The Godmother
By iHeartPodcasts
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.
Latest episode
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Ep 8: Finding Eunice
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 ma… -
Ep 7: Disorganized Crime
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 al… -
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, m… -
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 L… -
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.… -
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 communit… -
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 a… -
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 downfal… -
Introducing: The Godmother
