Abe Greenthal

Who was Abe Greenthal?

Abraham Greenthal, aka "The General", was an American criminal known as one of the most expert pickpockets in the nation. He was a thief and fence for thirty years, and led a nation-wide ring of pickpockets.

Greenthal was born in Poland in 1826, though like many Polish-Jewish immigrants of his era, he would later call himself German. He emigrated to the U.S. at a young age and soon entered a life of crime.

Greenthal made his home and base of criminal operations in New York City's Tenth Ward. He led the Sheeny Mob, a syndicate of Jewish pickpockets who worked across the country; "sheeny" was a derogatory term for an untrustworthy Jew. The gang's method was jostling into victims in crowded places, particularly train stations. Among his criminal associates were Greenthal's own family members. At the time of his death, The New York Times wrote that "[a]ll the Greenthal family have turned out to be criminals, the women being shoplifters and the men pickpockets." He also had "close 'business' relations" with notorious fence Fredericka Mandelbaum. Greenthal and his gang were among the many underworld figures represented by defense lawyer William F. Howe. He was arrested many times without being convicted, which The New York Times explained as the result of "the lavish use of money and the peculiar influences he could make use of."