Queen of Thieves

The True Story of "Marm" Mandelbaum and Her Gangs of New York

By: J. North Conway

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

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 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.

©2014 J. North Conway (P)2014 Audible Inc.

very good read.

I thought I knew New York history, I was wrong. I learned a lot of new facts about the Five Points.

Really repetitive...

The narration is a bit droll and the storyline is repetitive. We get it, she was tall, large and Jewish and paid the police and the criminals. Every other sentence does not need to declare this.
Too bad because the history could have been presented in a really engrossing way.

cure for insomnia I kept falling asleep

Seriously 10 minutes of this and I was out. I tried to rewind it and listen again but again I was asleep. I don't think it was the narrator. But just in case it is the narrator I will download books of her voice to see if she will continue to improve my sleep cycle.

informative

Great material but the presentation needs work. I think this book is better consumed in written form. that numerous sources cited cause unnecessary repetition of content.

Why hasn't Netflix gotten their hands on this?

Fast paced and absolutely astonishing story of a women who was completely out of this world. Why write fiction when there are stories like this. I would love to see this on the screen and way to intricate for just a movie, make it a show!