One of the smartest black organized hoodlums in the old days was a fellow by the name of Ellsworth (Bumpy) Johnson out of West Harlem.

He operated in a similar fashion as the Italian, Irish, and Jewish mobs and was respected for it.

Bootlegging, narcotics, numbers and dice games, planned big money heists, strong-arm extortion, etc.

In fact he was on very friendly terms with many Italian hoodlums and got along with them well.

For my money, the most respected and intelligent black hoodlum in that area of the city.