Godfather of Harlem is inspired by the true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson.

Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven 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.

Produced by ABC Signature Studios, the series is co-created and executive produced by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein (Narcos). Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, along with James Acheson and Markuann Smith, serve as executive producers. Chris Brancato serves as showrunner.

In the following exclusive clip, Cassius Clay comes to New York to fight Doug Jones at Madison Square Garden, only to discover that Chin and the mob want him to take a dive. Bumpy must decide if he’ll protect Clay’s secret: a relationship with Malcolm X that could end his boxing career.