5. Maintaining Order
Bumpy Johnson died of a heart attack in a Harlem restaurant, clutching his chest and keeling over around 2 AM on the morning of July 7th, 1968. His death was dramatized in the movie American Gangster, which depicted him expiring in the arms of his surrogate son and successor, Frank Lucas, who would revolutionize New York’s drug trade.
Bumpy Johnson had dominated the Harlem crime scene for decades, maintaining some measure of order on the street. After his death, various contenders scrambled to fill his shoes. Their competition led to a marked increase in violence and chaos on the streets.