Scientists Reopen 1930 New York Judge Crater Mystery

About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious disappearance of Judge Joseph Crater in 1930 New York City.

A New York judge carrying 90 grand in today's money and two briefcases full of documents got into a taxi in Manhattan's theater district in 1930 and literally vanished so completely his name became slang for disappearing without a trace. Joseph Crater had just bought his Supreme Court seat through Tammany Hall corruption, was mixed up with showgirls and shady deals, and spent his final days methodically clearing out his office files and converting assets to cash before that last taxi ride. Nearly a century later, nobody knows if he pulled off the perfect escape or if someone pulled off the perfect murder—no body, no evidence, no answers, just a guy who dissolved into thin air in the middle of crowded Manhattan.

People in this episode

Host: Charlie Cruz

Topics covered

• mystery
• true crime
• historical investigation
• corruption
• disappearance

Keywords

• Judge Crater
• disappearance
• Tammany Hall
• New York
• true crime
• mystery
• corruption

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tammany Hall

Places: Manhattan

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