According to Wright, Narcisse is said to be modeled after Harlem number-running kingpin Casper Holstein. Holstein was a millionaire who used his illegal earnings to give back to the community-at-large.
There are also flourishes of scholar Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois and Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey in the character. Like White, Dr. Narcisse lives by a certain code to get the things he wants.
In real life, Black gangsters in Atlantic City would surface much later in the ’70s and 80s. During the timeline in the show, many Blacks were forced to dwell in the city’s Northside section and away from much of the action.
Also of note is that the city itself was largely built on the backs of Black people, as noted by author Nelson Johnson in his book, “The Northside.”
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