Sumith Prasad
Peacock’s crime drama series ‘Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist’ follows Gordon Williams AKA Chicken Man, an Atlanta-based hustler who hosts some of the most powerful Black gangsters at a party in his house after the renowned boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Jerry Quarry. The occasion sets the stage for a shocking heist committed by a group of local robbers. Since the venue belongs to Chicken Man, he becomes a prime suspect in the eyes of the law and the gangsters alike. In reality, the hustler reportedly had to make amends with the parties involved to move on from the heist!
Chicken Man Gained Prominence as an Illegal Lottery’s Bookie
As a teenager, Gordon Williams was a “sidekick” of Robert Vambrose AKA Short Papa, who was renowned as a numbers boss in Atlanta, Georgia. Even though he knew Detective J.D. Hudson long before the 1970 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Jerry Quarry, their meeting differed from its depiction in ‘Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.’ Rather than Chicken Man, the police officer arrested the former’s companion, who filed a complaint against the cop. The teenager then testified against the police officer, resulting in the latter’s suspension. As the crime drama depicts, Hudson didn’t get acquainted with the hustler by arresting him.
Williams became Chicken Man after repeatedly buying chicken sandwiches for a group of “pretty” women. They gave him the nickname whenever the group spotted him, only for the same to remain his alias. By the time it was 1970, the young hustler had grown to become a bet pick-up man for an illegal lottery known as the “Bug.” Following his mentor’s footsteps, he also left his mark as a bookie and “banker” who dealt with the cash involved in the lottery. In addition, he also lent money and reportedly sold whiskey and drugs. These activities were seemingly enough for him to buy several properties across Atlanta.
In October 1970, while Atlanta was preparing to welcome Muhammad Ali, a group of Black gangsters were planning a party. Frank Moten, who was infamous as the Black Godfather, wanted to celebrate the birthday of someone in his circle. He sought the service of a man named Fireball, who reached out to Chicken Man since the latter owned numerous properties in the city. That was how he became the host of the “million-dollar heist” that occurred on the “fight night.”
Chicken Man Ended Up in Prison Due to Drug Charges
Since Gordon Williams AKA Chicken Man was the host of the party that ended with the heist, he was the prime suspect in the days that immediately followed. According to iHeart’s podcast series ‘Fight Night,’ the source material of the crime drama, he had to go to New York and convince Frank Moten and other high-profile gangsters that he had nothing to do with the heist. Two days after the robbery, he showed up at the police headquarters in Atlanta to deny his suspected involvement in the crime. It didn’t take long for the authorities, especially the lead investigator, the same J.D. Hudson, to realize that Chicken Man was not the mastermind behind the heist.
“I knew [Williams] wasn’t dumb enough to pull a stunt like that,” Hudson told Creative Loafing in 2004. This was a man who ran a million-dollar operation from a pay phone on a street corner. He was smart. He could’ve run IBM or Coke. There’s no way he would’ve risked all that to pay somebody off,” the former detective added. “I knew I was a dead man when I saw my picture in the paper because they made it look like I had something to do with it. I survived because I wasn’t involved,” Chicken Man said in the same interview, joining Hudson. The freedom he earned from the law and the gangsters didn’t last long.
In the mid-1970s, Chicken Man was sentenced to prison because of a narcotics violation and a marijuana charge for five and two years, respectively. Since he was a model citizen, he was released from the state penitentiary after thirty-six months. Still, he returned to drug trafficking and remained in the crime scene of Atlanta until 1978. In the same year, he lost a significant amount of marijuana that was involved in a drug deal. The aftermath of the same made him put an end to his life as a dealer. “I had to pay off a lot of people. After I paid my debt off, I said to myself, ‘That’s it, I quit,’” he told Creative Loafing.
Chicken Man Died After Leading a Life as a Pastor
Soon after the “million-dollar heist,” The New York Times reportedly stated that Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams was dead because of a “contract hit” on him. Jeff Keating, the co-creator of the source podcast series and an executive producer of the crime drama, believed the same until he met J.D. Hudson. From the former detective, Keating learned that Chicken Man became a pastor, especially after involving in the prison ministry during his time in jail. In 2004, he was part of the International Ministries 2000 Church in Atlanta. The former drug dealer lived near the religious establishment with his wife, Delores. He was the father of six and a grandfather of another six.
“They’ve been saying I’ve been dead for years, but I’ve been right here in Atlanta the whole time,” Chicken Man said in the same Creative Loafing interview. Keating initially wanted to make a feature film about the pastor’s life. He joined Hudson and talked about his life with Keating for a documentary the latter was making. The film and documentary plans eventually became the podcast series, which gave birth to the Peacock series. Even though Chicken Man and Hudson were on opposite sides while they were younger, they were friends during their twilight years. The former detective even credited himself for saving the pastor’s life by clearing his name while appearing on national television.
Chicken Man passed away on December 1, 2014, at the age of 82 after battling Parkinson’s disease. “You could see that he had peace in his heart, he had peace in his mind, you know, and he, in fact, […] told me he was ready to go,” his wife, Delores, told Jeff Keating, as per the latter’s podcast series. He took his last breath while holding the hands of Gordon Williams Jr., his son. Chicken Man’s later years prove that it is possible to leave the world of crime and open a new, peaceful chapter of life.
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