>> Since president Gerald Ford
first recognized it in 1976,
February has been celebrated as
black history month.
For the next four weekends we
will bring you stories of black
Americans whose lives and work
are lesser-known.
Their contributions all the more
significant because they were
accomplished in the face of
injustice and discrimination.
Tonight, the story of a woman
who helped down -- take down one
of America's most notorious mob
boss.
It is part one of our series,
hidden histories.
She always understood the power
of public service.
When she was seven years old,
her parents, both social
activist, fled the south after
race riots, moving the family to
Brooklyn.
>> She was ahead of her time.
>> She is the director of public
programs at a museum in las
Vegas.
>> Her father founded the black
division of the ymca and her
mother was a social worker and
activist and a political
organizer.
She also worked for the ymca's
war efforts during World War I.
She was one of the women
assigned to work with about
200,000 segregated black troops
who were stationed in France at
the time.
Her family history holds a lot
of depth and a lot of history
when it comes to civil-rights.
>> This is the example that she
is growing up in.
Who she looks to for
inspiration.
>> He is the author of the
humanity archive, which
highlights achievements of black
Americans that history books
have long ignored.
Her family made sure she got a
good education.
>> She went to Smith college.
She was only the second black
woman to receive a bachelors and
masters degree.
She entered Fordham law school
as the first black woman to
graduate.
.
From that school >> She became
an assistant district attorney
working in women's court,
prosecuting sex workers.
Her talents came to the
attention of Thomas Dewey,
beginning his rise to national
prominence as a New York state
special prosecutor going after
organized crime.
Carter joined his all-white,
all-male team.
>> They have this unconventional
relationship.
Do we -- Dewey clearly knew how
talented as it -- an educated
Ms. Carter was.
A lot of people were talking to
her.
They may have not felt as
comfortable talking to the men
about what they were doing.
>> She was paid less than her
male counterparts and passed
over for promotions.
But her experience in women's
court gave her knowledge they
did not have.
>> She noticed that women being
arrested for prostitution from
all over New York City were
being represented by the same
lawyers and same bell bondsman.
-- Bail bondsman.
>> She connected it back to the
boss of the mafia.
>> He was a very savvy
businessman.
He was also a ruthless mafioso.
What we know as the mafia today
was started by him.
He consolidated through gangster
families during the prohibition
era to one century supervised --
centrally supervised criminal
organization.
>> Carter and her colleague at
the time convinced Dewey that
organized crime control the
brothels.
They would pocket about $40 of
their $200 weekly earnings and
in contrast but mob boss earned
millions every year.
>> Carter spearheaded an
investigation that included
raids on brothels across new
York City.
This led to a conviction on more
than 60 counts of forced
prostitution.
He was sentenced to 30-50 years
in prison.
This episode really helped
establish Thomas Dewey
nationwide.
He was a presidential candidate.
How much credit did Eunice
Carter get in this?
>> It is just within the last
few years of covering --
recovering her legacy and her
contributions to this place and
this grand place that she holds
in American history in going
against organized crime.
>> After leaving the government,
Carter entered private practice.
She was active in the ywca,
naacp, and was an advisor to the
united nations.
It was her work in the luchiano
case that cemented her legacy
and earned her the title lady
racket buster.
>> She was able to really hone
in and really put this case
together in a way that only she
could do.