Nicky Barnes
Nicky Barnes | |
|---|---|
An NYPD mugshot of Nicky Barnes | |
| Born | Leroy Nicholas Barnes October 15, 1933 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | 2012 (aged 78–79) |
| Other names | Nicky Barnes; "Mr. Untouchable" |
| Allegiance | The Council |
| Conviction | Drug trafficking (1978) |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (1978) |
Leroy Nicholas Barnes (October 15, 1933 – 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 the Harlem area of New York City. Barnes led The Council into an international drug trafficking ring, in partnership with the Italian-American Mafia, until his arrest in 1977. Barnes was sentenced to life imprisonment, eventually becoming a federal informant that led to the collapse of The Council in 1982. Barnes was living under the United States Marshals Service in Witness protection at the time of his death, and his obituary appeared in The New York Times seven years after his death.
In 2007, Barnes released a book, Mr. Untouchable, written with Tom Folsom, and a documentary DVD of the same title about his life.