The BeBop Bouncer: A New York Tale

By Robert Johnson

A classic crime drama/thriller/love story. The tale of a young night club bouncer who navigates his way through nightly interactions with waring New York mob factions, between Harlem and Brooklyn, in and around the hot NYC night club scene. He manages to handle this tense and violent world by leveraging his leadership skills and coordinating with seasoned NYPD Detectives and mobsters alike to survive his weekly struggles. His only peace comes on his evenings off when he frequents his favorite jazz clubs, in addition to the time spent with the ladies he dabbles in love and lust with.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798823022323

Robert Johnson

This story is one about a kid from Queens, a mixed-race kid who grew up in a housing project and faced the adversity of racial hatred from both sides of the racial spectrum. In the early years, his brother and he faced a gauntlet of racist whites who taunted and fought with them to and from school frequently. This changed when their parents bought a home on the other side of Queens where he experienced a hate from the black teens on a much more violent level. He was the victim of multiple assaults from middle school through high school, often due to his light skin. This all occurred in the streets, on public transportation and in school. These experiences as a young child through young adulthood, would unknowingly prepare him for a career in private security and law enforcement. Little did he know that his experiences as a child would cultivate a calling for him in law enforcement. It was an adventurous career starting as a night club bouncer then as a beat cop and ultimately a homicide detective. His understanding and empathy for people was vital to his survival and success, in the modern chaotic world of police/community interactions.

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© 2024 Robert Johnson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/29/2024

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1993-4 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2231-6 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2232-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024903327

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Shock Box

Chapter 2 Meditation or something like it…

Chapter 3 Coke v. Crack

Chapter 4 Hell at the Box

Chapter 5 Juneteenth Aftermath

Chapter 6 The Girl for Ray

Chapter 7 New Vibes

Chapter 8 Opening Night

Chapter 9 Stranger Danger

Chapter 10 Special Victims v Homicide

Chapter 11 Catching a Killer

Chapter 12 A hero’s Welcome

Chapter 13 South-West Café

Chapter 14 Decisions-Decisions

Chapter 15 Testing the Crew (Narco problems?)

Chapter 16 Narco Solutions?

Chapter 17 Gansta Shit

Chapter 18 Fallout

Chapter 19 Major Case Buy and Bust

Chapter 20 Boga’s Crisis

Chapter 21 A Friend of Ours

Chapter 22 Paradise in P.R. and Crisis Management at Home

Chapter 23 Family Drama in Brooklyn

Chapter 24 Blood on The Streets

Chapter 25 Point of No Return

Acknowledgements

About the Author

A classic Crime Drama/Thriller/Love story. The tale of a young NYC night club bouncer who navigates his way through nightly interactions with three warring New York mob factions. This all occurs between Harlem and Brooklyn, in and around the hot NYC Night Club Scene of the 1990’s. He manages to handle this tense and violent world by leveraging his leadership skills and coordinating with seasoned NYPD Detectives and mobsters alike to survive his weekly struggles. His only peace comes on his evenings off when he frequents his favorite NYC jazz clubs, in addition to his time spent with the ladies he dabbles in love and lust with.

This book is

dedicated to all the Bouncers, Security Agents, Security Guards, and other protectors who put themselves in harm’s way risking it all, day in and day out for others. They do this while going unnoticed, unappreciated, and sometimes mocked, and ridiculed by some of the very people they watch over for humble living wages. I see you and appreciate you. Thank you.

What is Bebop? a type of jazz originating in the 1940’s and characterized by complex harmony and rhythms, it is associated particularly with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie.

What is a Bouncer? A bouncer is a type of security guard, employed in venues such as bars, night clubs, cabaret clubs, strip clubs, casinos, hotels, billiard halls, restaurants, sporting events, schools, concerts, or movie theaters.

What is a Bebop Bouncer? A bouncer who works in night clubs and venues that are often loud, smoky, and sometimes violent, who spends his preferred time in jazz clubs meditating in a trance caused by the joyous sound played by the best jazz improvisors his town offers.

CHAPTER 1

THE SHOCK BOX

Ray got up at his usual time of eight AM in his Alphabet City Apartment. He turned on the news and caught the weather while drinking a cup of joe and inhaling a power bar. After getting dressed in his workout clothes he made his way around the block to the iron house gym, the best place to sweat out the prior evening’s cocktails. He was six foot three and two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle. His light brown skin, clean shaven head and face, and hazel eyes were also an asset. At the gym, first on his agenda were five-3-minute rounds on the heavy bag then he hit the weights. It was a chest and bicep day—everyone’s favorite. After sweating it out on the heavy bag and swelling up his biceps and chest sufficiently in the old sweat box gym with no air conditioning, it was back home to shower up and head to the Shock Box for a noon meeting with Slick the owner (aka Jimmy Taylor, JT) and Vivian Vaughn the manager (aka Viv, Ms. Vaughn) It was Ray’s Day off, but he agreed to the meeting because Viv stated there was a pressing matter to discuss, and she preferred to speak in person.

He cleaned up, got dressed, went downstairs, and hailed a cab uptown to the Shock Box on 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The Shock Box was a Hip-Hop club frequented by patrons from all over the city but mostly a Hip-Hop crowd from Harlem and the Bronx. It was the hottest spot in the city as far as Hip Hop was concerned; all the best acts of the day would pop in just to hang or to perform when scheduled. Ray got the gig a few years earlier while he was working in a smaller venue called (Shorty’s Jam Shack). He was poached by Shock Box owner, Slick, when he observed him in action one night. Ray intervened in a dispute where one participant brandished a knife and lunged at the other just as Ray grabbed him in a perfectly executed sleeper hold. After compressing his neck for seven seconds, he handed the sleeping knife wielder to his staff of bouncers for them to deposit him on the curb, which they did in a perfectly choreographed operation.

JT—or Slick as he went by—observed the whole incident unfold and knew at that moment Big Ray was the guy for the Shock Box. After a brief conversation and drink together, Slick offered him the job as head of security at Shock Box. The job offered a 30k bump, bringing Ray from 40k to 70k—a higher five figure salary. This was an offer he could not refuse. He accepted the job after honoring a two week notice with his boss, Sam Shorty Stein, the owner of the Jam Shack.

***

Shorty was disappointed but understanding; he was not able to counter offer a 70k salary, so they parted ways amicably after a brief meeting. Shorty and Ray reminisced about how Ray had come to work for him several years prior, In 1992. He reminded Ray about the Spring evening they met at the Skylark lounge in South Jamaica Queens on Guy R Brewer Boulevard. Ray was hired by the manager there to keep the patrons safe as they entered and exited the spot. It was during the height of the crack epidemic, where crack heads would wander the streets and steal anything even if it were bolted down and either sell it back to the owners or try to barter the item with the crack pushers. On that night Shorty was in the Skylark lounge enjoying the sounds of the Ed Jackson Quartet, featuring Ed swinging on the Alto Sax and his brother Dave grooving and holding the band together with his supportive bass chords. Ed and Dave were local Bop phenoms who worked hard to keep Bebop music alive in a world consumed by Hip Hop. They had just finished the final set of the evening covering Yard Bird Suite by Charlie Parker. Shorty reminded Ray of his heroics. As Shorty and his lady left the club and made their way to his car half a block away, they were accosted by two crack heads brandishing a knife and demanding their money. These two were crack zombies in the full sense of the term, with their jaundice eyes and their blackened teeth from the burning glass stems they sucked on all day. Ray observed the heist going down and immediately sprang into action. He grabbed the guy with the knife by the wrist and bent his wrist until he dropped the knife. When the other addict jumped on him from behind, Ray flipped him to the ground and stomped on his chest, while still holding the other guy’s wrist in a vise like grip. He then took down the first guy stacking him on top of the winded robber addict on the ground. Ray sat on them and advised Shorty to make his exit with his girlfriend. He followed his instructions, got in his car, and drove off to safety leaving Ray to fend for himself with two robber addicts. Ray released them, and they scurried off nursing their wounds. Shorty would return the following week and offer Ray the gig at his spot in Manhattan and the rest was history.

***

As the cab pulled up to the Shock Box, Ray pondered what the meeting was going to be about; neither Slick nor Viv advised him of the topic of discussion. He knew there were many issues ongoing in the club that he wanted addressed, but it was rare for club owners to call a meeting to allow their executive staff to discuss their own agendas. Since it was noon, the club was empty save for the cleaning crew prepping for the next day’s opening. Ray entered from the street entrance on Amsterdam, said hello to the cleaning crew and asked if the bosses were in, they responded in the affirmative and motioned him to the manager’s office. He proceeded to the back of the club and knocked on the closed door, stating It’s me Ray. Viv responded, Come in, big guy, not a good sign, when she called him big guy, she usually wanted something. Ray entered the room in which Slick was sitting at Viv’s desk, as she sat in a visitor’s seat and directed him to join her in the second seat alongside her and opposite the owner on the other side of the desk.

They greeted each other with pleasantries, Good afternoon, Ray, said Slick.

Ray returned the greeting, Good afternoon, Slick.

Hey, big guy, how are you? said Viv,

I’m good and you? replied Ray,

I’m fine, thanks for asking, as she smiled at him.

Now that we got that out of the way, why am I here at noon while the sun is still out? You do know I’m kind of a vampire, right? said Ray.

They all laughed for a bit, then Viv chimed in. Ok, we called you in because there are a couple of issues you are probably aware of that must be addressed and we need to plan a way forward before things go awry.

Awry? Said Ray. By all means, do tell.

Ok, you were here last Friday night when Steel ejected the guy for smoking crack in the men’s bathroom around one in the morning, right? Said Viv.

Yes I was, said Ray. It went pretty smoothly. Steel was doing a random bathroom check as instructed based on protocols for bouncers covering the rear bar and lounge near the restrooms.

Yes, he was doing his job, that’s not the problem, said Viv.

Ok, so what’s the problem? retorted Ray.

Do you know who the guy was? said Viv, as Slick sat with his chin in his palms and elbows on the desk listening intently.

I don’t know him personally, but he comes in from time to time.

Has there ever been a problem like this with him in the past?

A problem, like him smoking crack in the bathroom? I don’t believe so, said Ray while smiling at his two bosses.

Slick chimed in, Ok, let’s get to the point.

Ok, said Viv as she stared at Slick.

Ray, the guy who Steel roughed up and threw out was the nephew of Mr. Clarence Benson, said Viv.

Woah-woah-woah, roughed up? I don’t think that’s quite accurate. Steel placed him in a semi arm bar and escorted him out expeditiously as he was supposed to. Steel advised me that he entered the restroom, and the fool was actually beaming up in front of the mirror as other guests had to wash up next to him. Steel grabbed his hand that had the crack stem and removed it from him, the guy then shoved him and tried to retrieve it. Steel pushed him back, extinguished the pipe, and proceeded to subdue the hostile crack head as gently as possible, which is when he placed him in the arm bar and removed him from the bathroom and then the club.

Ray continued, As far as Clarence Benson goes, is that Clay Benjamins aka Money B?

Viv responded, Bingo! Do you see the problem we have now?

I can see how that might be a problem. Does Mr. Benson need a good rehab referral for his nephew?

Ray! shouted Slick. Stop fucking around! Money B is not the guy we want to be on the wrong side of for multiple reasons: first and foremost, he makes people disappear! I don’t want to disappear, do you? I know Viv and I don’t want to disappear! Right, Viv?

Viv responded, No Slick, I don’t want to disappear but calm down, no one is going to disappear just yet, ok, that is if he does the right thing, smiling gently at Ray. Right, big guy?

Ray said, Ok Slick, I got it. This is important, I’m sorry you’re worried and I made light of the situation. As for you, Ms. Vaughn, I knew when you started out calling me ‘big guy’ that you wanted something difficult, that’s your tell. What do you want from me? I mean club policy is no smoking crack on the premise, I’m pretty sure that’s universal in every club I’ve ever worked in. Heck that’s universal everywhere in polite society, no smoking crack!

You see, Viv, there he goes again with that sarcastic shit, I told you how this would go, said Slick.

I know, boss, I know you told me, Replied Ms. Vaughn.

Slick said, Ray, I love you; you turned this place around when I brought you on, but you do not want to make an enemy of Money B! We do not want to make an enemy of Money B!

Ray replied, I got it boss, no worries. What is it you want me to do?

Tell him, Viv, said Slick.

Viv turned to Ray and said, come on big guy, I mean Big Ray, or Daddy, whatever you prefer me to call you when I ask you for something. Money B’s nephew’s name is Quinton Benson aka Q, he will be by early tomorrow night with Ren, one of Money B’s guy’s. Before we open, we’d like you to invite them to the bar, comp them a drink, and apologize to Q in front of Ren so he can report back to Money B.

Ray laughed. Ha-ha-ha, so let me get this straight… you want me to apologize to a crack head named Q for throwing him out for smoking crack?

Yes, you and Steel will apologize. Said Viv.

Ray was astonished. Wow, now Slick, I have worked for you for four years, and there has always been a no crack policy, a little blow done discreetly in a bathroom stall, some ecstasy washed down with a drink at the bar not a problem, but crack? You are setting a new precedent, that’s a problem. How do I sell that to the guys? And what does that do to the image of the Shock Box?

Ray! This is not a new precedent or policy change; the policy is still No Crack! But Q is the exception this one time. Clay has told me it won’t happen again; his nephew will be allowed to return but he has assured me he will behave, said Slick.

Ray replied, Boss, when have you ever known a crack head to behave?

Ray, said Viv, we don’t want to get on Clay Benjamins bad side. You and Steel will apologize, and we will move forward, and if Q acts up again, tell the guys to come get me or Jazzy (the bartender). He listens to us.

Ray conceded, I will apologize and get Steel to apologize, if he doesn’t quit first, and as for you, Ms. Vaughn, be prepared to be called on when Q runs afoul again.

Thanks, big guy, I mean Daddy, said Viv as she flirtingly smiled at Ray.

Ray responded, You had me at daddy the first time, as he winked his eye at her.

Will you two cut the shit! shouted Slick. Do we have an agreement here? Slick was clearly frustrated with the ongoing flirting between his manager and head of security.

Yes, we do, said Ray.

Yes, boss, we got this, don’t worry, said Viv.

Slick sounding frustrated said, Thank you! Fuck! I’m getting too old for this club bull shit, let me know when it’s done.

So, is that the only issue on the agenda for this meeting? said Ray.

It was for me, replied Slick.

What about you, Ms. Vaughn? said Ray.

Yeah, what about you, Viv? stated Slick.

Viv then replied, Yes, there is another issue, kind of in line with the drug thing. What is our drug policy, Slick? I think we need to be clear with each other, for obvious reasons. I mean this fool smoking crack in plain sight is a potential serious problem for our image as Ray suggested, no matter who his uncle is. We have agreed Ray and Steel will apologize, but what will we tolerate going forward?

Ray responded, That is my concern, I must contend with the brawlers and drunks and keep the decent people safe that are here for good a time. Doing that requires a lot of verbal judo and sometimes physical judo, not to mention dealing with the boys in blue. It is known that undercover officers’ frequent spots like ours; one bust for drug usage or even worse drug sales could have us shut down. We three should be on the same page going forward about what is tolerated regarding drug usage, and might I add sex as a concern also.

Slick was an older brown skin gentleman around seventy who had gray slicked back hair (hence the nickname) in a style from a by gone era of the fifties. A style that Black entertainers would refer to as fried, dried, and to the side. He glanced at Viv and said, Why did you put a battery in his back? Isn’t all of this shit common sense? You two have been in this business long enough to know better than to ask me certain questions for future libel reasons. I cannot be on record with a policy that is not in full compliance with the law, which is my policy. ‘I’m shocked to hear there is drug use going on in my club!’ How’s that for a policy? I suggest you two youngsters watch a great movie, Casablanca with Bogart, they don’t make ’em like that anymore. Now I’ll l leave you two to work out a sensible policy for the operation going forward. Keep me posted on any future Money B and nephew Q business and proceed with caution. Now I’m off to the links. I have a two o’clock tee time, good day, y’all."

Ok boss, no worries. We will handle this, have fun, said Viv.

Ray repeated her, Yeah have fun, boss.

And then there were two, said Ray to Viv.

Yes, just you and me, I always thought three was a crowd, she said as she got up and took two steps over to be in front of Ray. She then sat on his lap and placed her arms around his head and shoulders and gave him a juicy kiss that lasted at least a minute. Ray then pulled his head back. Is this the final issue on your agenda?

No, but it is the most important issue right now, I mean two adults who are clearly attracted to each other alone in a locked office with no one to disturb them. Can you think of anything more pressing? she stated as she rubbed on his hardening cock over his pants.

Viv stood and removed her top revealing her perfectly shaped and proportioned c-cup bronze-colored tits. She then sat back on Rays lap as he began to gently rub her stimulated perky nipples. He sucked on them for a few moments as his left hand made its way up her miniskirt. Ray rubbed her clit over her silk panties until they were dampened. He then stood her up and turned her around, moving aside some articles on her desk. At that point Viv was in full harmony with his every move, pulling up her skirt as Ray undid his zipper and released his rock-hard shaft. He gently moved Viv’s thong to the side and slid his cock in and out of her perfectly wet snatch from the rear as she moaned, and he groaned in pleasure until they both reached their climax simultaneously.

Upon completion of their intimate exchange, Viv stood and said, you wait here as she handed him a box of tissues and excused herself into the private bathroom in her office. Ray cleaned himself up and got his clothing in order—as it was when he entered the room.

Viv then returned. You good?

I’m great, what about you?

Never better She bashfully smiled at her lover and head of security. Ok, with regards to club policy going forward, item three on the meeting agenda. She grinned from ear to ear about item two which had concluded. I believe the way you have handled things is proper, you have always protected the club both legally and physically since you’ve been here. I believe your discretion is proper, so keep doing what you are doing and let me worry about Q and the undercover cops.

That’s easier said than done. I don’t think you understand how these cops and crook’s work. My discretion to date has allowed smart customers to do their blow in the bathroom stalls, out of sight out of mind, we can’t police the stalls. We even ignore to a degree, sex in the co-ed bathroom if it is in a stall. But crack in private or public cannot be tolerated. With crack heads comes a crime wave. Before you know it, there will be wallets, purses, and jewelry being lifted, and it’s all downhill from there.

Viv retorted, You know better than me as far as that goes, so what do you suggest we do?

I suggest I call a prework meeting with the guys and girls and make it clear that our discretion on drug use ends when it is in public view. In addition, security will keep up scans of the bathrooms and lounge areas and make it known to the patrons by their actions that drug use and sex will not be tolerated. This will force the die hard to do their best to be discreet, or face ejection, and any undercover cops present in the club will see our proactive staff and hopefully leave us alone.

That sounds like a solid plan. Let’s follow up next week to see how things are going.

Follow up next week, same meeting as this week, and all items on the agenda again?

Viv replied, hey, if the moment is right, I don’t see why not, Daddy, she said with a sheepish giggle."

See you tomorrow tonight, Ms. Vaughn, and I’ll pencil you in for next week as well.

***

Ray waited out front for his cab and thought about his colleagues with benefits relationship with Ms. Vaughn. Vivian Vaughn was a beautiful brown skinned lady all of five foot four and one hundred and twenty-five pounds. She had brown straightened hair with blonde high lights and green eyes. He was wondering how long this would continue because he was developing strong feelings for her, which was against his relationship credo for women; keep it pleasant, keep it physical and keep it moving. He shook the thought off and told himself, stay in the present, don’t worry about the future. He got