John Mushmouth Johnson
John "Mushmouth" Johnson | |
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Johnson sitting in a chair, c. 1903 | |
| Born | John V. Johnson 1856 Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 1907 (aged 50–51) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1882–1907 |
| Known for | Running illegal gambling business in Chicago |
John V. "Mushmouth" Johnson (1856 – September 13, 1907) was an American gambler and entrepreneur known for running illegal gambling businesses in Chicago. One of the main players in the policy game, he died in 1907, about 17 years after establishing his business. His gambling businesses were open to all visitors. He was the first gambling king of Chicago, originally an African-American. He also started a musical hub and coffee house named Dreamland Cafe.
Johnson, along with Policy Sam was one of the two organizers of the Policy game originating in Chicago, and popularizing it, continuing from the 1880s and ending sometime in the 1970s, a timeline often termed as Policy era. His gambling houses attracted massive numbers of people, and even appearing on the main contemporary presses such as The Chicago Defender and Chicago Tribune; Tribune considered in June 1897, The Emporium to be the most popular gambling house in Chicago. His business was often visited by the enterprise-owner Robert T. Motts, who was the owner of Pekin Theater, the first black theater in the world.