[Music]
imagine a world where the streets of Harlem pulsed with danger and
opportunity where a young boy's choices could lead him to become either a victim
or a Kingpin welcome to the story of Leroy Nikki Barnes The Man Who Would
earn the title Mr Untouchable in the treacherous realm of organized
crime born on October 15th 1933 in the heart of Harlem New York
Barnes entered a world far from fairy tales his childhood home was a
Battleground with an alcoholic father Waging War against Financial stability
and familial peace as young Leroy watched his mother endure abuse and his
family struggle under the weight of his father's vices he made a fateful decision that would alter the course of
his life forever at the tender age of nine Barnes
took his first step into the criminal underworld as a Sho shine boy
he saw an opportunity in a drunk customer's bulging wallet and seized it without
hesitation this impulsive Act of theft resulting in his first arrest was just
the beginning of a journey that would see him rise from a street urin to one of New York City's most formidable drug
lords but how did a boy from a troubled home transform into the infamous Mr
Untouchable har in Leroy Barn's memories seemed like a
paradise but the reality was starkly different the neighborhood was Rife with
youth gangs and Leroy found himself joining one of them these gangs
frequently clashed often using homemade Firearms Leroy managed to acquire a gun
but its first use came not against a rival gang but in a moment of family
turmoil one day as Leroy returned home he witnessed a heated argument between his
parents the confrontation escalated and his father in a drunken rage swung at
Leroy's mother Leroy unable to stand by shouted at his father to stop in
response his father threatened him pushing Leroy to fire the gun
fortunately the weak powder charge meant that no one was seriously harmed
Leroy's father only received a scratch on his jacket and Leroy retained all his
fingers this incident prompted Leroy to leave home seeking Vengeance against his
father with the help of his gang friends they tracked down where his father worked initially planning to kill him
the group settled on issuing threats instead shortly after Leroy's father
left the family however this departure did not deter Leroy from his chosen path
of crime emboldened by the taste of cocaine Leroy and a friend decided to
rob a drug dealer they scouted the Dealer's house noting the minimal
security the next day armed and ready they broke in and demanded money in
their haste they forgot to close the door attracting a crowd of neighbors while Leroy's friend escaped
through the hallway Leroy had to jump out of a window narrowly avoiding capture by three policemen below Leroy's
reputation on the streets grew not from Criminal exploits but from his stylish
appearance unlike his friends who spent money on drugs Leroy invested in
expensive clothing his fashion sense caught the attention of a local drug dealer known
as fat Herby impressed by Leroy's style and personal qualities Herby employed
him as a courier over time Leroy took on more significant
responsibilities including handling large sums of heroin with steady income
and access to drugs Leroy's addiction deepened to sustain his habit he
resorted to breaking into cars searching for valuables to sell during one such
break-in Leroy was arrested and sentenced to 3 and A2 years in prison he
served only a year and a half before being released on parole prison helped
him kick his addiction and upon release Leroy vowed never to use drugs again
focusing solely on selling them Leroy distanced himself from fat Herby forming
his own gang they amassed money through robberies targeting houses and demanding
valuables Leroy's ruthlessness was evident when he forced an elderly woman
to strip seeing value even in worn clothes the gang eventually secured
enough funds to buy a car and establish a steady supply of highquality heroin
Leroy's business expanded rapidly he marked his heroin bags with black duct
tape ensuring high quality the that attracted addicts from all over Harlem
Leroy no longer sold drugs directly but employed dealers and even a bodyguard
signaling his high status despite his success Leroy's downfall began when his wife
inadvertently exposed his operations to a police informant this led to his
arrest and a 5-year prison sentence in prison Leroy encoun Ed Matthew Madonna a
mafioso who introduced him to the logistics of large scale heroin
distribution their partnership flourished and upon release Leroy received substantial support from
Madonna's Network this collaboration enabled Leroy to establish a sophisticated drug operation in Harlem
modeled after the Italian crime families Leroy's organization known as the counc
was a tightly knit group that dominated the heroin trade in New York City their
operations were meticulously planned ensuring High profits and minimal risk
despite his eventual legal troubles Leroy barnes's criminal career left a
significant mark on the history of organized crime in America Leroy Nikki
Barnes seeking a more thrilling High often mixed heroin with c cane however
the money he earned from his association with fat Herby soon fell short of
funding his addiction desperate Barnes resorted to breaking into parked cars
hoping to find valuables to sell for drug money during one such break-in he
was arrested and sentenced to 3 and A2 years in prison though he served only a
year and a half before being released on parole his time in prison helped him
overcome his addiction and upon release he vowed never to use drugs again
focusing solely on selling them deciding to part ways with fat Herby Barnes
formed his own gang with friends to fund their first substantial drug purchase
They carried out home invasions threatening residents and demanding
valuables in one incident Barnes even forced an elderly woman to strip
recognizing the resale value of her expensive clothes gradually the gang accumulated
enough money to buy a car and secure a reliable supplier of highquality heroin
barns preferred to sell heroin at night each morning he would divide the heroin
into portions placing them in several bags and hiding these in secluded spots
near meeting points for his dealers to minimize risk he kept the heroin at his home for as
little time as possible the business grew rapidly thanks to barnes's
understanding of other addicts needs he marked his heroin bags with black duct tape signaling high quality which
attracted buyers from all over Harlem transitioning from direct sales barns
enlisted dealers to distribute the heroin and even hired a bodyguard though
The Bodyguard mainly served as a status symbol despite his success
barnes's downfall began when his wife inadvertently revealed his operations to
a police informant this led to his arrest and a 5-year prison sentence
Leroy Nikki Barnes despite his wealth and strong bodyguards found himself
vulnerable due to a betrayal from within his own home his wife n Unknowing ly set
the stage for his downfall during a reunion with a childhood friend n was asked whether her
husband Nikki Barnes could provide some drugs n aware of her husband's
activities casually confirmed unfortunately n's friend was a
police informant a few days after this conversation the police raided barnes's
apartment although they did not find any drugs the large amounts of cash and Drug
packaging tools were sufficient to charge him Barnes was subsequently
sentenced to 5 years in prison at the Green Haven Correctional Facility while
serving his sentence Barnes met Matthew Madonna a significant figure in the
luchessi crime family Madonna was deeply involved in heroin trafficking through a
network known as The French Connection which transported heroin from various parts of the world into the United
States their relationship marked a turning point in barnes's life The
French Connection originated in the French Port City of Marseilles where the genie Brothers prominent criminals
established the network after World War II the American intelligence services
including the CIA sought the jinny brothers help to combat local Communists
who were disrupting the export of American Goods to France in return for the their assistance the CIA provided
the jinny brothers with resources which they later used to facilitate the heroin
trade into the United States Barnes and Madonna bonded over their shared
experiences and Ambitions Madonna's expertise in large-scale heroin distribution provided
bars with invaluable insights this Alliance would eventually enable BS to establish a sophisticated
drug operation upon his release significantly impacting the heroin trade in New York City during
the 1950s the CIA was determined to maintain the flow of shipments to Europe
even if it meant collaborating with local gangsters they allied with the
genie Brothers notorious criminals who were given all the resources needed to
combat striking workers disrupting the port of Marseilles this partnership quickly restored order
the situation repeated itself during the indo-china war with striking workers
once again threatening supply lines the CIA turned to the jinny brothers paying
2 million and providing several crates of weapons to secure the port with the
port under their control the jinny brothers began importing opium from into
China processing it into heroin and exporting it to the United States
meanwhile Matthew Madonna a significant figure in the luchessi crime family
found himself in prison on a murder charge where he met Leroy Nikki
Barnes despite their different backgrounds Barnes and Madonna bonded
over their shared interest in the heroin trade Barnes admired the strong family
bonds among the Italians contrasting with his own experience erience of isolation Madonna saw potential in Barns
hoping to expand his heroin distribution into Harlem through Leroy shortly before
barnes's release Madonna offered him a deal cooperation in the heroin trade BS
accepted and upon his release he received half a kilogram of heroin and
$22,000 from Madonna's brother Frank this initial support allowed Barnes to
buy a car rent a stash house and set up his own drug operation barnes's early
days were not without conflict he had a runin with another dealer Steve Austin
who tried to sell drugs on barnes's Turf unlike barns Frank Madonna advised
against violence suggesting that quality would attract customers regardless of
territory heeding this advice bares moved his oper ations to a new neighborhood focusing on maintaining
highquality heroin Frank Madonna emphasized the importance of safety and
discretion advising bonds to delegate tasks and avoid direct involvement with
the drugs bonds implemented strict rules including prohibiting any business
related discussions over the phone a precaution that proved wise when the
police began tapping the phones of his associates despite these measures Barnes
was arrested at a friend's apartment leading to the discovery of half a million dollars worth of heroin charged
with drug possession Barnes was sentenced to 15 years in Green Haven
prison in prison bars connected with local African-Americans and converted to
Islam distancing himself from Madonna and his former lifestyle Barnes also
befriended Joe Gallow an Italian prisoner who had distanced himself from
other Italians their conversations often revolved around literature and philosophy with Gallow introducing BS to
influential works that shaped his thinking some speculate that Gallow
played a role in barnes's early release by helping him find procedural
violations in his case upon his release Barnes aimed to establish an organized
ation modeled after Italian crime families uniting disperate gangs under a
single disciplined entity known as the
council this group quickly dominated New York City's heroin trade with each
member overseeing a specific territory and network of dealers the council's meticulous
planning and quality products ensured High profits and a lasting imp impact on
the drug trade Frank Madonna offered Leroy Barnes cooperation upon his
release from prison seeing potential in him Frank provided Leroy with half a
kilogram of heroin and $2,000 enabling him to buy a car and
rent a secluded Stash House Frank continued to Mentor Leroy giving him
valuable advice a pivotal moment occurred when Leroy had a confrontation
with another black drug dealer Steve Austin who attempted to sell drugs on
Leroy's Turf Leroy was ready to resort to violence but Frank intervened
advising him against it Frank emphasized that customers cared more about the
quality of the product than who controlled the territory he saw Leroy as
a long-term investment and advised him to relocate his operations rather than
engage in a Turf War Frank reassured Leroy that if his product was good
buyers would always find him Frank also focused on Leroy's safety advising him
to stay as far away from the drugs as possible and to delegate tasks to his
employees Leroy took this advice to Heart ensuring he remained in the shadows and coordinated operations
without direct involvement he also strictly prohibited any business related
discussions over the phone suspecting that the phones of his associates could
be tapped by the police Leroy Nikki barns was under constant surveillance
and on January 29th 1965 his associate Reggie's tapped phone
led to barnes's arrest at Reggie's apartment following the arrest police
searched a location where heroin was being packaged and seized half a million dollar worth
of the drug this arrest was the result of a prolonged investigation by the Bronx
District Attorney's office and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics after being released on bail
Barnes and his attorney attempted to contest the legality of the wiretap and
the arrest itself but their efforts were futile consequently a jury found Barnes
guilty of drug possession sentencing him to 15 years in Green Haven prison a
facility he had left only 3 years prior while incarcerated Barnes befriended
local African-Americans and converted to Islam immersing himself in African
history at that time a popular belief held that much of the world's cultural
heritage including Western culture originated in Africa and was later
appropriated by whites Barnes became an Ardent supporter of the Nation of Islam
a political and religious movement founded by African-Americans in the 1930s during his imprisonment Barnes
vowed never to use drugs again and abstained from consuming pork he also
distanced himself from his former associate Matthew Madonna while Madonna
continued serving his time he found Leroy's Newfound Hobbies amusing despite
occasional tensions between Italians and African-Americans in Green Haven prison these never escalated into open conflict
both groups preferred to ignore each other however one Italian prisoner Joe
Gallow broke this mold Gallow unable to connect with fellow Italians formed a
close bond with the black inmates and often defended them against the prison's dominating factions Joe Gallow a notable
figure with a rebellious history in the kosa Nostra became friends with Barnes
there were rumors that Gallow might even consider becoming a heroin supplier for Barnes but these remained
unverified Barnes fondly recalled their conversations which often revolved
around literature Gallow was an Avid Reader particularly of French
existentialists like sat it was through Gallow that Barnes discovered the works of Nicolo makavelli
which he would later quote frequently According to some accounts Gallow played a crucial role in barnes's
early release from prison by guiding him to procedural errors in his case however
barnes's own version suggests that he stumbled upon this information independently while reading criminal law
journals in the prison Library he came across the case of cats verit United
States where the Supreme Court ruled that wire Taps without a warrant violated the Fourth Amendment which
protects against unreasonable searches and seizures using this precedent
barnes's lawyer successfully argued for his release and Barnes was freed after
serving less than four years of his 15-year sentence once out of prison Barnes
sought to create an organized crime syndicate modeled after the Italian
families he envisioned a unified entity that would replace the fragmented gangs of Harlem this new organization known as
the council comprised seven members including Barnes Joseph Hayden Wallace
rice Thomas Foreman Ismael Muhammad Frank James and Guy fiser many of these
leaders were former addicts who had managed to rise from their struggles the
council bought heroin from the Italians and efficiently managed its distribution barnes's strategy included
buying heroin on credit processing it in rented apartments and packaging it into
thousands of portions his operation was highly organized and his understanding
of the addict Market helped him maintain high quality attracting a wide clientele
despite his eventual downfall Leroy Nikki Barnes left a lasting impact on
the drug trade in New York City B's attorneys challenged his indictment
arguing that the FBI's use of listening devices without a warrant violated the
Fourth Amendment which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and
requires Court issued warrants based on probable cause initially the judge was
not convinced and Barnes was convicted however his defense team
successfully appealed the conviction by citing the Supreme Court case cats verse
United States in this case the ruling established that wiretaps without a
warrant in a phone booth infringed on Katz's right to privacy B's legal team
used this precedent during his retrial convincing the judge that the FBI's
action s were unconstitutional as a result Barnes was released after serving less than 4 years
of his 15-year sentence upon his release Barnes aimed to establish a new highly
organized crime syndicate inspired by the Italian crime families rumors
suggested that conversations with Joe Gallow a fellow inmate influenced
barnes's decision to create this new organization bar envisioned a unified
disciplined entity replacing the fragmented gangs of Harlem he
established the council a leadership group consisting of seven members
including Joseph Hayden Wallace rice Thomas Foreman Ismael Muhammad Frank
James and Guy fiser notably many of these leaders were former addicts who
had overcome their struggles the council continued to Source heroin from Italian
suppliers with Madonna's Associates leaving cars filled with Heroin in Manhattan parking lots Barnes and his
team would later exchange the heroin for cash ensuring a steady supply for their
operations barnes's understanding of the atct market and his commitment to high
quality products helped the council dominate New York City's heroin trade at
at the outset Leroy Nikki Barnes procured heroin worth approximately $2.5
million initially securing the drugs on credit with a month to
repay the heroin was transported to one of his rented Apartments where hired
women meticulously packaged it into 141,000 portions over 2 days an
additional 24 hours were spent thoroughly cleaning the apartment barns
spare no expense paying each Packer $115,000 for their labor one portion of
heroin known as a New York quarter and roughly equivalent to a large tablespoon
sold for about $70 yielding a total revenue of approximately $10 million
barnes's heroin was particularly popular among smaller Street vendors due to its
high quality dealers would break down a quarter portion into smaller Doses and
dilute it yet even this diluted product sold quickly the entire city was divided
among council members guy Fischer controlled the South Bronx Ismael Muhammad Frank James and Wallace rice
oversaw the east side and Barnes along with Joseph Hayden managed Harlem each
council member had an alternate who supervised around a dozen mid-level dealers
each of whom managed at least 40 Street vendors in total thousands of people
were involved in Barn's operation the council generated enormous
profits in the summer of 1973 Barnes set a record with a batch of 200 kg of
heroin netting the council $20 million barnes's business soon expanded Beyond
New York City attracting dealers from Baltimore Philadelphia and Oak Land by
1976 his heroin was even being sold in Canada making the council an
international Enterprise Barnes lived a lavish Lifestyle frequenting the best
nightclubs in the city and always dressing in expensive custommade suits
his wardrobe boasted 300 suits 50 leather coats and around 100 pairs of
shoes he also had a pension for luxury cars owning a Bentley a citro and SM a
Maserati a Mercedes-Benz 300 SE several Cadillacs and a yellow
Volvo to avoid attracting the attention of tax authorities Barnes created a
network of fictitious companies that ostensibly leased him the cars on a long-term basis Barnes also engaged in
charitable activities starting in 1974 he participated in the Harlem weeks
an initiative aimed at celebrating and supporting the local community annual community events were organized to
introduce New Yorkers to the culture of black neighborhoods with bars playing an
active role he supported orphans and single mothers distributed turkeys on
Thanksgiving and gave free gifts to children on Christmas Eve however this
apparent generosity was underpinned by the harsh reality that Harlem had been transformed into a ghetto largely due to
the influx of heroin from 1970 to 1974 the number of heroin addicts in the
United States doubled with Harlem being a stark representation of this
crisis Barnes later Justified his actions by saying that if he hadn't
filled the streets with drugs someone else whether Italian or Latino would
have and none of them would have given anything back to Harlem during this period the issue of drug
addiction gained national attention in 1971 president Richard Nixon declared
drug addiction as Public Enemy Number One and called for an allout offensive
to combat it meanwhile New York State under Governor Nelson Rockefeller
introduced some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the country the sale
of 2 ounces of heroin cocaine morphine opium or marijuana was punishable by 15
to 25 years in prison and possession of 4 ounces or more carried the same
penalty despite these stringent measures the number of drug addicts continued to
rise BS found these governmental efforts laughable believing that the root of the
problem lay within the police force itself he claimed that many of the detectives in the special investigations
division were involved in drug trafficking his assertions were not far
from the truth in 1972 a major Scandal erupted when it was
discovered that drugs seized during the French Connection investigation in 1962 had gone missing from a police
warehouse this incident underscored the corruption and inefficiency that plagued
the efforts to curb drug trafficking in New York City the bag initially thought
to contain drugs was found to have flour and starch instead the theft of the
drugs remains unsolved with the only suspect New York City police detective
Joseph NZ later found dead in his car officially deemed a suicide rumors
quickly spread that nzed had been murdered in response to public outcry
the state Governor tightened existing laws mandating life imprisonment without
parole for any dealer caught red-handed this harsh measure was criticized by
many including New York Mayor John Lindsay who called it
vindictive residents especially those in Harlem saw it as a conspiracy against
vulnerable individuals to quell public unrest authorities needed to capture a high
profile drug trafficker proving the law targeted major criminals not just smalltime dealers they Enlisted the help
of the press shortly after the Rockefeller Act was passed on January 8th
1973 the New Yorker published an article titled Untouchables 11 top names in the city's
drug trade featuring Leroy Nikki Barnes Barnes later remarked that while
most people paid to have their photos in the paper he was published for free other journalists followed suit
sensationalizing B's activities headlines claimed bares led a Black
Mafia and some falsely linked him to The symbionese Liberation Army a notorious
left-wing terrorist group despite these Fabrications Barnes believed his
photogenic appearance fued the media's interest he noted that newspapers aimed
to boost sales by Fe featuring captivating photos and His Image in a luxurious suit was more appealing than
that of less photogenic dealers like Jose Rosa a major figure in Harlem's
Hispanic drug scene the Rockefeller act took effect on September 1st
1973 to Mark the occasion the New York Police Department planned a surprise for
Barnes on August 29th as Barnes returned to New York from a meeting with his
lawyer in Detroit he was met with unexpected developments Barnes had planned to meet
his wife but she wasn't home alarmed he called her and found out
that the electricity was out in the area and the elevator in their building wasn't working his wife holding their
one-year-old child was unwilling to navigate the dark stairs Barnes reassured her saying stay
calm honey I'll take a cab and see you soon upon arriving home Barnes comforted
his wife before heading out on business when he returned the next day he was met
by 15 police officers at the entrance to his 13th floor apartment the officers
handcuffed him and proceeded to search his apartment instead of finding a large
drug lab they discovered barnes's frightened wife nursing their daughter
the police searched the apartment but found only $50,000 in cash and a few
Firearms Barnes grew anxious when an officer emerged from his bedroom
carrying a leather travel bag expecting the bag to contain pre-prepared drugs
Barnes was surprised to see only documents and dirty clothes inside the
officer's Hall was minimal with the sniffer dogs locating only the butt of a
marijuana joint in the bathroom while Barnes was in Detroit the police
had suspected he might have fled to the Caribbean to evade rockefeller's law
they had been tapping his home phone and interpreted his reassuring phrase to his
wife stay calm honey as a possible code their suspicions escalated when
surveillance reported Barnes exiting a cab with a large leather bag after
questioning the cab driver who mentioned picking barns up near the airport the police were convinced they were on to
something during that era airport security was LAX and Couriers often
transported drugs in hand luggage the police imagined the bag filled with
Heroin from France or Vietnam and were confident in their assumptions when they
saw Barnes heading home due to the power outage Barnes had to navigate the dark
stairs further heightening the police's suspicions running up 13 flights of
stairs proved to be an impossible task for the police officers given the
nonworking elevator and lack of electricity in the building They concluded that Nikki Barnes had taken
the stairs fearing an ambush at the elevator doors these observations led
the judge to Grant the police a search warrant in his book Barnes openly mocks
the police viewing the search as a desperate attempt to Jud justify 8 months of fruitless investigation he
believed the officers had spent too much time and money and needed to prove their
Worth to their superiors Barnes recounted that he was constantly under
surveillance with agents tracking his movements tapping his phone and parking
outside his home 24/7 despite this extensive effort
Barnes claimed it was all in vain Barnes suspected the search was more a signal
to him that times had changed and he could no longer operate as freely at the
time he was more concerned with money laundering than law enforcement or the
Rockefeller drug laws as he pointed out driving a Maserati and owning several
pen houses while reporting an income of only $330,000 a year was bound to attract IRS
attention determined not to meet alapo 's fate Barnes with his lawyer's help
found a way to use the tax system to his Advantage Barnes decided to invest his
drug money in FHA Federal housing Administration projects the FHA founded
by Franklin Delano Roosevelt aimed to ensure mortgage loans and provide access
to Affordable mortgages for low and middle inome people this investment
allowed bars to launder his money effectively making the system work for
him rather than against him for example in the development of residential
apartment complexes Barnes could launder Millions through his organization
additionally he benefited from a partial tax abatement during construction barns
often fantasized about where to invest his laundered money in his Memoir he
mentioned dreams of building a massive shopping Mall in Harlem and creating a
nationwide network of automated car washers such Investments would have
transformed him from a notorious drug dealer into a legitimate
businessman another challenge Barn faced was managing large amounts of cash he
found a solution through a local church he attended with his wife the church's
director would store the money in the church's endowment fund for a fee of
2% this Arrangement ensured that when bail was needed there were no questions
about the money's origin due to the church's reputable standing however this
strategy didn't always work on May 11th
1974 Barnes was arrested on suspicion of murder and the judge set bail at
$100,000 the church director offered the full amount the next day but the Bronx
District Attorney Mario morola rejected it marola convinced the judge to hold a
hearing to determine how the impoverished Parish could afford such a large sum the director's explanation
failed to satisfy the prosecution especially since the church had only
$330 in its account at the time of barnes's arrest consequently bail was
denied efforts to cure barnes's release continued for nearly 2 months until his
attorney provided the necessary funds claiming they were part of barnes's real estate
Investments although Mr Untouchable was eventually freed the media extensively
covered the incident nearly destroying his Empire journalists didn't just write
about barns they turned him into a public figure making him too recognizable for face-to-face meetings
with his associates this increased visibility significantly complicated his
operations Barnes introduced guy Fischer to Matthew Madonna but their relationship was problematic from the
start according to Madonna fiser failed to show the proper respect additionally
fiser faced another issue when two of his minor dealers were arrested and had
to surrender their profits and remaining drugs fiser feeling insulted killed both
dealers this action outraged the council as murder was considered a last resort
and had to be a unanimous decision Fischer ignored these protocols and
acted independently justifying his actions by claiming authority over his
subordinates Fisher's troubles escalated on September 30th
1974 he was on his way to meet Madonna to collect key to a car loaded with
Heroin carrying $100,000 in cash after committing a traffic
violation fiser was stopped by police he provided a fake driver's license
prompting the officers to search his vehicle upon finding the cash fiser attempted to bribe them leading to his
immediate arrest and bribery charges the money was confiscated and Barnes had to
bail Fisher out and settle with Madonna when Fisher repaid Barnes he was $5,000
short which planted seeds of doubt in barnes's mind Fischer aspired to become
a legitimate businessman but had different Ambitions than Barnes while Barnes sought practical Ventures fiser
was captivated by the idea of purchasing the Apollo Theater this iconic Concert
Hall had played a significant role in African-American music history but had
fallen on Hard Times in the 1970s fiser believed that acquiring the theater
could revive its former glory the council sought to legitimize their operations and considered purchasing the
Apollo Theater which was up for auction at a bargain price of half a million
doar the theater's status as a Historic Landmark also promised significant tax
benefits however in 1976 as they were preparing for this purchase they faced a
major setback their primary supplier Matthew Madonna was no longer available
this urgent need for a new supplier LED them to a Mexican dealer named Bonito
Cortina Barnes invested $250,000 in ca's first shipment but he
was disappointed with the quality unlike Madonna's pristine White heroin from Marseilles the Mexican product was dark
brown and of inferior quality despite this Barnes had no other options and
reluctantly bought the drugs his associates then worked diligently to refine the brown heroin into a more
marketable white powder meanwhile guy Fischer a key member of the council was on trial and
sentenced to a year in prison for attempting to bribe police officers
barnes's own trial commenced shortly after 3 years after the initial
raid on his apartment the prosecution used sniffer dogs to argue that drugs
had been stored in barnes's car and apartment the dogs had reacted to heroin
in the courtroom but barnes's attorney cleverly demonstrated that they also
reacted to a box of aspirin casting doubt on the reliability of this
evidence despite winning this round Barnes is luck was running out the inferior Mexican
heroin did not sell as well as Madonna's highquality product desperate for new
suppliers the council members scoured the streets but were not always cautious Joseph Hayden claimed to have found a
solution through a man named Lewis D who boasted he could procure anything from a
tank to a ton of heroin at unbeatable prices however Lewis was experiencing
Financial troubles complicating the situation further Joseph Hayden had always been
known as a somewhat Reckless individual but his latest actions had crossed a
line he had secretly arranged a major heroin purchase without consulting Leroy
Nikki Barnes paying for 2 kilg of heroin UPF front furious at this betrayal
Barnes decided to confront Hayden on the night of March 16
1976 Barnes drove to the meeting unaware that it was a trap both he and several
other members of the council including Guy Fisher and Hayden himself were
arrested the police seized over $30 million in cash during the operation the
judge set barnes's bail at $3,000 after securing his release Barnes
quickly began reviewing the case f he discovered that Lou Diaz a DEA
special agent had been working undercover for years Diaz had posed as a
mafia associate moving from family to family and occasionally dealing drugs
this cover allowed him to infiltrate the council through one of Hayden's Associates eager to prove their worth
barnes's men had unknowingly divulged critical secrets to Diaz amid these
legal troubles barnes's lawyer received a call from Fred fetty the editor-in-chief of the New York Times
magazine fetty informed him that an article about Mr Untouchable was set to
be published and he wanted Barnes to pose for the cover photo given the
upcoming trial the lawyer initially declined not wanting to draw unnecessary
attention however the Magazine's executive editor soon called back stating that they had a police photo of
Barnes from the night of his arrest if Barnes refused to pose they would use
the police photo instead realizing the potential impact on the jury pool bars agreed to the
photo shoot he wanted to present himself in a way that would resonate with a middleclass Manhattan
juror on June 5th 1977 the New York Times magazine published the issue with
Barnes on the cover he wore a simple light colored denim suit and a red white
and blue tie standing modestly but confidently in front of the camera the
caption under the photo read simply Mr Untouchable Nikki Barnes once considered
Harlem's most prominent drug dealer drew the eye of law enforcement and even the
president of the United States President Jimmy Carter known for starting his day
with the latest press was struck by barnes's audacious presence in a
magazine cover story reportedly Carter remarked if we can't arrest this man then something is
wrong with our justice system this spurred the US attorney general to take every possible measure to bring Mr
Untouchable to Justice the efforts culminated in Barn's
receiving a life sentence without the possibility of parole to ensure a fair
trial and protect the jury from potential threats the court implemented the first Anonymous jury in US history
comprising 15 individuals whose identities were kept
secret initially Barnes received positive updates from his associates
collectively known as the council however over time troubling news began
to filter through one such piece of news concerned guy fiser a key member of the
council who had abandoned plans to purchase the Apollo Theater due to the
deteriorating state of their operations Barn's personal life also took a hit
during a visit his wife informed him that she had seen guy Fischer at a basketball game with barnes's mistress
Shema although Barnes had previously noticed shemer's overly friendly Behavior toward guy
he hadn't given it much thought the council had strict rules prohibiting
relationships between members and each other's partners with violations
punishable by death lacking concrete evidence Barnes
couldn't directly accuse Fischer he decided to confront shmika who denied
any wrongdoing this temporarily eased barnes's concerns however 6 months later
he encountered a gang member known as JJ in prison JJ hinted at further
complications suggesting that barnes's suspicions might not have been entirely
unfounded guy never visited him once JJ also shared a story about their comrade
Bob who was out on parole the council was supposed to pay Bob $500 for every
week he spent in prison however when Bob demanded the money owed to him
fiser refused Bob's troubles didn't end there
while he was in prison his girlfriend became Fisher's mistress through a small
bribe Barnes managed to use the phone in the breakroom after contacting several subordinates Nikki learned the true
State of Affairs many of the heroin suppliers had refused to cooperate with
the council because Guy Fisher didn't pay them on time the product from the
remaining suppliers was of poorer quality making it difficult for small dealers to sell this news shocked Barnes
who had invested significant effort into establishing a sterling reputation for
his product his successes had ruined it the council had even stopped paying
Nikki's lawyers Barn's doubts were confirmed a month later when he received a large
envelope containing photos of schmeer and Guy together at dinner and a basketball game with one picture showing
guy kissing schmeer the envelope had no sender's name but inside was a short
note from The Drug Enforcement Administration Barnes initially resisted cooperating with authorities having
received offers to turn in his associates before which he always firmly refused however realizing he would not
receive help from the council he changed his mind driven by a desire for Revenge
Barnes decided to expose his former comrades as one journalist noted Mr
Untouchable had become Mr tellall to ensure Guy Fisher and others ended up
behind bars Barnes was willing to reveal all the murders committed by the
Council on January 4th 1983 Barnes appeared before a grand jury
and detailed all the crimes he had committed with the council since 1973 he pleaded guilty to drug
trafficking and participating in decision-making processes for four murders on March 10th of that year guy
fiser was arrested in August 1998 Nikki Barnes
then 64 years old was released from prison thanks in large part to us
attorney general Rudolph Giuliani who succeeded in getting barnes's life sentence
overturned since then Barnes had been in the witness protection program rumored
to be living somewhere in the midwest on June 18th 2012 Nikki Barnes passed away
from cancer his death remained undisclosed until the summer of 2019 the story of Nikki barns is far
from instructive Life seldom gave him a chance to choose a different non-drug
related path Mr Untouchable evokes neither horror nor pity he was as unique
as the Harlem of the 1970s a place now consigned to history thank you for
watching if you enjoyed this dive into the life of Leroy Nikki Bs don't forget
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