![]() In real life, Johnson and Malcolm X had a friendship that went back to the 1940s when Malcolm X was a minor street hustler known as “Detroit Red” because of his relaxed red-tinted hair. Malcolm X claims that Johnson was the person who set him towards the path of Islam before he went to jail when he was at his lowest point of addiction. On the show, Malcolm X is a popular public figure in Harlem who preaches the self-sufficiency taught in Islam, motivated by the deterioration of a neighborhood that has succumbed to drug addiction. With Johnson’s guns and Malcolm X’s soldiers from the Nation of Islam, the pair take on the Genovese family to regain control of Harlem. Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) approaches Johnson to help him clean up the streets after the Italian mob has inundated Harlem with heroin. There are rumors that he helped orchestrate the 1962 escape of three prisoners by arranging a boat to whisk the trio away, an especially impressive feat considering Alcatraz was known as America’s most secure prison. ![]() Even while in prison, Johnson’s legend grew. Although he maintained that he was framed, Johnson was sentenced to 15 years in the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in California. In 1952, at the height of his reign, Johnson was arrested for selling heroin. He was also known for his skills in chess. He was also known to be well-read, and earned the nickname “The Professor” because of his love of books and philosophy. Over the years, Johnson expanded to the narcotics trade and was eventually crowned the kingpin of Harlem.Īlthough Johnson was known to be a brutal gangster, he still portrayed himself as a man of the people, often giving back to his community. This alliance boosted Johnson’s profile as one of the first black gangsters to successfully work with the Italian mob. Claire’s right-hand man, Johnson was at the forefront of the illegal numbers turf war against Jewish mobster Dutch Shultz.Īfter Shultz was killed in a hit by infamous gangster Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Johnson teamed up with the Italian mafia and formed an alliance that would last for decades. Claire, known as “The Queen of Numbers.” He eventually become the main enforcer for St. Johnson spent much of his 20s in and out of prison, but truly made a name for himself in the 1930s when he began working for the Harlem mob boss Stephanie St.
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