Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater and the New York He Left BehindThe sudden disappearance of Judge Joseph Crater nearly 75 years ago led to perhaps the most famous missing persons case of the twentieth century. Crater, a justice of New York's state Supreme Court, vanished amid political scandal. Within days, questions arose about Judge Crater's finances and his liaisons with numerous women. A public frenzy about what happened to Crater provided impetus for scrutiny of New York's Tammany Hall political machine--and ultimately for the vanishing of Tammany Hall as well. The cast of characters in this book--the first-ever serious look at the Crater case--includes Franklin D. Roosevelt, the governor who named Crater to the bench; Senator Robert Wagner, Crater's mentor, but also the leader with the most to lose from having Crater found; Al Smith, Tammany's ebbing leader and failed presidential candidate; Jimmy Walker, the rogue Mayor of New York City and the darling of Tammany Hall; and Fiorello La Guardia, the crusading reformer who finally came to power on the back of the scandals. Richard J. Tofel's Vanishing Point is a revealing look at New York as the Jazz Age gave way to the Depression, and at one of the most intriguing stories in the annals of urban America. |
Contents
Preface | 9 |
One The World He Left Behind | 15 |
Two The World of Tammany Hall | 33 |
Copyright | |
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Adler Al Smith Albany apartment Arnold Rothstein August became Belgrade Lakes Bellush bill boss called campaign cash Club Abbey corruption Crain Crater's disappearance Democratic District Attorney district leader earlier election envelopes Ewald Ewald-Healy FDR's Fifth Avenue Fiorello La Guardia Flynn Fowler Franklin Roosevelt friends Governor Roosevelt grand jury Healy Hearst Hotel inquiry investigation Jimmy Walker Joe Crater Joseph Crater Joseph Force Crater Judge Crater Kahler Kessner later law secretary Libby Lowenthal Mackaye Magistrates Mara mayor McKee million missing Mitgang months moved Murphy Murphy's never nomination NYHT NYPD October party percent police political Polly Adler president Proskauer reform Republican Robert Wagner Rothstein Samuel Seabury Seabury's seemed September September 18 Sheehan Simon Rifkind Smith soon sought Stella Crater story Tammany Hall Tammany leader Tammany's testify told took U.S. Senate votes Walsh weeks wife World wrote York City York's