Polly Adler

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Lore & Background

Adler was born in Yanow, Imperial Russia, the eldest of nine children. At age 13, she was sent alone to the United States to escape pogroms. She worked in factories and was raped by a foreman at 17, leading to an abortion. After moving to Manhattan, she became involved with theater people and was introduced to procurer Nicolas Montana in 1920. She began running brothels, befriending police with bribes, and eventually operated a lavish establishment in the Majestic Tower on West 75th Street, featuring a bar styled like Tutankhamun's tomb and a Chinese Room. Her brothel's patrons included Harold Ross, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, Milton Berle, Mayor Jimmy Walker, and mobster Dutch Schultz. There was speculation that missing New York State Supreme Court justice Joseph Force Crater died in her brothel. Adler was a star witness in the Seabury Commission investigations but refused to name mobsters. She retired in 1945, earned an associate degree at Los Angeles City College, and published her memoir in 1953 with ghost writer Virginia Faulkner. The book sold two million copies.

Reader's Guide

Polly Adler's significance lies in her role as a prominent madam during the Jazz Age, a period when organized vice intersected with high society and politics in New York City. Her memoir, *A House Is Not a Home*, became a bestseller and was adapted into a 1964 film starring Shelley Winters, cementing her place in popular culture. Adler's life illustrates the complexities of female entrepreneurship in illegal markets, as she used bribes, publicity, and shrewd management to build a successful enterprise. Her testimony before the Seabury Commission highlighted the corruption of the era, yet she protected her criminal associates. The 2021 biography by Debby Applegate renewed scholarly interest in her story, framing her as an icon of the Jazz Age. Adler's legacy endures through her book, film adaptations, and references in television shows such as *M*A*S*H* and *Perry Mason*.

Did You Know?

• Adler was sent alone to the United States at age 13 when her cousin turned back halfway through the journey.
• At 17, working in a corset factory for $5 a week, she was raped by her foreman and paid $25 for an abortion after the doctor accepted less than her $35.
• Her brothel in the Majestic Tower included a bar styled like Tutankhamun's tomb and a Chinese Room for playing mahjong.
• During the early days of the Great Depression, Adler had to turn away as many as forty young women for every one she hired.
• Her memoir *A House Is Not a Home* sold two million copies in hard cover and mass-market paperback.