1 00:00:01,966 --> 00:00:05,000 JOHN YANG: Since President Gerald Ford first recognized it in 1976, February has been 2 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:10,900 celebrated as Black History Month. For the next four weekends, we're going to bring you stories 3 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:15,900 of black Americans whose lives and whose work are lesser known, their contributions all the 4 00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:21,166 more significant because they were accomplished in the face of injustice and discrimination. 5 00:00:21,166 --> 00:00:25,200 Tonight, the story of a woman who helped take down one of America's 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:30,200 most notorious mob bosses. It's part one of our series, Hidden Histories. 7 00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:36,366 Eunice Carter always understood the power of public service. When she was seven years old, 8 00:00:38,266 --> 00:00:42,433 her parents, both social activists, fled the south after the 1906 Atlanta race riots, 9 00:00:43,666 --> 00:00:45,700 moving the family to Brooklyn, New York. 10 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:48,033 SHAKALA ALVARANGA, Director of Public Programs, The Mob Museum: She was ahead of her time. 11 00:00:48,033 --> 00:00:53,000 JOHN YANG: Shakala Alvaranga is the Director of Public Programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. 12 00:00:55,033 --> 00:00:58,133 SHAKALA ALVARANGA: Her father, William Hunton Sr., he founded the black division of the YMCA. 13 00:01:00,566 --> 00:01:05,100 And her mother was a social worker, an activist, and a political organizer. And she also worked 14 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,800 for the YMCA's war efforts during World War I. And she was one of the women assigned to work 15 00:01:15,533 --> 00:01:20,533 with about 200,000 segregated black troops who were stationed in France at the time. So 16 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:28,400 her family history holds a lot of depth and a lot of history when it comes to civil rights. 17 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000 JERMAINE FOWLER, Author, "The Humanity Archive": So, this is the example that 18 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,200 Carter is growing up in, and this is who she looks to for inspiration. 19 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,966 JOHN YANG: Jermaine Fowler is the author of The Humanity Archive, 20 00:01:39,966 --> 00:01:44,833 which highlights the achievements of black Americans that history books have long ignored. 21 00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:48,300 Her family also made sure she got a good education. 22 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:52,100 JERMAINE FOWLER: She went to Smith College. She was only the second black 23 00:01:52,100 --> 00:01:57,066 woman to receive a bachelor and a master's degree in four years in 1921. And then she 24 00:01:59,100 --> 00:02:01,466 entered Fordham Law school as the first black woman to graduate from that school. 25 00:02:01,466 --> 00:02:05,733 JOHN YANG: She became an assistant district attorney, mostly working at what was then 26 00:02:05,733 --> 00:02:10,733 called Women's Court, prosecuting sex workers. Her talents came to the attention of Thomas E. Dewey, 27 00:02:12,733 --> 00:02:16,800 then beginning his rise to national prominence as a New York State special 28 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,800 prosecutor going after organized crime. Carter joined his otherwise all white, all male team. 29 00:02:23,766 --> 00:02:27,933 SHAKALA ALVARANGA: They, you know, kind of had this unconventional relationship, 30 00:02:29,766 --> 00:02:33,966 but Dewey clearly knew how talented and how educated Eunice Carter was. 31 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:40,100 She was out in the community, and a lot of people were talking to her, 32 00:02:42,666 --> 00:02:46,033 and they may have not felt as comfortable talking to the men about, you know, what they were doing. 33 00:02:48,433 --> 00:02:52,566 JOHN YANG: She was paid less than her male counterparts and passed over for 34 00:02:52,566 --> 00:02:57,533 promotions. But her experience in women's court gave her knowledge they didn't have. 35 00:02:59,566 --> 00:03:02,433 JERMAINE FOWLER: She noticed that women being arrested for prostitution from all 36 00:03:02,433 --> 00:03:07,166 over new York City were being represented by the same lawyers and the same bails bondsman. 37 00:03:07,166 --> 00:03:10,833 JOHN YANG: She meticulously followed the connections back to the reigning 38 00:03:10,833 --> 00:03:14,300 boss of Mafia bosses, Charles "Lucky" Luciano. 39 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:19,300 JERMAINE FOWLER: Luciano is this very savvy businessman, but he's also a ruthless Mafia also. 40 00:03:21,866 --> 00:03:25,033 And what we know of as the Mafia today was started by Luciano, who consolidated these blood Fu-wing 41 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:31,266 gangster families during the Prohibition era into one centrally supervised criminal syndicate. 42 00:03:33,266 --> 00:03:37,833 SHAKALA ALVARANGA: After months of interviewing and wiretapping, Carter and 43 00:03:39,266 --> 00:03:42,933 her colleague at the time, they convinced Dewey that organized 44 00:03:42,933 --> 00:03:47,933 crime essentially controlled the brothels. They would pocket about $40 of their $200 45 00:03:49,533 --> 00:03:54,066 weekly earnings. And in contrast, Luciano earned millions every year. 46 00:03:56,133 --> 00:03:59,766 JOHN YANG: Carter spearheaded an investigation that included raids on brothels across New 47 00:03:59,766 --> 00:04:04,733 York City. The evidence gathered led to Luciano's 1936 conviction on more 48 00:04:06,666 --> 00:04:10,400 than 60 counts of forced prostitution. He was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison. 49 00:04:12,366 --> 00:04:17,233 This episode really helped establish Thomas Dewey nationwide ran for political office. 50 00:04:19,100 --> 00:04:22,866 He was a presidential candidate. How much credit did Eunice Carter get in all of this? 51 00:04:24,900 --> 00:04:27,000 JERMAINE FOWLER: We kind of see her overlooked, and it's really just within the last few years 52 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:32,000 that we're recovering her legacy and her contributions to this case and this grant end 53 00:04:34,566 --> 00:04:38,433 place that she holds in American history in terms of prosecution and going against organized crime. 54 00:04:40,433 --> 00:04:43,066 JOHN YANG: After leaving the government, Carter entered private practice. She was 55 00:04:43,066 --> 00:04:48,066 active in the YWCA, the NAACP, and was an advisor to the United Nations. But 56 00:04:50,033 --> 00:04:53,266 it was her work in the Luciano case, helping get justice for the women he 57 00:04:53,266 --> 00:04:58,266 abused that cemented Carter's legacy and earned her the title, Lady Racketbuster. 58 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,333 SHAKALA ALVARANGA: She was able to really 59 00:05:04,233 --> 00:05:09,066 hone in and really put this case together in a way that only she could do.