In the 1930s, young women with big dreams came to New York City to pursue careers, meet men, and make friends. Charles “Lucky” Luciano, an Italian-American gangster, was one of the people who preyed on them. This fictionalized first-person account of a girl from a small town in the northeast US details how she became ensnared in the party circuit and eventually worked as a prostitute in Luciano’s houses. The narrator in this book is called Lois and was a composite of many call girls interviewed by a journalist who covered Luciano’s trial in 1936.
This account provides details on the women’s “emotional challenges” and what happened to them after Luciano’s conviction, highlighting the destructive impact the syndicate had on their lives. Lucky Luciano had a long reach, so neither the author nor the young women interviewed wished to be identified. Luciano was reportedly the model for the main character in The Godfather.
