Bumpy Johnson's daughter: What happened to Elease Johnson?
Elease Johnson was the daughter of the infamous Harlem crime boss, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, and his wife, Mayme Johnson. Bumpy Johnson’s daughter has always sparked curiosity among those who know her father’s story. While Bumpy Johnson was a well-known Harlem crime boss, little is known about Elease’s life.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Elease Johnson was the daughter of Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson and his wife, Mayme Johnson.
- She lived a private and quiet life, avoiding the public eye and her father’s criminal world.
- Elease is remembered as a reserved and dignified woman who carried her family’s legacy with grace.
Profile summary
Full name | Elease Johnson |
Gender | Female |
Year of death | 2006 |
Place of birth | United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Dark brown |
Mother | Mayme Hatcher Johnson |
Father | Ellsworth Raymond Johnson |
Siblings | 1 |
Children | 1 |
Who is Bumpy Johnson's daughter?
Bumpy Johnson’s daughter, Elise, was the child of Harlem mob boss Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson from a relationship before he married Mayme Johnson. Unlike her father, who became a well-known figure in Harlem’s criminal underworld, Elise lived a private life away from public attention.
Authentic photos of Bumpy Johnson's daughter remain unavailable, but her story continues to fascinate fans of Godfather of Harlem and those interested in Harlem’s rich history.
What is Elise Johnson known for?
Elise Johnson, the daughter of Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson, is known primarily for being part of the famous Johnson family connected to Harlem’s 20th-century underworld. In real life, very little is publicly documented about her, as she lived privately and stayed out of the spotlight.
However, Elise Johnson became more widely recognised through her portrayal in the TV series Godfather of Harlem, where she is depicted as Bumpy Johnson’s daughter struggling with addiction and forming a friendship with Malcolm X. This dramatised version of her life brought renewed attention to her name, even though much of it is fictionalised for television.
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Who did Elise Johnson marry?
There are no verified records or credible sources indicating that Elise Johnson, the daughter of Bumpy Johnson, was ever married. Most details about her life remain private.
In Godfather of Harlem, Elise is not depicted as being married but rather as struggling with addiction and personal challenges. Therefore, any claims about Elise Johnson’s marriage appear to be fictional or unconfirmed by historical evidence.
Who was Bumpy Johnson?
He was born Ellsworth Raymond Johnson on 31 October 1905 to his parents, William Johnson and Margaret Moultrie. He was nicknamed Bumpy during his childhood due to a bump on the back of his head.
Bumpy gained notoriety in his 20s for committing petty crimes and was a jailbird. He gained more fame in the 1930s when he started working for the Harlem mob boss Stephanie St. Claire, also famous as The Queen of Numbers. He later joined the Italian mafia, Charles “Lucky” Lucian,o and formed a partnership that would rule the streets for decades.
Johnson was not only a gangster but also a philanthropist who offered donations to his community. He was a skilled chess player and loved reading books, earning him the nickname The Professor. In 1952, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling narcotics and was released in 1963.
After his release, he continued with his gangster lifestyle and reigned until his demise in 1968. He reportedly died of heart failure while eating at a restaurant in his neighbourhood.
Who was Bumpy Johnson’s wife?
Bumpy was Mayme Hatcher’s husband. She was an American author born in 1914 in North Carolina and moved to New York in 1938, where she worked as a waitress. Her relationship with Bumpy Johnson commenced in 1948 when they met, and after about six months, they married.
In her book, Harlem Godfather, she described how it felt like being in a relationship with Bumpy, saying:
Before long, I was known as Bumpy's girl. It was a good title to possess. It meant I could get in anywhere I wanted to go, I was treated as queen wherever I went, and I was showered with gifts and jewellery on a steady basis. It also meant that I was constantly accosted by other women who were in love with Bumpy and wanted me out of the way.
During her nearly two decades of marriage to Bumpy, Mayme and he welcomed a daughter named Ruthie. Bumpy Johnson’s daughter Ruthie grew up alongside her half-sister, Elise, whom Mayme lovingly raised as her own from Bumpy’s previous relationship.
Mayme Johnson was married to Bumpy until his demise in 1968, and she never remarried.
How did Bumpy Johnson’s wife die?
She died in Philadelphia, US, in May 2009 of respiratory failure, aged 94 years.
What happened to Bumpy Johnson's daughter, Elise?
Elise is Bumpy’s daughter from a past relationship before he married Mayme Hatcher, and her mother is unknown. Her father’s criminal past came to haunt her when she could not pursue higher education.
Elise struggled with addiction throughout her life and was often caught shoplifting to support her habits. Bumpy Johnson’s daughter, Elise’s death occurred in 2006, the same year her half-sister Ruthie passed away. While the exact cause of her death was never officially confirmed, some media reports suggest she may have died of a heart attack linked to substance abuse.
As viewers anticipate Godfather of Harlem Season 4, discussions about Bumpy’s real family—especially his daughter Elise—continue to grow. The show’s talented ensemble has helped renew curiosity about the true history behind the cast of Godfather of Harlem and the people who inspired them.
What happened to Bumpy Johnson's daughter, Ruthie?
Bumpy Johnson’s daughter, Ruthie, lived a largely private life, staying away from the spotlight that surrounded her famous father. Sadly, she passed away in 2006, the same year as her half-sister, Elise Johnson.
Details about the circumstances of Ruthie Johnson’s death were never publicly revealed, and little is known about her personal life. Like much of the Johnson family, Ruthie preferred to live quietly, far from the notoriety of her father’s criminal legacy.
Bumpy Johnson’s daughter and Malcolm X’s relationship
There is no verified evidence of a real relationship between Bumpy Johnson’s daughter, Elis, and Malcolm X. Historically, Bumpy Johnson and Malcolm X knew each other in Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s, but their connection was mainly professional and community-based.
The link between Elise and Malcolm X comes from the TV series Godfather of Harlem, where their interactions are fictional and used to highlight Harlem’s social and political climate of the time.
She reportedly knew Malcolm X through her father, Johnson, who was Malcolm X's longtime friend. Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and human rights activist nicknamed Detroit Red, and his friendship with Johnson started in the 1940s. Johnson protected him after he parted ways with the Nation of Islam leaders in 1964.
What happened to Margaret Bumpy Johnson?
Margaret Johnson lived much of her life in Harlem and was known for her close connection to her grandfather’s legacy. However, credible public information about her later life is very limited. She passed away in 2021 at around 66 years old.
Trivia
- Elise Johnson was reportedly Bumpy Johnson’s daughter from a relationship before his marriage to Mayme Hatcher Johnson.
- She is said to have battled substance abuse for much of her life, which affected her relationship with her family.
- According to some reports, Elise had a daughter named Margaret Johnson, who was raised by Bumpy and Mayme due to Elise’s struggles.
- In the TV series Godfather of Harlem, Elise Johnson is portrayed by actress Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, who plays her as a complex, emotional character trying to overcome addiction.
- In the show, Elise develops a close relationship with Malcolm X, though this storyline is not based on verified historical facts.
- Elise Johnson reportedly passed away in 2006, with some sources alleging her death was linked to a heart attack caused by substance abuse.
Elease Johnson lived a quiet life away from the spotlight. Being Bumpy Johnson’s daughter came with both challenges and strengths. Though she stayed out of public attention, her story remains an important part of her father’s legacy.
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Muhunya Muhonji (Lifestyle writer) Muhunya is a graduate of Agricultural Economics from Egerton University, Class of 2014, with a passion for storytelling and content creation. Since joining Legit.ng as a writer in July 2021, he has covered diverse topics such as entertainment, technology, business, and biographies. His journalism journey has seen him complete multiple professional courses, including the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (2023), the Google News Initiative course (March 2024), and Fact-Checking and Research training (September 2024). Email: muhunyah@gmail.com
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