The Godmother iHeart True Crime
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- Society & Culture
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In the 1930s, Lucky Luciano, one of American history’s most notorious mobsters, was finally taken down by a rookie prosecutor. Eunice Carter was one of the first Black Women ever to become a prosecutor in America. She operated from the heart of the Harlem Renaissance to navigate the corrupt world of downtown Manhattan politics, and a deeply racist and sexist pre-civil rights American society. But her pioneering role in what became known as the “trial of the century” has been forgotten by popular history. Hers is the story of a writer, social worker, mother, teacher, sister, socialite, political candidate, community organizer and unheralded pioneer. This eight part immersive podcast is hosted by poet and writer, Nichole Perkins. It tells the story of Eunice Carter: a bad-ass anti-hero unafraid to bend the rules in pursuit of ambition, justice and legacy.
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Ep 1: Atlanta
In 1930s New York, infamous mob boss Lucky Luciano is standing trial. His story will inspire Hollywood retellings for decades to come. But beneath the mythology, there’s another story being overshadowed. That of the woman who masterminded his downfall: Eunice Carter. She was one of the first Black female prosecutors in America, and her story begins in Atlanta, at the turn of the 20th century.
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Ep 2: Harlem Czarina
The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s established Black Americans as tastemakers. In the vibrancy of her youth, Eunice moved to Harlem and became a fixture of the literary and social scene. But Eunice hasn’t been remembered as clearly as the artists, communists, preachers, partiers and fur-coat-wearing socialites she brushed shoulders with. As the 1920s draws to a close, all around Eunice, there are signs that New York’s underworld is rising closer to the surface.
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Ep 3: Breaking Through
By 1928, Eunice left the glamor of the Harlem Renaissance behind for the austere world of law school. She is dreaming of making a bigger impact on the world. As she separates herself from the legacy of her parents, and from the rest of her community, what will it cost Eunice to succeed in a new and unfamiliar world of law? The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.
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Ep 4: Panic
While Eunice learns the letter of the law, her neighbors in Harlem are surviving by breaking it, and the mob’s power over nearly every facet of New York life grows stronger. New Yorkers are looking for a crusader, and in Thomas Dewey they find one. He’s New York’s newest mob-busting special prosecutor, and he finds himself in need of a certain plucky young attorney, with a deep knowledge of the Harlem community. The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.
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Ep 5: Up All Night to Get lucky
In 1935, Eunice Carter is at the center of the largest investigation of organized crime in U.S. history. Meanwhile, there's a power struggle raging in the heart of organized crime and as the dust settles, Lucky Luciano finds himself at the top. As Lucky’s star rises, Eunice finds herself sidelined with the beat nobody seems to want: investigating mob links to New York’s sex work industry. As she pieces together seemingly innocuous pieces of gossip - a picture begins to emerge. Eunice forms a plan that leads her right to Lucky Luciano.
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Ep 6: : Trial of the Century
In the summer of 1936, New York watches with baited breath, as Lucky Luciano stands trial. He’s been charged alongside some of organized crime's most violent strongmen. Their fate sits in the hands of Eunice’s witnesses: a handful of sex workers, many of whom are experiencing brutal heroin withdrawal as they sit on the witness stand. This stand-off would become known as the trial of the century. So why isn’t Eunice Carter in court to see the results of all her painstaking work? The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.
Customer Reviews
Interesting twist and details
The story of taking down Luciano isn’t unknown of course (and frankly mob history usually doesn’t interest me), but additional context like The Godmother’s indispensable role along with the supporting characters of this story like the sex workers that assisted the prosecution made it so much more intriguing. And of course this is the stuff you just don’t learn about, even in a college level US History course. Thanks for bringing this to light.
History erased?
I wonder if our podcaster bothered to read any history of the US growing up? What party was instrumental in getting the right to vote and achieve citizenship for blacks after the Civil War? If it wasn’t for this same party, LBJ couldn’t have passed ANY civil rights legislation in the 60s. That party was the GOP. Oh and that other party, Democrats, was busy preventing blacks from voting and going to college. But they did have time to hang quite a number from trees right up until the late 60s!
Interesting and Informative
This is a great podcast! I had never heard of Mrs. Carter prior to this podcast and I’m glad I stumbled upon it. I hope to hear more little known Black stories from this podcaster in the near future. Great work to the host and team!