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Madame Queen

Read by:
Janina Edwards
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Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
1
Narrator
1
Release Date
June 3, 2025
Duration
7 hours 48 minutes
Summary
The astonishing little-known history of Harlem racketeer Madame Stephanie St. Clair, one of the only female crime bosses and a Black, self-made businesswoman in early twentieth-century New York.

In her heyday, Stephanie St. Clair went by many names, but one was best known by all: Madame Queen. The undeniable queen of the Harlem numbers game, St. Clair redefined what it meant to be a woman of means. After immigrating to America from the West Indies, St. Clair would go on to manage one of the largest policy banks in all of Harlem by 1923. She knew the power of reputation, and even though her business was illegal gambling, she ran it like any other respectable entrepreneur. Because first and foremost, Madame Queen was a lady.

But that didn’t stop her from doing what needed to be done to survive. St. Clair learned how to navigate the complex male-dominated world of crime syndicates, all at a time when Tammany Hall and mafia groups like the Combination were trying to rule New York. With her tenacity and intellectual prowess, she never backed down. Madame Queen was a complicated figure, but she prioritized the people of Harlem above all else, investing her wealth back into the neighborhood and speaking out against police corruption and racial discrimination.

St. Clair was a trailblazer, unafraid to challenge societal norms. But for far too long she’s been a footnote in more infamous characters’ stories, like Bumpy Johnson, Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano. Now, in this masterful portrayal of a woman who defied the odds at all costs, she finally gets her due.
Reviews
Profile Avatar Patrick M. May 2026

This was a very interesting book that is very well written and researched as well as having a great narrator. I first leaned about Madam St Clair from a documentary and wanted to learn more about her. She was a fascinating person in the unground world of NYC and is well with the read.

Madame Queen

Madame Queen

Author: Mary Kay McBrayer
Read by: Janina Edwards
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