The Godmother

iHeart True Crime
  • 4.5 (170)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • SERIES
The Godmother

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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.  

  1. EPISODE 1

    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.

    43 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    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.

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    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.

    47 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    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.

    49 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    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.

    45 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    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.

    45 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    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 all-powerful mafia served Thomas Dewey’s professional ambitions well too, but how much of it was actually true?

    42 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    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 matter to be remembered?  The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.

    45 min
See All Season 1 (8)

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4.5
out of 5
170 Ratings

About

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.  

Information

  • Channel
    iHeart True Crime
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Episodes
    9
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Godmother
  • Provider
    iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc

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