Godfather of Harlem

Series premiere. After returning from Alcatraz, Bumpy Johnson seeks to regain control of Harlem.

Realizing a consistent source of heroin is vital to reclaim Harlem, Bumpy engages in a fevered search to find a dope supply independent of the Italians. Chin engages the services of crooked cops in a plot to arrest Bumpy and send him back to jail. Meanwhile, Mayme worries the effect Bumpy's rescue of his daughter Elise from the streets will have on their family.

Bumpy unexpectedly finds himself at his daughter Elise's side. When her shoplifting arrest and subsequent abuse is the catalyst for a protest where conflicting interests cause tensions to rise. Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. have their own agendas for the protest. Meanwhile, Chin and the Italian mob want the protest to end because it’s happening at a building they own.

Cassius Clay battles local boxing hero Doug Jones in the ring. Mayme insists Bumpy back Jones, an advocate for her Harlem Youth organization, but Malcolm X urges Bumpy to back Clay. Meanwhile, Chin engages in an Italian turf war for Harlem with Bonnano and a buried secret fueling their feud is revealed.

To break Bumpy’s bank, Chin fixes a bet. As a result, Bumpy owes the winners more than he can cover.

To cover his debt, Bumpy is tasked with killing a witness testifying against the Genovese family. Elijah Muhammed tours Malcolm X’s mosque where he meets Elise and asks her to spy on Malcolm. Chin finds out Teddy is alive, leaving Ernie Nunzi to correct his mistake. Meanwhile, Esther James sues Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for slander.

Bumpy incites war between the Genovese and Bonanno families. Meanwhile, when Margaret goes missing, Mayme teams up with Elise in a desperate attempt to find her. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. feels the repercussions from his slander dispute with Esther James. Stella reveals a family secret.

On the day of the March on Washington, Chin and Bonnano are at war in Harlem. Meanwhile, Mayme asks Bumpy to create a will. As a result, Bumpy finds out he and Mayme never formally adopted Margaret, so he asks Elise for her permission. Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. go to D.C. for the March on Washington. Stella considers breaking up with Teddy for his own good.

Due to slum conditions in Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. leads a rent strike and investigates the owners of the buildings. Ernie Nunzi searches for the hooker who helped set up Zambrano. Bumpy and Mayme experience tension in their marriage over infidelities. Elise and Malcolm X grow closer.

In the Season One Finale, when Bumpy blackmails the mob in an effort to secure the safety of himself and his family, it doesn’t go as planned. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated leading to a cease of the Congressional investigation into the mob. Teddy performs at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and plans to move to California with Stella to record his album.