This program originally aired online via zoom on January 22nd, 2026 at 12:30pm Eastern.
Julie Salamon, New York Times best-selling author, sits down with author and journalist Margalit Fox to discuss her latest book, The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum, a delightful true story about America’s first organized crime boss. Fredericka Mandelbaum was a Jewish immigrant living with two children on the Lower East Side when she began running an extensive “fencing” business (the sale of stolen goods). Over time, Fredericka amassed a large fortune managing an extensive network of shoplifters and repackaging and selling stolen merchandise from a haberdashery on Clinton and Rivington Street that served as a front. For over 25 years, she conducted her business rather openly without legal consequence, thanks to her cozy relationships with local police and Tammany Hall officials. Not to mention her retainer of Howe and Hummel, a law firm notorious for representing high-profile crooks and successfully getting them acquitted.
Margalit described the process of researching a book in which her protagonist had been very careful not to leave a personal historical record; no personal papers or photographs of Fredericka exist, and the few drawings that can be found are disputed. Rather, Margalit spent time in the archives, searching through newspapers, court records, and other 3rd-party accounts. Her research resulted in an astounding 1,200 pages.
Margalit was a trained cellist before turning to writing. She started as a copy editor for The New York Times Sunday Book Review and worked as a freelance obituary writer until moving over to that department full-time. In 2018, Margalit retired as a senior writer to pursue her true passion for long-form non-fiction narrative books. The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum is her fifth book.
- Fredericka Mandelbaum was the head of an almost entirely non-violent organized crime business.
- Fredericka Mandelbaum’s network of pickpockets and shoplifters worked the streets and department stores, and eventually progressed to high-end businesses such as banks.
- While Fredericka Mandelbaum was a famous crime boss, she was also a respected member of her synagogue.
- Margalit Fox loves a procedural detective story; they are some of her favorite narratives to write. Her next book is another non-fiction crime drama set in Adelaide, Australia.
