MOVIE SCREEN TITLE PROFILE
TELEVISION SERIES
Godfather of Harlem (2019)
Popularity 45.9
Overview
Loosely based on infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy attempts to regain his piece of Harlem.
TITLE INFORMATION
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THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT
Cast & Crew
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Top Cast
Forest WhitakerEllsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
Erik LaRay HarveyDelbert C. 'Del' Chance
Ilfenesh HaderaMayme Johnson
Antoinette Crowe-LegacyElise Johnson
Lucy FryStella Gigante
Michael Raymond-JamesJoe Colombo
Key Crew
Chris BrancatoExecutive Producer
Forest WhitakerExecutive Producer
James AchesonExecutive Producer
Markuann SmithExecutive Producer
Nina Yang BongioviExecutive Producer
Paul EcksteinExecutive Producer
ARTWORK GALLERY
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EPISODE GUIDE
Seasons & Episodes
Season and episode information in the catalog.
Season 1
10 episodes · First aired 2019-09-29 · ★ 7.2
E01
By Whatever Means Necessary
2019-09-29 · 61 min
After returning from Alcatraz, Bumpy Johnson seeks to regain control of Harlem. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family, led by Vincent “Chin” Gigante.
E02
The Nitty Gritty
2019-10-06 · 56 min
Realizing a consistent source of heroin is vital to reclaim Harlem, Bumpy engages in a fevered search to find a dope supply independent of the Italians. Chin engages the services of crooked cops in a plot to arrest Bumpy and send him back to jail.
E03
Our Day Will Come
2019-10-13 · 55 min
Bumpy unexpectedly finds himself at Elise's side when her shoplifting arrest and subsequent abuse is the catalyst for a protest where conflicting interests cause tensions to rise.
E04
I Am The Greatest
2019-10-20 · 50 min
Cassius Clay battles local boxing hero Doug Jones in the ring. Mayme insists Bumpy back Jones, an advocate for her Harlem Youth organization, but Malcolm urges Bumpy to back Clay. Meanwhile, Chin engages in a turf war for Harlem with Bonnano.
E05
It's All In the Game
2019-10-27 · 51 min
In an effort to break Bumpy's bank, Chin fixes a bet, as a result, Bumpy owes the winners more than he can cover. Police arrest Stella and Teddy for kissing. Elise looks toward the Nation of Islam in order to better herself.
E06
Il Canto de Malavita
2019-11-03 · 55 min
Elijah Muhammed tours Malcolm X's mosque where he meets Elise and asks her to spy on Malcolm. Chin finds out Teddy is alive, leaving Ernie Nunzi to correct his mistake. Esther James sues Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for slander.
E07
Masters of War
2019-11-10 · 56 min
Striking back at the Italians, Bumpy exploits Chin's dark past. Mayme and Elise put aside their differences and Bumpy sees his wife and children reunited before his war explodes.
E08
How I Got Over
2019-11-17 · 55 min
Chin and Bonnano are at war in Harlem. Mayme asks Bumpy to create a will where Bumpy finds out he and Mayme never formally adopted Margaret. Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. go to D.C. for the March on Washington.
E09
Rent Strike Blues
2019-11-24 · 54 min
Due to slum conditions in Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. leads a rent strike and investigates the owners of the buildings. Ernie Nunzi searches for the hooker who helped set up Zambrano. Bumpy and Mayme experience tension in their marriage.
E10
Chickens Come Home to Roost
2019-12-01 · 61 min
Bumpy blackmails the mob in an effort to secure the safety of himself and his family. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. Teddy performs at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Season 2
10 episodes · First aired 2021-04-18 · ★ 7.2 Season 2 finds Bumpy battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism.
E01
The French Connection
2021-04-18 · 54 min
After three months in hiding from Chin Gigante and the Italians, Bumpy Johnson takes action to lift the sanctions off his head. By forging new alliances with European suppliers, Bumpy aims to reunite with his family safely back in Harlem.
E02
Sting Like a Bee
2021-04-25 · 48 min
Bumpy Johnson wants to use his new French supplier to distribute to the “Harlems” of other major American cities. Malcolm X uses Cassius Clay to leverage himself back into favor with the Nation of Islam before Clay’s famous fight versus Sonny Liston.
E03
The Fruit Stand Riot
2021-05-02 · 52 min
When innocent black teenagers and bystanders are savagely beaten and arrested by police, the Harlem community rallies to free them. Adam Clayton Powell and Mayme Johnson use peaceful protest, but Bumpy Johnson and Malcolm X prefer street justice.
E04
The Geechee
2021-05-09 · 51 min
An unlikely partnership proves to be extremely lucrative for Bumpy Johnson and Chin Gigante, but their success puts targets on their backs. Malcolm X fights off attacks on his character and his life.
E05
It's a Small World After All
2021-05-16 · 53 min
An incident at the Geechee Club threatens to break up Bumpy and Chin's partnership. Adam Clayton Powell looks to end the filibuster on the Civil Rights Bill, even if it means playing dirty.
E06
The Ballot or the Bullet
2021-05-23 · 54 min
Three Freedom Riders are murdered in Mississippi, and Bumpy Johnson wants justice, as well as a hedge against Federal investigation. Chin Gigante evades imprisonment with an “insanity” defense, and Malcolm X delivers his most fervent call to action.
E07
Man of the Year
2021-08-08 · 52 min
Before accepting a prestigious award, Bumpy Johnson contemplates the many contradictions in his life, and struggles to do what's best for his family; Chin Gigante learns a difficult truth about his daughter, Stella.
E08
Ten Harlems
2021-08-15 · 56 min
Confronted with a betrayal in his ranks, Bumpy Johnson hunts for enemies within his Ten Harlems. The conflict between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam escalates from threats to outright violence.
E09
The Bonanno Split
2021-08-22 · 56 min
Bumpy Johnson must protect the Italian mob when Joseph Bonanno decides to abolish the Commission; captain Omar takes his campaign against Malcolm X to a new level.
E10
The Hate That Hate Produced
2021-08-29 · 55 min
Bumpy Johnson must fend off rivals to receive the largest dope shipment in New York history, while Harlem explodes into riot; Malcolm X reluctantly agrees to protection from an unusual source.
