American History Hit

Outlaws: New York's Criminal Mastermind

Listen on

Episode notes

When was the first bank robbery? What does it take to be successful in organized crime? Is it possible to be non-violent? And how might you avoid getting caught? The story of Ma Mandelbaum, the mother of New York's criminal underworld, has the answer to these questions and more.

Don is joined by Margalit Fox, former senior writer at the New York Times, to discuss the fascinating rise and fall of Frederica Mandelbaum, a 19th-century immigrant in New York who became one of the earliest and most successful figures in organized crime.

Margalit's books is entitled 'The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss'.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/ 

You can take part in our listener survey here.