In the 1930s, Lucky Luciano, one of American history’s most notorious mobsters, was finally taken down by a rookie prosecutor, Eunice Carter. She was one of the first Black Women ever to become a prosecutor in America. She changed the course of  history, but she has largely been forgotten. The Godmother tells the story of Eunice: a bad-ass anti-hero unafraid to bend the rules in pursuit of ambition, justice and legacy.

The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.
For more from Novel visit novel.audio See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Godmother

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.  

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

In Season 1, The Girlfriends told the story of how a group of incredible women came together to bring down one bad ex-boyfriend and seek justice for the murder of Gail Katz.
But there’s one part of that story that’s still a mystery.
During the investigation into Gail’s case, a torso washed up on Staten Island and was misidentified as Gail. Nobody knows her name or what happened to her after she was ruled out from the case.
In Season 2, the amateur ladies detective club are back with a new mission: to uncover the identity of this woman and finally find Our Lost Sister.
Listen here and subscribe to The Girlfriends: Our Lost Sister on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Girlfriends: Our Lost Sister

Eunice Carter’s descendents remember her as an austere woman, with a tendency to correct grammar and table manners.  Throughout her career, Eunice sought to make a mark on history. She yearned to create a legacy.   Did she succeed? And why does it matter to be remembered?   The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.

Ep 8: Finding Eunice

Lucky Luciano’s conviction sits atop a rising wave of public panic about the seeping influence of crime and corruption on American life.   It’s a perception that’s been mythologised in Hollywood retellings about the mob for decades. The idea of an all-powerful mafia served Thomas Dewey’s professional ambitions well too, but how much of it was actually true?

Ep 7: Disorganized Crime

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.

Ep 6: : Trial of the Century

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.

Introducing: The Godmother

Download our free app to listen on your phone