The Theatrical Syndicate was established in New York City, New York in 1896 by producers and investors Charles Frohman, Al Hayman, Abe Erlanger, Mark Klaw, Samuel F. Nixon, and Fred Zimmerman. Often referred to as "The Trust," their organization established systemized booking networks throughout the United States and created a monopoly that controlled every aspect of contracts and bookings until the late 1910s when the Shubert family broke their stranglehold on the industry.