Enoch L. Johnson

Enoch Lewis Johnson
Johnson circa 1941
Atlantic County Treasurer
In office
1911–1939
Sheriff of Atlantic County, New Jersey
In office
1908–1911
Preceded bySmith E. Johnson
Succeeded byAlfred H. Johnson
Personal details
Born(1883-01-20)January 20, 1883
Galloway Township, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedDecember 9, 1968(1968-12-09) (aged 85)
Northfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Mabel Jeffries
(m. 1906; died 1912)
Florence Osbeck
(m. 1941)
Parent(s)Smith E. Johnson
Virginia Higbee Johnson
Alma materNew Jersey State Normal School (now
The College of New Jersey)
Conviction(s)Tax evasion
Criminal penalty10 years imprisonment, fined $20,000

Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson (January 20, 1883 – December 9, 1968) was an Atlantic City political boss, sheriff of Atlantic County, businessman and crime boss who was the leader of the political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government from the 1910s until his conviction and imprisonment in 1941. His rule encompassed the Roaring Twenties when Atlantic City was at the height of its popularity as a refuge from Prohibition. In addition to bootlegging, the criminal aspect of his organization was also involved in gambling and prostitution. The hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire was based on Johnson, portrayed by Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson.