This weekend was faced with tragic news from Philadelphia. Mayme Hatcher Johnson, wife of infamous Harlem gangster Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson died of respiratory failure on Friday.
Mrs. Johnson met and married Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, in Harlem. Her husband’s stories were depicted in many ways, including motion pictures The Cotton Club, Hoodlum, and American Gangster [click to read]. Bumpy Jonas was also a character in 1971’s Shaft was also based on Johnson, who died in 1968 of heart attack in Harlem.
In 2004, Mrs. Johnson became the author of a biography about Bumpy J, which in her words, was written to show “the truth” behind the man.
Bump J‘s legacy has remained alive in Hip Hop. A Chicago rapper named himself after the original Johnson, calling himself Bump J [click ro read]. He’s also been name checked by several artists including Lupe Fiasco and Freddie Foxxx [click to read].
AD LOADING...
Funeral arrangements will be made privately.
