The 7-Day War of Harlem: How Bumpy Johnson CRUSHED Dutch Schultz

The 7-Day War of Harlem: How Bumpy Johnson CRUSHED Dutch Schultz

In September 1935, a single racial insult at the Cotton Club ignited one of the most brutal and calculated gangster wars in New York history. Dutch Schultz, the city's most powerful white bootlegger, publicly humiliated Harlem's rising king, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson. Confident in his power, Schultz made a fatal error. Bumpy Johnson issued a chilling ultimatum: leave Harlem in 7 days, or your men start dying.

This is the full story of the 7-Day War. We break down Bumpy Johnson's three-pillar strategy of silence, systematic elimination, and psychological warfare. Witness how, day by day, Johnson’s specialized team executed eight of Schultz’s key operators—from collectors to enforcers—sending the "unstoppable" Dutch Schultz into a panic. We explore the key executions, from Vincent Mel on Day 1 to the final blow on Day 7 that broke Schultz’s empire for good.

The aftermath reshaped New York’s criminal landscape for a century, cementing Bumpy Johnson as a legend and proving that disrespecting Harlem's leaders came with a price paid in blood.

Chapters:
0:00 - The Cotton Club Insult
1:45 - Bumpy Johnson’s Ultimatum
3:20 - The Strategy: Silence, Eliminate, Terrorize
5:15 - Day 1-4: The Countdown Begins
7:45 - Day 5-6: Striking Anywhere, Anytime
9:30 - Day 7: The Final Blow & Schultz’s Surrender
11:10 - The Aftermath & Legacy of the 7-Day War

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