Leroy Nicholas Barnes (October 15, 1933 – June 18, 2012) was an American crime boss, active in New York City during the 1970s. In 1972, Barnes formed The Council, a seven-man African-American organized crime syndicate that controlled a significant part of the heroin trade in Harlem.
Barnes led The Council into an international drug trafficking ring, in partnership with the Italian-American Mafia, until his arrest in 1977. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, became a federal informant, and his obituary appeared in The New York Times seven years after his death.
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Table of Contents
Nicky Barnes Net Worth
Nicky Barnes had a net worth of $500 thousand at the time of his death, though at his peak he was worth over $50 million. He created The Council, an African-American organized crime syndicate controlling much of the heroin trade in Harlem.
In June 1977, Barnes appeared on the cover of The New York Times Magazine as “Mr. Untouchable“, prompting President Jimmy Carter to order his prosecution. Sentenced to life in 1978, Barnes later turned informant, leading to over 40 indictments, and was released in 1998, dying in 2012 at age 78.
Early Life
Leroy Nicholas Barnes was born on October 15, 1933, in Harlem, New York City, into an African-American family. A good student in his youth, Barnes left home early to escape his abusive alcoholic father, turning to drug dealing for income. Barnes became addicted to heroin in his 20s but ended his addiction after spending time in jail.
He was sent to prison in 1965 for low-level drug dealing, where he met “Crazy” Joe Gallo and Matthew Madonna, who taught him how to run a drug trafficking organization.
Career
While he was in prison, Barnes met Italian-American mobster Joe Gallo of the Colombo crime family, as well as heroin dealer Matthew Madonna. Gallo sought to heighten his presence in Harlem’s heroin market, but lacked personnel for the largely African-American areas.
He asked Barnes to put together a team, and they struck up a deal. When Gallo was released from prison, he provided Barnes with a lawyer who overturned his conviction on a technicality. Barnes was released and went on to assemble his organization of drug dealers in Harlem.
Personal life
While serving his sentence, Barnes discovered that his assets were not being looked after and that The Council had ceased paying his lawyers’ fees. He also learned that Guy Fisher, a Council member, was having an affair with his mistress, violating a Council rule. Seeking retribution, Barnes became a federal informant.
He drafted a list of 109 names, including five Council members and his wife, implicating them in heroin-trade-related crimes. Barnes helped indict 44 other drug traffickers, with 16 being convicted, and later implicated himself in several murders.
What was the cause of Nicky Barnes’ death?
Nicky Barnes died from cancer on June 18, 2012. However, because he was under witness protection, his death was not contemporaneously reported under his birth name, and news of his death only became known in June 2019.
Conclusion
Nicky Barnes’s life story is a compelling narrative of rise, fall, and redemption. From the pinnacle of criminal success to a life shrouded in anonymity, Barnes’s legacy is a complex tapestry of the choices that define us.
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FAQs about Nicky Barnes
- How did Nicky Barnes become “Mr. Untouchable”?
- Barnes earned the moniker “Mr. Untouchable” due to his ability to evade law enforcement and legal consequences for his criminal activities for many years.
- What led to Nicky Barnes’s arrest?
- Persistent efforts by law enforcement, coupled with President Jimmy Carter’s directive, led to Barnes’s arrest and conviction on multiple charges related to drug trafficking.
- Why did Nicky Barnes become an informant?
- Feeling betrayed by his associates who violated his trust and personal codes, Barnes chose to cooperate with the government, leading to significant indictments within the drug trade.
- What happened to Nicky Barnes’s wealth?
- Most of Barnes’s assets were seized by the government upon his arrest, and his net worth significantly decreased to an estimated $500 thousand by the time of his death.
- How did Nicky Barnes’s life end?
- Barnes died of cancer in 2012 while living under a new identity in the witness protection program, with his death remaining unreported for several years due to his protected status.
