- "My husband, his brother, and me built this here Harlem game brick by brick. Numbers, pussy, guns."
- ―Mama Mabel[src]
Samuel Stokes, also known as Buggy Stokes, was the husband of Mabel Stokes and the grandfather of Cornell Stokes and Mariah Dillard.
Biography
- "Two dishwashers. One Jamaican, the other American. Like brothers... they built their empire together. Bushmaster's Rum, Harlem's Paradise. Until the Italian gangsters and the Irish cops and the politicians them come for their company. But mi fada nah wan' sell. He's Jamaican. We resist. But Buggy Stokes, him cave in when they told him that he could keep the bar, and make a likkle profit off the rum if he got rid of mi fada. So he kill mi fada. But not before mi fada shot him back in him belly. It took Buggy Stokes five month to die."
- ―John McIver to Mariah Dillard and Tilda Johnson[src]
Samuel Stokes began his carrer as a dishwasher in New York City. He met with dishwasher from Jamaica, Quincy McIver and befriended him. They had a dream of making their own rum and owning a nightclub in Harlem. Together they purchased nightclub, formerly owned by Lucky Luciano, named Harlem's Paradise. Their joint empire was based on proceeds of club and Bushmaster Rum made on a family recipe. With his wife Mabel and brother Peter they founded one of the biggest criminal organization in New York.
However, their success drew attention of Italian gangsters, Irish policemen and the local politicians who came to take their company. While McIver resisted them, they made a deal with Stokes: he keep the club, and make a profit off the rum if he kill McIver. Stokes agreed and killed his friend. But Quincy managed to shot him in his belly before he died. Buggy died within five months.[1] On his deathbed, Buggy asked Peter to protect Mabel and the family, to which he agreed, even though he secretly wanted to assume control of Harlem's Paradise.[2]
Relationships
Family
- Stokes Crime Family
- Peter "Pistol Pete" Stokes † - Brother
- "Mama" Mabel Stokes † - Wife
- Mariah Stokes † - Granddaughter
- Cornell Stokes † - Grandson
- Jazmine Stokes - Daughter
- Tilda Dillard - Great-Granddaughter and Niece
Enemies
- Quincy McIver † - Friend turned Victim and Killer
Appearances
- Luke Cage
- Season Two
- The Creator (mentioned in flashback)
- Season One
- Manifest (mentioned)
- Season Two
- I Get Physical (mentioned)
- All Souled Out (mentioned)
- On and On (mentioned)
- If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right (photo)
- The Main Ingredient (mentioned)
- Can't Front on Me (mentioned)
- They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) (mentioned)
- Season Two
Gallery
