Storyville’s Lulu White

There is something so alluring about LuLu White aka (Lulu Hendley, 1868 – August 20, 1931). She was a madam and entrepreneur in New Orleans, Louisiana during The Storyville era. An enchanting figure, she was noted for her love of jewelry, her many failed business ventures, and her criminal record that extended in New Orleans as far back as 1880.

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The exact date of White’s birth is not known. She was born on a farm near Selma, Alabama, but claimed to be an immigrant from the West Indies. Consequently, there is debate over whether she was Creole. Publicity from about 1906 claimed that she was 31 years old; however, she may have actually been somewhat older. She was of mixed race and enjoyed, for a time, an affluence rare for women of color.

In 1906, she ran into financial difficulties that left her destitute and moved to California. She commuted back and forth between California and Louisiana several times over the course of her career and kept a high profile until the demise of Storyville.

Jazz historian Al Rose sought documentation of her death, and believed that she died at the residence of former madam Willie Piazza in 1931. However, a teller at the National Bank of New Orleans reported that, in 1941, White made a withdrawal. Otherwise, no information about her post-Storyville life remains.

To learn more about Lulu White and the women of Storyville, join Royal Tours for the Red Light District Tour! Call 504-507-8333 or email us to book your private tour of the French Quarter.

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Norma Wallace - A New Orleans Madam

By Royal Tours New Orleans • July 25, 2023

N orma Wallace, a name that evokes intrigue and fascination, was a prominent figure in New Orleans during the early and mid-20th century. As a powerful and resourceful madam, she operated a network of brothels that thrived despite the constant threat of law enforcement. Beginning in 1920, she would operate brothels for the next 45 years, a span that has not been beaten in the history of New Orleans.