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Queen of Thieves: The True Story of Marm Mandelbaum and Her Gangs of New York
Contributor(s): Conway, J. North (Author)
ISBN: 1629144355     ISBN-13: 9781629144351
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
OUR PRICE:   $22.46  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: September 2014
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- History | United States - State & Local - Middle Atlantic (dc, De, Md, Nj, Ny, Pa)
- History | United States - 19th Century
- True Crime | Organized Crime
Dewey: 974
Physical Information: 1.1" H x 6.4" W x 9.1" (0.95 lbs) 272 pages
Themes:
- Chronological Period - 1851-1899
- Locality - New York, N.Y.
- Geographic Orientation - New York
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
Queen of Thieves is the gritty, fast-paced story of Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, a poor Jewish woman who rose to the top of her profession in organized crime during the Gilded Age in New York City. During her more than twenty-five-year reign as the country's top receiver of stolen goods, she accumulated great wealth and power inconceivable for women engaged in business, legitimate or otherwise. The New York Times called Mandelbaum "the nucleus and center of the whole organization of crime in New York City."

Having emigrated from Germany in 1850, she began her climb to the top of the crime world as a peddler on the rough-and-tumble, crowded streets of the city. By 1880, she had amassed a fortune estimated at more than $1 million. Mandelbaum was known for running an orderly criminal enterprise. She enlisted the services of an extensive network of criminals of every ilk and bribed police officials, politicians, and judges. If someone wanted to move stolen goods, needed protection from the law, or sought money to finance a caper, Marm was the person to see.

In 1884, Mandelbaum escaped from the clutches of Pinkerton detectives, who were casing her house, and fled to Canada. Mandelbaum lived out the rest of her life in luxury on a small farm with her family and ill-got fortune. Hundreds of people turned out for her funeral. Dozens of people later reported to police that they had their pockets picked at the service.