can you actually think of were all the facts were true? I cannot think of one. Someone is always going to add a little sugar and salt to enhance the flavor.
Personally, I am glad that Mrs. Johnson came forward to set the record straight about the life of her husband. I had read earlier that someone suggested that she could possibly be lying, but that is ridiculous. What on Earth would Mrs. Johnson gain from lying? She is 93 years old and wise because she has been blessed to live this long. I mean, think about it. Mrs. Johnson has outlived many of the people from that era of history, and I feel that before she exists this Earth she would like to share her life and times of her husband… who would know Mr. Johnson better than she other than Mr. Johnson himself? God would but you know the point I am trying to make.
In any marriage, there would have to exist a foundation of trust. So after whatever activity Mr. Johnson was doing in the streets, rather it was good (giving a mother money to clothe her children) or bad (defending the People’s turf against malicious mobsters), why not come home and confide with the one you are married to and love? We have no idea what their relationship was consisted of because we were not there to witness it…feel me? So why not take her word for it? No, she might not have been at his side every moment of the day, but who did he rest with at night? Whose shoulder do you think he rested his weary head upon? The Bible states that a woman was formed from the side (rib) of a man. This basically means that a woman was not meant to be behind or in front of her husband, but beside him…and Mrs. Johnson seems to have been a devoted wife that loved her husband. Even so much that she never remarried or even dated after him…that is a hell of a woman!
From listening to Mrs. Johnson’s interviews and reading the details of she and Mrs. Miller’s book, I feel that the information is crediable. Both women were in their right minds. With this being said, I would like to read more of this work; 99% of the time the book is better than the movie. Mrs. Miller went straight to the main source, Mrs. Johnson, to gain the majority of information used for the book, which is the right thing to do. Also, she conducted years of research, since 1993,…gathering public records, etc.
As far as Mr. Lucas, I feel that he may have admired Mr. Johnson because he was a respected man within his community, he was capable of handling business in a timely matter, and he looked out for his own. Mr. Lucas has claimed that Mr. Johnson was his mentor, but if he admired him so much then why destroy your own community for personal gain? That makes no sense to me at all. Yeah, we all know that selling illegal substances is the easier way out because it is fast, quick money, but is it really that easy? No, if that was the case then so many of our young brothers and sisters would not be serving time behind bars right now…am I making any kind of sense? When listening to an interview with Mr. Lucas I recognized that not one derogatory term came from his mouth in regards to Mrs. Johnson, but when asked about Freddie (something or other) he openly stated his opinion. I mean, Mr. Lucas has even stated in an article entitled “Superfly” (there is more to the title, but I cannot think of it at this time) he mentions that he told people what they wanted to hear…maybe that was the case with the movie…it still sold at the box office. Mr. Lucas was about making money, and I personally feel that he did not care how he got it. Mr. Lucas has been portrayed to be this horrible druglord and liar, but he did offer words of widsom to this genearation and those to come…get an education, be a positive role model, become something that is worth remembering, ect. I admire Mr. Lucas because he had enough dignity to collaborate with his daughter, building a website to support children whose parents are incarcerated…what other way to give back?
We have all been blessed with the capabilities to change the world around us, but we have to learn to be a community once again…as Mr. Johnson saw fit in his day, and also what Mr. Lucas now realizes. All those kingpins had something then, but do they have anything to show for it now? I am talking about those who are still amongst the living. They talk about the glory days of distributing narcotics, but what good is it doing them today? Do they still posses those same assets? I don’t know, but I am sure they have used their own testimonies to deter young people from following the same path. Most have come forward to share their story so that we will avoid the same mistakes they encountered.
Well, thank you for reading and God bless,
Chavon
Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I have a comment/question. I visited my fathers cousin in 2001 just before 9/11. We got on the subject of Mr. Johnson and he mentioned a Nathan Johnson who was a bigtime numbers man in Harlem who was murdered the year before. We pondered whether this was Bumpy’s son who inhereted his numbers racket. Can anyone comment on this issue?
Friday, July 25, 2008 at 3:25 am
FEEDBACK ON BUMPYS WIFE SETTING THE RECORD STR8
i want to say this about WHAT I HEAR in her speaking out in Bumpys name is merely this- (and maybe ill hit a few more key pionts along the way. this is the first however)
while the message coms through undeniably with conviction that HER BUMPY was a man with a generous type of spirit. to the world he comes across as least to many as robin hood. and who was roibn hood but the prince of thieves, a very fascinated archetype for those inspired to write about such archetypal and historic figures
however so much of the conviction of her words almost seems to hit me as one who is trying to convince her audience, hence the defense and so many disputes she attests ton in comparison to the much more desribed self serving character of MR.Lucas.
i want to say that to the rest of the world not knowing the true story we have only conclusions to draw.
the conclusion that i find most intriguing is this man of wealth and generosity is HOW then did bumpy have this money to give with so much-
who then did he have to his business with and what character men did that happen with that would allow such a good man to have so much to give and yet be type casted as one the gangsters that has the means to give so much.
my feed back is this- while there is no doubt in my mind he gave to the ppl just as lucas declare so many times. he also declared that difference between he and bumpy that lucas himself was out for number one.
with connections so many underground figures as bumpy had – how is then that he maintained this public image of the robin hood without there being some merit to the other activities he may have been engaged to.
Lucas no one of todays time may ever know him truly in his heart. what i see tho is that there must be a denying of truth to some extent if but just a little,
i became fascinated with the story but keep coming to the question of how mr bumpy made all his financial gain associated with these characters and was so respected in the gangster world were he not a man ruling with an iron even if generous fist. it has begun to look to me at further research that the window of bumpy has an agenda and she admiredly must have had in her life to protect his image. its hard for me to buy that the widows husbamd financed and drew to hom such power/clout from the people if he was such the angel,
my heart says0 my feeling is there is much agenda here in discrediting any of those that discredit the memory of such a loved figure as bumpy,
i havent seen all the movies but my gut says there was a ruthless side to bumpy as well even if it came from a discerning sense of right and wrong that lied within him and thus formed his actions, i hear of a formidable gangster unafraid to lose his power and influence even so if only he could help the people.
in the last voice interview i heard, i saw that the woman helping bumpys widow tell much of her story talk more than the widow herself about the facts around the message she wished to clear up, which was unfortunate, she left less room for the widow to speak her truth and message, i say this knowing that there is more to the story the world and american history would wish to learn.
i feel that while frank lucas may have very well embellished on much (who knows) that the impact of bumpys widow was lost to me.
it seemed lacking to say only what a good man he was. did he not collect moneys owed? and with what tactics did he use?- where did he inspire his loyalty then from and from what place to many respond to him from? was it fear or respect of collections or merely peace, generosity and true leadership?
i feel that there is truth that bumyps window could have had the chance to say more about and her words would have carried me impact to me. it seemed tho in her message to exonerate bumpy she may have been keeping much of the truth from being heard as we heard mostly attacks on the dishonesty of frank lucas. his actions like bumpys reflected a man that had charisma much the way im sure bumpy ruled with and it leaves me asking- are we putting lucas as the sole bad guy to protect that memory in her testimony out against him.
what im saying is that message lost power for me in so many attacks against lucas.
i am curious more about the other sides of bumpy and how he came to his power and prestige. i have been left with the conclusion that much has been his to exonerate bumpy.
i would like bumpys window to have the chance to speak a more rounded truth of bumpy without the focus on so much of lucas” intregrity or lack there of.
i have come away with assurance of who bumpy was and an idea that in protecting his memory much of the other side of his life has been swept under the rug, i would like to see bumps window have a more full and powerful post to speak from which would serve in eliminating so much attack on lucas,
i mean was bumpys trade not also in the exploitation of others misfortunes such as drug problems etc, were his businesses not also illegal, al of that is not for us to judge- we simple get to truly honor his memory when the hidden agendas are soley bent on protecting him because we can believe who he was more than seeing only a personal perspective from someone not wanting her husbands memory associated with such a character as she deems lucas.
she seems to be saying they had no common business trade whatsoever-
i like the romantic version she paints of americas harlem robin hood, i see to where it could be heard and digested better by those who read it, i saw to much of what appeared to be trying to protect his memory thus making me doubt not more but the memory of bumpy more well meaning or not.
this is feed back that you can toss out if you like. id like to hear the real story of bumps and how he became known as robin hood of harlem, i know to do that- he had to be willing to do more than be a choir boy
hoping to give feed back where someone might be able to gain something from what i heard of the you tube tapes of bumpys widow
thanks for you time if you read this
tara or lotusradio@gmail,com
were frank learned nothing from
it also makes sense rationally to me that
I hear form one interview that gave miss hohnson the message repeatedly and time again how there was no truth whatsoever to what this man Frank Lucas says.
Granted a man that is willing to kill anyone so
Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Well I’ve read some of the stories from Bumpys wife at this link… http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.harlemgodfather.com/9780967602837.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.harlemgodfather.com/Contact.htm&h=960&w=653&sz=143&hl=en&start=11&um=1&usg=__zhP3VLoooZ5a9nxKaHrR510JhqI=&tbnid=bVMft_Ab7Bpv5M:&tbnh=148&tbnw=101&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbumpy%2Bjohnson%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4WZPA_en___US286%26sa%3DX…if this is true than I take it that Frank was a man that knew when it was his time to shine. whether he was Bumpys apprentince or not he used the Bumpy name and the Bumpy connects and made a living off it. Only down fall that I see is that he snitched…other than that I’m okay with it
Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 1:31 am
Bumpy’s wife is a liar. If lucas’s story was fake there would be many lawsuits against him. She is trying to capitloize on her dead unfaithful husband’s memory. Frank said bumpy taught him everything he knows,so what! Plus look at police records,lucas had the money he said he had and then some.