Fredericka Mandelbaum, a German immigrant mother of four, rose to infamy as America’s first major organized crime boss during the mid to late 1800s. Known as the “Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum,” she built a multi-million-dollar criminal empire centered around stolen luxury goods and bank robberies. Mandelbaum’s criminal activities extended across the country and beyond, making her a notorious figure in the underworld.
Arriving in New York’s Lower East Side in 1850, Mandelbaum started as a street peddler before teaming up with “General Abe” Greenthal, a veteran criminal, who taught her the art of appraising luxury goods. She quickly became skilled in stealing and fencing various items, specializing in diamonds extracted from fashionable stickpins. Mandelbaum’s criminal network expanded, and she became a prominent receiver of stolen goods, operating through her haberdashery shop and employing a hand-picked group of burglars and thieves.
Despite facing marginalization as an immigrant, a woman, and a Jew, Mandelbaum thrived as a business visionary who systemized property crime. She even managed to maintain a dual identity, hosting Manhattan society events and engaging in philanthropy while running her criminal enterprise. With corrupt police and politicians on her payroll, Mandelbaum orchestrated bank stickups and expanded her operations to include stealing silk when New York became the garment center of the country.
In 1884, Mandelbaum’s criminal activities caught the attention of Allan Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency. Agent Gustave Frank infiltrated her shop, attempting to catch her handling stolen goods. However, Mandelbaum discovered the ruse and assaulted Frank, leading to her arrest and indictment. Jumping bail, she fled to Toronto, Canada, where she lived until her death in the spring of 1894 at the age of 68.
