Sleeping Under the Fishes?

August 19, 2005 5:46 PM

A break in the strange case of Judge Joseph Crater. In 1930, Judge Crater, later dubbed "The Missingest Man In New York", stepped into a cab and was never seen again. He left behind a mourning wife and one of New York's most enduring mysteries. For 75 years, his disappearance has been the butt of many dumb jokes and also has been the subject of the occasional book.
posted by Joey Michaels (5 comments total)

When the sun beats down, and melts the tar upon the roof
And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fire-proof
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby, that`s where I`ll be

From the park you`ll hear the happy sounds of a carousel
You can almost taste those hot dogs and french fries they sell
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby, that`s where I'll be

Bridge:
Under the boardwalk, out of the sun
Under the boardwalk, we`ll be having some fun
Under the boardwalk, people walking above
Under the boardwalk, we`ll be falling in love
Under the board-walk, board-walk

(Repeat 2nd verse)
posted by mwhybark at 6:25 PM on August 19, 2005

So does the estate of the queens woman get the $5,000 reward? With interest?
posted by longsleeves at 6:36 PM on August 19, 2005

Jeeeeeze. Right before he could Pass Go and Collect $200.
posted by spock at 6:45 PM on August 19, 2005

Nice post. Stories like this both fascinate me and drive me nuts: I love the mystery, but there's no payoff--it's never actually solved. I mean, the lady couldn't tell us *why* they killed him? Does she have no sense of narrative? (Can we please add cohesive narratives to our list of human rights?)
posted by dame at 8:27 PM on August 19, 2005

Judge Crater, your office is calling...

sorry

Actually last night me and another MeFite were in a corner store buying cigarrettes, and we saw this story on the front page of the New York Post. I was all, "There's the hard hitting up-to-theminute journalism that I love. next week, the Lindbergh baby!"

(disclaimer: I'm actually fascinated by historical stories-of-the-moment like this, so I'm glad it was covered, but the front page?)
posted by jonmc at 9:03 AM on August 20, 2005