" Stephanie St.Clair (1886-1969?)

Was born Martinique,an island in the Caribbean and came to United States

via Marseilles,France. In 1912 she arrived in Harlem.Stephanie was known for her deep involvement in the seedy gangster underworld.According to those who knew her,she was arrogant,sophisticated and astute to the ways of urban life life.Stephanie reportedly told people that she was born "European France"and able to speak "flawless france"as opposed to the less refined French spoken by those in the Caribbean.Whenever people questioned her national orgin,she would always respond in French.She also spoke Spanish.Known for her fierce temper,Stephanie spouted profanity in various languages when angered or outraged by some perceived slight or injustice.Her eloquent sense of fashion was-known throughout Harlem where she was referred to as Madame St.Clair.In other boroughs such as Manhattan,Stephanie was referred to as "Queenie."She developed the first numbers bank located in Harlem.Here she and her partners including Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson,made the first significant criminal fortunes in Black New York.Initially they had  little competition by the 1930s their undisputed control over Harlem's numbers rackets challenged.After the Great Depression began and Prohibition ended in 1932,a number of White New Yorker mobsters saw their profits rapidly diminish.They turned to the lucrative Harlem illegal gambling scene to supplement their loss revenue.Led by Dutch Schultz,collation a non-Harlem gangsters engaged in a bloody war with Stephanie and allies for control of organized crime in that community.Over 40 people were killed in gangland related violence often the murder of Harlem numbers operators.Despite the violence against their,operation she and bumpy initially refused to surrender to Dutch over time,their power weakened.Stephanie made several futile complaints to local authorities about harassment from the New York Police Department which she felt aided Dutch.Without political influence at city Hall,her concern were ignored.In response she testified to New York State's Seabury Crime Commission about the  large number of kickbacks she had paid police officials to protect her operations.Her charges led to the dismissal of several police officers.As Stephanie realized she could no longer oppose Dutch,she agreed to a truce,which transferred the power and profits from her organization to his and the Italian Mafia headed by Lucky Luciano.In 1935,Dutch was assassinated on the orders of Lucky.Stephanie was not involved with his murder,she was remembered for sending an infamous telegram to his bed that stated "As ye,sow,so shall ye reap."The telegram reportedly made headlines across the nation.Her former lieutenant Bumpy became Mafia's representative in Harlem while she slept into obscurity.Stephanie died in Harlem.