Ali Abducted by Mafia Portrayed in Tonight's Ep of Godfather of Harlem

[johnbook]

Godfather of Harlem--maybe best show on TV right now--has Forest Whitaker as Bumpy Johnson. Also portrays Malcolm X and Mafia biggies of the early 60s.

Tonight's ep was about the Clay vs Doug Jones fight. Shows mafia kidnapping Clay and wanting him to take a dive vs Jones and using a secret tape of Clay talking to Malcolm X about him already being an NOI member etc.
Vincent Chin Gigante threatens Clay with exposure of that if he throws the fight, and he'd get a title shot at Liston if he does. I won't say more as I'll let you see it.

But I think this may all be fiction. I have seen an Ali interview a decade or so later where Ali relates that a big Mafioso was involved in trying to influence him before the Liston fight not the Jones fight. IIRC Ali said that mafia guy offered to use the liniment on Liston so that Clay would win as they thought he had no chance. I believe this was Liston's own people because the odds were so great in Liston's favor.

So was tonight's ep all fiction?

[johnbook]

And this ep showed real vid of Clay on Ed Sullivan show. So I found that as I hadn't seen that before. Has Clay doing a pretty good magic trick.
Enjoy:

[johnbook]

Just saw that SRR was connected and possibly protected by Bumpy. So show took some artistic license as they are want to do.

[johnbook]

This fascinating apparent biggie with the NOI may have another take on why Clay/Ali joined the NOI?

He says Ali did go running to them for protection as Mafia wanted a piece of him.



Of course he says a lot of other stuff...