Finding Judge Crater: A Life and Phenomenal Disappearance in Jazz Age New York

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By Stephen J. Riegel ’79

Published Feb. 18, 2022

One night in August 1930, newly appointed judge and prominent Manhattanite Joseph Force Crater suddenly vanished after hailing a taxi on Broadway. Finding Judge Crater (Syracuse University Press) delves into the mystery that followed: a decades-long manhunt to find the missing judge, which has — to this day — remained fruitless. Drawing on overlooked evidence, including police files and legal records, Riegel proposes a solution to the mystery of Crater’s disappearance and the accompanying transformation of Jazz Age New York City into a modern-day metropolis.

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