On this day, June 6, in 1939, New York Judge Joseph Force Crater, known as the “Missingest Man in New York,” was declared legally dead. Crater, 41, enjoyed the company of women and his ties to the Tammany Hall political machine.
On Aug. 6, 1930, Crater cashed two checks for about $5,150, and bought a single theater ticket. He had dinner with his girlfriend, showgirl Sally Lou Ritz, and a lawyer at Billy Haas’s Chophouse on West 45th Street.
Recommended Stories
Afterward Crater waved goodbye, never to be seen again.
Ritz disappeared several weeks later.
Theories about his disappearance range from being killed by the mob, a jealous lover or over his potential to expose political corruption.
Some believe Crater and Ritz fled together to an unknown location.
— Scott McCabe
