Everything We Learned From the BMF Documentary

"The BMF Documentary" Digs Deeper Into the True Story of the Notorious Black Mafia Family

December 12, 2022 by Njera Perkins First Published: October 23, 2022

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"The BMF Documentary" Episodes 1 and 2: "Detroit Dreams" and "Gangster Boogie"

"BMF"'s portrayal of Lamar Silas is almost identical to the character's real-life inspiration. Layton Simon, referred to in the docuseries as the "No. 1 villain" in the first couple chapters of the Black Mafia Family's story, had a notorious reputation for being "unstable" and "unhinged" and for causing "hair-trigger violence" — much like "BMF"'s antagonist, Lamar (played by Eric Kofi-Abrefa), who was known for being trigger happy and an all-out menace in the series.
Just like "BMF"'s Lamar, Layton was also allegedly obsessed with taking down the Flenory brothers — mainly, Big Meech. According to the docuseries, before the Flenory brothers took over Detroit's streets, Layton was in control of them, so he, of course, didn't like when they invaded his territory. And at some point, according to a family friend, he found himself obsessed with the idea of killing Big Meech. "It was Layton looking for Demetrius. That was the only thing on his mind. You know, he trying to kill us," says family friend Roland West, who also recalls a time when Layton allegedly followed Big Meech in his car and pulled a gun on the two of them.
Big Meech and Layton's beef was allegedly fueled by the two romancing the same women. Not only were Big Meech and Layton both in the drug game in the same city, they were also romantically involved with some of the same women, which journalist and organized crime historian Scott Burnstein says played "a big role in their rivalry." West recalls a verbal confrontation between the two that ensued at a local bar, where Layton and his brother were both shot, the latter of which died. It's unclear who the shooter was or whom they were associated with. According to Troy Benford, a childhood friend of the Flenory brothers, Layton's issue with Big Meech allegedly "became an all-out vengeance from that point forward."
E.D. Boyd, founder of the 50 Boyz crew, gave the Flenory brothers his blessing to start their own drug operation. Unlike Wood Harris's Pat in Starz's "BMF," meant to be a portrayal of Boyd, who gave the Flenory brothers a hard time about them outgrowing their roles in his crew, Boyd IRL claimed he had no problem with the two building up their own empire. "I gave them all the respect and said, 'Look, do what you do, man,'" he says in the documentary. "'That's what you was raised to do. In this game, be a boss, and I see you ready for it — go for it.'"
Big Meech survived a near-fatal shooting incident with Layton. In the documentary, West recalls the time when he and Big Meech were cornered by Layton in the parking lot at Detroit's Coney Island, where the latter allegedly pulled out a gun on them and shot up their vehicle. West says no bullets hit him, but Big Meech took several. West, having no gun at the time, says Big Meech pushed him out of the car and drove off. He was later pulled over by the police, who took him to the hospital, per a phone call from Big Meech.

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Everything We Learned From the BMF Documentary

"The BMF Documentary" Digs Deeper Into the True Story of the Notorious Black Mafia Family

"The BMF Documentary" Episodes 1 and 2: "Detroit Dreams" and "Gangster Boogie"

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