Godfather of Harlem reimagines the story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Academy Award®- winner Forest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from a decade in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles.
Inspired by actual persons and events, Godfather of Harlem reimagines the story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Academy Award®- winner Forest Whitaker), 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 must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart. Godfather of Harlem is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.
While this story is inspired by actual events, certain characters, characterizations, incidents, locations and dialogue were fictionalized or invented for purposes of dramatization. With respect to such fictionalization or invention, any similarity to the name or to the actual character or history of any person, living or dead, or any product or entity or actual incident is entirely for dramatic purpose and not intended to reflect on an actual character, history, product or entity.