Worked for the US State Department at embassies and consulates in Eastern Europe and Italy (1901-06). He came away with the ability to speak many of the major ethnic languages spoken in New York City--Italian, Serbo-Croatian, German and Yiddish. After returning to America, he had the opportunity to practice these languages as an interpreter for the city's child welfare bureau at Ellis Island (1907-10). When he ran for mayor years later, he was famous for speaking these languages at campaign rallies in the appropriate neighborhoods.