The Daring Life of Norma Wallace: Queen of the French Quarter

The Daring Life of Norma Wallace: Queen of the French Quarter

In the heart of old New Orleans, behind the shuttered doors of 1026 Conti Street, lived a woman who ran one of the most sophisticated and enduring brothels in America: Norma Wallace, known to many as “The Last Madam.”

Born poor in 1901, Norma learned early how to navigate a world that rarely offered power to women—let alone to women in the underworld. But Norma wasn’t just any woman. She was elegant, cunning, and commanding. With a pistol tucked in her purse and diamonds at her neck, she curated an empire in the French Quarter that lasted through Prohibition, two world wars, and the changing tides of morality.

From the 1920s through the 1960s, Norma’s brothel was the place for discretion and luxury. Her girls were polished. The linens were clean. And her guest list included politicians, police, gangsters, and even visiting celebrities. Norma wasn’t just a madam—she was a cultural broker, working in shadows, knowing everyone’s secrets, and making sure her name stayed off the front page.

But by 1962, her luck ran out. A police sting sent her to prison. When she emerged, she married a man 30 years younger and moved to Texas. Despite a life of adventure, her ending was tragic—she took her own life in 1974.

Still, her story lives on. Christine Wiltz’s The Last Madam captures her voice, her grit, and her legacy. Norma Wallace reminds us that the history of New Orleans is as much about the women who ran the underworld as the men who ruled City Hall.

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