A $10 million annual income and 5,000 sex workers on his payroll was Charles “Lucky” Luciano’s claim to criminal fame. The mob boss, who got his nickname after surviving a savage beating in which his throat was slit, was the most notorious and high-ranking criminal in the country at the time. Thomas Dewey declared Luciano “Public Enemy Number One” after hearing about the mobster’s long list of illegal exploits, embarking upon a vigorous manhunt that would end with Lucky not feeling so lucky after all (via Law Library).
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Thus commenced a ferocious crusade. With an army of police at his back, Dewey raided brothels and indiscriminately arrested anyone who might have information that he could use against Luciano. Those managing the brothels, their enforcers and foot-soldiers, bookies, and thugs were corralled into interrogation rooms where Dewey and his cop cronies would put the screws to them until they provided him with something useful.
Ultimately, the information he extracted from Luciano’s constituents led to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where the mobster was hiding out. Luciano was then brought before a grand jury where he was unanimously found guilty. Convicted on 62 counts related to illegal sex work, Luciano was on his way to the slammer (per Law Library).
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