She was chased from the Harlem numbers racket of Dutch Schultz, but Schultz was from a gunshot wound dying Stephanie St . Clair, had the last laugh.
Stephanie St. Clair was born in 1886 in Marseille, an island in the eastern Caribbean. At the age of 26, she immigrated to New York City and settled in Harlem. Almost immediately, they hooked up with the Forty Thieves, a white band that existed since the 1850s. There is no record of what St. Clair for the next ten years, but it's safe to say its relations with the Forty Thieves are considering, but a notorious gang shake-down, which she did everything legally.
In 1922, St. Clair used $ 10,000 of their own money and started first numbers racket Harlem. St. Clair was known to be a violent temper and often for having cursed her subordinates in multiple languages. When people asked her about her heritage in question, she snapped that she was born in "European France", and that they spoke flawless French, in contrast to the French-speaking rabble from the Caribbean. In Harlem they called her Madame St. Clair, but also in the rest of the city, it was just as well known "Queenie".
In the mid 1920s known bootlegger and Stone Killer Dutch Schultz, he decided to cross all political racket in Harlem take wanted. Schultz asked Queenie not too good away backwards, causing the deaths of dozens of Queenies numbers runner. Queenie wore the help of Bumpy Johnson, an ex-con with a hair-trigger temper, to take care of Schultz situation. Johnson went to the city and visited the Italian Mafia boss Lucky Luciano. He asked Luciano it were to speak in Schultz. But it was not able to do much Luciano, because at that time he was one of Schultz 'partners. Luciano suggested that Queenie and Johnson throw Schultz so that it. In fact, a subdivision of Schultz numbers Business This did not sit too well with Queenie, and although Johnson tried was to convince the smart move, she turned down Luciano offer.
Then out of nowhere began Queenie problems it paid off with the police, they look the other way. This was the work of Schultz, who had by his links with Tammany Hall, several politicians in his back pocket, as over half the police in New York City. While Schultz's number runners impunity, runners of Queenie worked through the streets of Harlem, as they are not killed by Schultz "men were to be arrested by the police.
Queenie decided with the power of the press to fight back. in December 1930 Queenie took multiple ads in Harlem newspapers and accused the police of graft, relief camps and corruption. This went on not too good with the local fuzz, and they immediately arrested Queenie found guilty for illegal gambling.Queenie and was sentenced hard work on Welfare island to eight months. After her release, she appeared before the committee Seabury, which was graft in the Bronx and Manhattan Magistrates courts to investigate. Queenie testified that from 1923-1926, they the police in Harlem $ 6000 had paid to protect their runners before the arrest, and that the police had taken their money and arrested anyway their number runners. Schultz has a good laugh over that one have had a month for 6000 $ less than he the bulls happy in New York paid to keep City.
Nothing came of their testimony before the committee Seabury so Queenie decided to plead her case to New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker, who was almost like Schultz crooked. Queenie told Walker that Schultz was to combine pressure on them his gang or. Walker, who was himself investigated by the Seabury Committee replied to leave Queenie from his job as mayor and relocate in the next few years to Europe.
Queenie then with the other black policy number bankers in Harlem pleaded in a battle against Schultz to join their forces. Knowing that Schultz in the government had too much juice, and many shooters in his gang, they turned their homes down.
Bumpy Johnson soon found out that Schultz had put the word on the street that Queenie had to be at first glance, shot. Queenie went into the ground and also refused to go outside to see the light of day. On one occasion, Johnson Queenie had to hide in a coal bunker, under a pile of coal, to save them from Schultz 'people. That was the last straw for Queenie. She sent word Schultz that they would agree to his demands. Schultz sent word back to her that she could stay alive as long as they in their numbers racket Schultz has a controlling interest. Queenie agreed reluctantly.
Schultz had his own run pitch, when he demanded that Luciano and his friends on the killing of special prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey agree that breathing down the neck Schultz. Schultz's proposal was rejected, and when he said he would kill Dewey himself, he was shot in the stomach in the bathroom of a New Jersey restaurant. Schultz lingered in a delirious in a hospital for a few days before he died. As he lay there mumbling inanities, a telegram arrived, saying, "As you sow, so shall you reap." Stephanie St. Clair -
The telegram was sent by the Queen of Harlem.
Queenie finally turned over their rackets to Bumpy Johnson. They fall into oblivion and died in his sleep in 1969.
In 1997 film "Hoodlum" Lawrence Fishburne played Bumpy Johnson, Tim Roth played Dutch Schultz, Andy Garcia played Lucky Luciano and Cicely Tyson Stephanie "played Queenie" St. Clair.