THE MADAMS OF DC
About the project
Details
Writer | Director | Producer
ABC7
Year: 2025
38 Minutes That Changed Everything
THE FILM
For over a century, three women ran Washington, D.C.'s most notorious underground empires. Their names were whispered in backrooms, feared in police precincts, and erased from official histories.
Until now
The Madams of DC is a documentary about power, survival, and the women who shaped the nation's capital from the shadows. It's about sex and scandal,
yes, but more than that, it's about who gets to tell history, and who gets written out of it.
THE IMPACT
Premiered on ABC7 (WJLA-TV)
57,000+ YouTube views within the first few weeks
Featured across ABC7's digital and social platforms
Sparked national conversation about women's hidden histories
Continues to grow in viewership and cultural impact
THE MADAMS OF DC
THE WOMEN
Three women. Three eras. One city that tried to forget them all.
MARY ANN HALL
The Madam Who Made History
At the height of the Civil War, while men battled on the fields, Mary Ann Hall ran the most elite brothel in Washington, D.C. Her clients included senators, generals, and captains of industry men who made decisions that shaped a nation while visiting her establishment on Maryland Avenue. Hall became one of the wealthiest women in Washington. When she died, she was buried in Congressional Cemetery under one of its largest gravestones, a monument to a woman history tried to ignore. The film reveals: How a woman in the world's oldest profession became one of the capital's most influential power brokers, and why her story matters today.
ODESSA MADRE
"The Lady Al Capone"
During the height of segregation, when Black Americans were systematically denied power, wealth, and respect, one woman built an empire. Odessa Madre controlled D.C.'s illegal gambling operations, the "numbers rackets" that ran through Black neighborhoods. She was feared, respected, and connected to everyone who mattered: politicians, police, and the people. They called her "The Lady Al Capone," but she was more than a gangster. She was a symbol of Black power in an era when Black women were supposed to be invisible. The film reveals: How Madre operated in plain sight, why the establishment both relied on and feared her, and what her story tells us about race, power, and survival in segregated America.
DEBORAH JEANE PALFREY
"The D.C. Madam"
In the early 2000s, Deborah Jeane Palfrey ran Pamela Martin & Associates, what she called an "erotic fantasy service" and what prosecutors called a high-end prostitution ring. Her client list read like a who's who of Washington power: government officials, military leaders, and political insiders. When federal investigators raided her home and froze her assets, Palfrey threatened to release the names. Some names leaked. A scandal erupted. And then, on the eve of her sentencing, Palfrey was found dead. The film reveals: The unanswered questions about her death, the powerful men she knew, and why her case still resonates today.
WHY THIS STORY MATTERS
The Madams of DC isn't just history, it's a mirror held up to power itself. These women operated in the margins, yet they knew secrets that could topple careers. They were stigmatized, prosecuted, and erased, but they shaped Washington in ways the history books won't tell you. This film asks: Who gets to be powerful? Who gets to be remembered? And what happens to the women who refuse to stay silent?
WATCH THE FILM
[BUTTON: Watch on YouTube]
[BUTTON: Watch on ABC7/WJLA]
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"A stunning investigation into the women who shaped Washington from the shadows."
"Bold, unflinching, and absolutely necessary."
"This is the documentary Washington didn't want you to see."
Next project →
Got a partnership idea, or a project you need help with? Shoot me a line and let's talk.