E. S. Mendels

Emanuel S. Mendels, Jr.
Born	1850 New Orleans, Louisiana
Died	October 17, 1911 New York City
Cause of death	Stomach cancer or food poisoning
Burial place	Woodlawn Cemetery
Residence	New York City and Newark
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Curbstone broker
Years active	1870-1911
Organization	E. S. Mendels, Jr., & Co.
Known for	Organizing the American Curb Market (American Stock Exchange)
Home town	New Jersey
Children	William L. Mendels, Walter A. B. Mendels, Eugene E. Mendels, James S. Mendels, Mary J. Mendels Betierris
Family	Mary de Groot Mendels Steinbach Zwillman Wismer

Emanuel S. Mendels, Jr. (1850-1911) was an American businessman and broker. He was a leading curbstone broker who organized the Curb Market Agency in 1908 that developed appropriate trading rules for curbstone brokers. Later he formed the New York Curb Market Association, which supervised curb trading in an effort to prevent fraud. The New York Times called him the "father of the curb, writing "he, perhaps more than any other man, worked for the elevation of business done on the [New York curb market]."

Emanuel S. Mendels, Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1850. His father, who had a small business was also active in Whig politics. After his parents moved to New Jersey, Mendels was employed at a brokerage house during the post war boom period.

Early in life Mendels worked as a business secretary. He spent much of his time on the street doing business, and became known as a "curb" broker, "one through whom all routine business of the market could be transacted." After four years of working in the brokerage firm, he left his position to be a full-time curbstone brokerin Manhattan. He first became actively involved in the curb market in 1874. He became the recognized "proctor" of the curb, and he alone would decide on the quotation lists. He also used his influence to throw out fraudulent stocks and dishonest brokers. The curb market moved to Broad Street near Exchange Place in the 1890s. In 1904, Mendels began to actively attempt organize the curb to reduce swindling and valueless stocks. Around 1895, Mendels began promoting the idea of the market moving indoors, an idea which wouldn't be actively picked up for two more decades.

In the mining boom of 1905 and 1906, the Curb market attracted some negative publicity for the "wholesale use of the Curb for swindling." Around late 1907, Mendels as Curb agent began devoting most of his time to keeping the Curb market "free of swindling stocks." He organized the Curb Market Agency in 1908 that developed appropriate trading rules for curbstone brokers.

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