“Harlem Godfather: The Rap on myHusband, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson by Mayme Johnson and Karen E Quinones Miller, is a non-fiction book about crime in Harlem from 1930s to the late 1960s. Violent fights for the numbers racket (we called it Policy in Chicago), beatings, and killings filled the pages from beginning to end. Nearly all of the action takes place on the streets of Harlem, New York down to the exact corners. Considering all of the above, it's still an entertaining read about a life-size thug, gangster, big-time criminal and Black Godfather of Harlem. Want to know the link to the movie American Gangster and Frank Lucas’s relationship to “Bumpy?” Mrs. Johnson tells it all. She lived it. Her voice is authentic and true to the era. At 91, she did a remarkable job of telling Bumpy and his cohorts’ story. Karen E Quinones Miller did an excellent job cowriting and laying down Mrs. Johnson’s words into an easy flow. Harlem Godfather is even comical in places – I found myself laughing out loud. Honor among thieves? Mrs. Johnson says sometimes.
Make no mistake this is an adult book. I enjoyed the change of pace. I give it three and a half stars.
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