‘Harlem Godfather’ Bumpy Johnson’s Stint As An Alcatraz Prisoner
Public DomainBumpy Johnson, the notorious mobster known as the “Godfather of Harlem.”
Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson was a top mob boss in Harlem throughout the 1940s and ’50s. He rose to prominence by allying himself with Stephanie St. Clair, a prominent racketeer in the neighborhood. After defeating rivals in a bloody gang war, Bumpy Johnson struck a deal with Lucky Luciano to become the head of the Harlem crime group.
However, in 1952, Johnson was arrested for conspiracy to sell heroin. He was sentenced to 15 years behind bars, most of which he spent at Alcatraz. Not much is known about his time as an Alcatraz prisoner, but he was at the penitentiary when inmates Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin, and John Anglin made their daring escape in 1962.
In fact, there are rumors that Johnson helped the trio escape by arranging for a boat to pick them up in San Francisco Bay, but the truth remains elusive.
Johnson was released on parole in 1963 after 11 years in prison. His return to Harlem was celebrated with a parade, but the reign of the “Harlem Godfather” wouldn’t last much longer: He died from a heart attack five years later.
