Eunice Carter, New York’s first Black female proseutor, teamed up with high‑end madam Polly Adler to build a case against mob boss Lucky Luciano in the mid‑1930s. Their unlikely partnership, now the centerpiece of the historical novel “A Pair of Aces,” shows how women on opposite sides of the law leveraged a network of brothel workers to expose the crime syndicate’s hidden vice. The story, chosen as a Readers’ Choice by Club Calvi, highlights themes of gender, race, and class in a city where organized crime reigned supreme.

Luciano’s Prostitution Empire Became Carter’s Legal Target

According to the publisher’s synopsis, earlier prosecutors had focused on Luciano’s bootlegging, gambling, loan‑sharking and tax evasion, overlooking the mob’s control of prostitution. Eunice Carter recognized that the illegal sex trade offered a direct line to the boss’s inner circle, a strategy that “no one had thought to approach the mob through its role in prostitution.” By subpoenaing brothel records and interviewing Adler’s employees, Carter gathered evidence that traditional law‑enforcement tactics could not reach.

Polly Adler’s Brothel Provided the Inside Witnesses

As the novel recounts, Adler’s upscale house of ill repute catered to both celebrities and underwrld figures, giving her a unique view of Luciano’s operations. When the mobster began endangering her girls , Adler “finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all.” She agreed to cooperate with Carter, feeding the prosecutor a steady stream of testimony and names that would later form the backbone of the trial.

The Trial That Shook New York City in 1935

“A Pair of Aces” describes the courtroom showdown as “the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen.” The alliance of Carter and Adler, described by the authors as “two women from vastly different worlds,” assembled a case piece by piece, risking their own safety under Luciano’s watchful eye. The trial ultimately secured a conviction that reverberated through the city’s five major crime families.

Readers’ Choice Highlights Female Empowerment in a Male‑Dominated Era

Voters seleced the book as the Club Calvi Readers’ Choice, praising its focus on “female empowerment, racial and class divides, and justice in 1930s New York.” Co‑authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, known for bestsellers like “The Personal Librarian,” use the historical partnership to illustrate how women could subvert patriarchal power structures even in the darkest corners of the city.

Who Really Pulled the Strings? Unanswered Details About the Investigation

While the novel dramatizes the partnership, the source does not disclose how many women in Adler’s network testified, nor the exact legal charges that sealed Luciano’s fate. It also leaves unclear whether other law‑enforcement officials were aware of Carter’s unconventional approach at the time. As the authors note, “the alliance‑of two women … launches the most sensational trial,” but the precise extent of their collaboration remains a point for further historical research.