Phoebe Judge

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Now, here's the show.

This is Brigette Davis.

Her mother, Fanny Davis, was born in Nashville in 1928.

Fanny's grandfather had been born into slavery there, and her father owned a successful plastering business in the early part of the 20th century.

Fanny grew up in Nashville and married Brigette's father when she was 18.

Fannie Davis found a way to take care of her family.

She started small, but built a robust and lucrative operation.

A business that a lot of people knew about, but no one talked about.

Which happened to be illegal.

It was called The Numbers.

I'm Phoebe Judge.

This is Criminal.

By 1970, police estimated that one in every 15 people in Detroit played the numbers daily, and that it was generating $94 million a year.

Here's how you play.

So that meant she paid out hits.

So she wasn't going to the bank to collect on.