Polly Adler
American madam and author of *A House Is Not a Home*.
Pearl "Polly" Adler (April 16, 1900 – June 9, 1962) was an American madam and author, best known for her memoir *A House Is Not a Home*, which was adapted into a film of the same name. She operated high-end brothels in New York City during the Jazz Age and Prohibition, catering to a clientele that included politicians, writers, and mobsters. Her life was the subject of a 2021 biography by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Debby Applegate titled *Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age*.
Born in Imperial Russia near the Polish border, Adler was the eldest of nine children in a Jewish family. At thirteen, she was sent to the United States with a cousin to escape pogroms, but the cousin turned back, leaving her alone. After living with family friends in Massachusetts, where she worked in a paper mill and attended school, she moved to Brooklyn at fifteen. She worked in factories and as a seamstress. At seventeen, while employed in a corset factory, she was raped by her foreman and became pregnant; a doctor performed an abortion for a fraction of his usual fee. Ostracized by her cousins, she moved to Manhattan. By nineteen, she was sharing an apartment with a showgirl on Riverside Drive, a street known among Yiddish speakers as "Allrightnik’s Row." Her new friends in vaudeville and Broadway revues gave her the nickname "Polly." In 1920, she was introduced to a procurer named Nicolas Montana, who set her up in an apartment near Columbia University. She began earning $100 a week procuring women for him, was arrested once on a procuring charge that was dismissed, and after a failed lingerie shop, returned to prostitution with a determination to succeed, befriending police with bribes. Her brothels grew increasingly lavish, with one location in the Majestic Tower featuring a bar styled like King Tut’s tomb, a Chinese Room for mahjong, hidden stairways, and secret doors. Clients included Peter Arno, Harold Ross, George S. Kaufman (who had a monthly account), Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Milton Berle, John Garfield, Mayor Jimmy Walker, Walter Winchell, and mobster Dutch Schultz. Some speculated that missing judge Joseph Force Crater died in her brothel. She cultivated publicity by dressing flamboyantly and paying large bribes to officials. During the Great Depression, she turned away dozens of applicants for every girl she hired. In the early 1930
- born
- April 16, 1900
- died
- June 9, 1962
- field
- Madam, author
- nationality
- American (born in Imperial Russia)
- known_for
- Memoir *A House Is Not a Home*; operating brothels in New York City
Verified Timeline
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.
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