Guy Fisher
Guy Thomas Fisher (born July 21, 1947) is an American convicted racketeer who was once part of "The Council", an African-American crime organization that controlled the heroin trade in Harlem from 1972 to 1983. He became the first black man to own and operate the Apollo Theater in Harlem when he purchased it in 1977.[1] On October 28, 2020, Guy Fisher was released from federal custody on a medical pardon.
Guy Fisher | |
---|---|
Born | Guy Thomas Fisher July 21, 1947 |
Criminal status | Released on Parole - October 28, 2020 (medical pardon) |
Allegiance | The Council |
Conviction(s) | Racketeering, drug trafficking, murder, conspiracy (1984) |
Criminal penalty | Life in prison without the possibility of parole (1984) |
Arrest and conviction
In 1984, Fisher was convicted of multiple counts of RICO violations, including continuing criminal conspiracy, drug trafficking, and murder, and was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole.[2] Fisher's conviction was facilitated by the testimony of his former mentor, associate, and rival, Leroy "Nicky" Barnes. In 1978, Barnes was tried and convicted on multiple racketeering counts and sentenced to life without eligibility for parole. The prosecutor in the case was Rudolph Giuliani, later mayor of New York City. Eleven months after his incarceration, Barnes telephoned Federal prosecutors indicating that he would agree to become a government informant in their case against Fisher and others. Barnes claimed that he decided to testify because Fisher was having an affair with his mistress. In exchange for his information, Barnes was released into the federal Witness Protection Program.
Personal life
While imprisoned, Fisher has received his Master's and PhD in Sociology. Dr. Fisher has written several novels and screenplays. He is uncle to basketball player Corey Fisher.
Popular culture
Music
Fisher has been mentioned in numerous hip hop songs:
- Roc Marciano - “Richard Gear”
- Gucci Mane - “Dead Man” featuring Young Scooter Trae tha Truth
- CamRon - "Get it in Ohio"[3]
- Jadakiss - "Shoot Outs" featuring Styles P[4]
- Jae Millz - "Guy Fisher" featuring Vado[5]
- Pusha T - "Alone in Vegas"[6]
- Pusha T - "TKO Remix"
- Nuk - Woop Like Me https://music.apple.com/us/album/woop-like-me/1507847087?i=1507847089
Television
Fisher's life was the subject of a 45-minute documentary entitled The Guy Fisher Story[2] and of an episode of BET's American Gangster.[7]
References
- "The Guy Fisher Story: A New York drug dealer". streetgangs.com. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
- UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Kenneth THOMAS, Guy Thomas Fisher, Ishmael Muhammed, Frank Alphonse James, Thomas Forman, Wallace Rice, James Wheelings, Elmer Thomas Morris, Jr., Defendants-Appellants, accessed May 17, 2009.
- "Cam'ron - "Get it in Ohio" iTunes.com". itunes.com. itunes.com.
- "Jadakiss - "Shoot Outs" iTunes.com". itunes.com. itunes.com.
- "Jae Mills - "Guy Fisher" iTunes.com". itunes.com. itunes.com.
- "Pusha T - "Alone in vegas" genius.com". genius.com. genius.com.
- "American Gangster: Guy Fisher season 3 episode 7". imdb.com. imdb.com.