Why read The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum?

Book cover of The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss

Book description

America’s first great organized-crime lord was a lady—a nice Jewish mother named Mrs. Mandelbaum.

“A tour de force . . . With a pickpocket’s finesse, Margalit Fox lures us into the criminal underworld of Gilded Age New York.”—Liza Mundy, author of The Sisterhood

In 1850, an impoverished twenty-five-year-old named Fredericka…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Marie Carter

Author

I had frequently heard stories through the New York City history grapevine about the 19th-century Jewish crime boss Mrs. Mandelbaum, but only in a shallow way. That’s why I found it a real treat to read a detailed book about her life and the extraordinary ways in which she pilfered diamonds, silk, and other sought-after Gilded Age goodies.

I was most fascinated by the way Margalit Fox laid out her gang’s intricate methods of robbing banks, including the diagrams that brought these actions to life. Mandelbaum’s demise at the end of the book is surprisingly touching.

From Marie's list on The best history books about working women struggling to survive in New York City.