Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind [Hardcover]

Richard J. Tofel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2004

The 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Casts intriguing new light on a famous unsolved mystery. (Kirkus Reviews )

It's a fascinating tale, even after all these years. (Dallas Morning News )

Fans of true crime and New York City politics alike will be attracted to Vanishing Point, an excellent survey. (Midwest Book Review )

Tofel has written an entertaining account...For those who recognize the name, but don't know the fascinating story behind it, this is the book to read. (New York Post )

With a newspaperman's eye for drama, Tofel covers a great tale about a New York just beyond our living memory. (New York Sun )

Offers a portrait of Tammany personalities and their intricate political deals...The first book to piece together his [Crater's] surprising story. (Wall Street Journal )

Excellent...a vivid portrayal...New York lawyers should find fascinating the depiction of a New York legal world...Illuminating. (New York Law Journal )

An intriguing mystery built around the author's compelling argument about the truth behind Crater's disappearance. (Smoke )

Shrewd, terse, engrossing study... (New York Times Book Review )

Using a substantial body of evidence Tofel...offers a tentative, yet intriguing solution… (Gracie Gregg Times Record News, Wichita Falls, TX )

He makes the case relevant and fascinating for the reader. (Larry Cox Tucson Citizen )

This makes for fascinating reading. (Eugene R. Fidell Green Bag )

Compelling. (Owen Moritz New York Daily News )

A fascinating look at a great city’s greatest mystery. (Kevin Baker )

Extraordinarily deft and skillfully written...[An] admirably understated book... (Ric Burns )

About the Author

Richard J. Tofel is president and chief operating officer of the new International Freedom Center, a museum of freedom and a cultural center to be built at the site of the World Trade Center. Formerly assistant publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Tofel is a graduate of Harvard College, the Harvard Law School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Before the publication of Vanishing Point, Tofel wrote A Legend in the Making, a book about the 1939 Yankees. He recently published Sounding the Trumpet, a fascinating look into the making of Kennedy's inaugural address, also published by Ivan R. Dee. He lives with his family in Riverdale, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (August 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566636051
• ISBN-13: 978-1566636056
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Lawyers & Judges

More About the Author

Richard Tofel is general manager of ProPublica, the Pulitzer Prize-winning non-profit investigative journalism newsroom, with responsibility for all of its non-journalism operations, including communications, legal, development, finance and budgeting and human resources. He was formerly the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal and, earlier, an assistant managing editor of the paper, vice president, corporate communications for Dow Jones & Company, and an assistant general counsel of Dow Jones. Most recently, he served as vice president, general counsel and secretary of The Rockefeller Foundation, and earlier as president and chief operating officer of The International Freedom Center, a museum and cultural center that was planned for the World Trade Center site. He is the author of Eight Weeks in Washington, 1861: Abraham Lincoln and the Hazards of Transition (St. Martin's, 2011); Restless Genius: Barney Kilgore, The Wall Street Journal, and the Invention of Modern Journalism (St. Martin's, 2009); Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address (Ivan R. Dee, 2005), Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind (Ivan R. Dee, 2004) and A Legend in the Making: The New York Yankees in 1939 (Ivan R. Dee, 2002).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As much a history of "Tammany Hall" as a mystery., November 22, 2004

By 

Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind (Hardcover)

Author Richard Tofel never claims to have all of the answers. But the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of New York Supreme Court Justice Joseph Crater in August 1930 certainly makes for fascinating reading. It is a curious tale, particularly given the strange reaction of not only his friends and associates, but also of his wife Stella. Yet there is much more to this book than merely the unsolved disappearance of a single individual.

"Vanishing Point: The Disapperance of Judge Crater and the New York He Left Behind" is yet another book chronicling the cast of charactors and the inner workings of New York's legendary political machine known as Tammany Hall. And as I have found in many of these books it can become a bit difficult to follow given the large number of officials involved and the sordid and crooked relationships they participated in. When a vacancy occured on the New York Supreme Court in the Spring of 1930 Joseph Crater, a man no one expected to get the nod, was tapped by then Governor Franklin Roosevelt for the seat. Why was he selected? Who recommnded him? And is it possible that Joseph Crater literally bought his way on to the New York Supreme Court? Why did he suddenly disappear without a trace in the summer of 1930 and just what became of him? Did he leave the country? Was he murdered? Who might have been involved? So many questions.

Based on a substantial body of available evidence "Vanishing Point" considers a number of intriguing possibilities. And although this case was never solved, Tofel does make a very convincing argument that the disappearance of Judge Crater set into motion a series of events that would ultimately spell the end of machine politics in New York City. Exactly what happened to Judge Crater will probably never be known. Nevertheless I found this book to be time well spent and a pretty good read. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic biography of a legendary mystery....., October 12, 2004

By 

M. Bell (Tampa, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind (Hardcover)

Judge Joseph Crater is arguably the most famous missing person in American history. Since he disappeared from a Manhattan restaurant on the night of August 6, 1930 his name has become synonomous with the missing. In this book by 'Wall Street Journal' assistant publisher Richard Tofel the Crater mystery and the New York of that era are brought vividly to life. A handsome ladies' man, clothes horse, successful attorney, recently appointed NY supreme court judge, happily married man, and wealthy theater enthusiast, he was also undoubtedly corrupt. Bribes, graft, and payoffs were commonplace in the Tammany Hall political machine of his time as detailed at length in these pages. Although he was a well-known political figure, his real claim to fame came as a result of his complete and utter disappearance. A case which to this day, some 74 years later, remains unsolved. Because of his shady dealings, womanizing and other nefarious political connections, the theories advanced over the years would require another much larger book all on their own. Did he run away with a showgirl he'd been seen with? Was he murdered by mobsters? Did he join a monastery? These are only a few of the possible answers and part of the fun and intrigue is that the reader is left to guess for themselves.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with supportive if not conclusive evidence, October 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind (Hardcover)

Fans of true crime and New York City politics alike will be attracted to VANISHING POINT, an excellent survey of one of the most puzzling missing persons cases to hit New York City in 1930. Judge Joseph Crater's vanishing has never been resolved: he disappeared amid political scandal and even business journalist author Richard Tofel's extensive research has not uncovered any new clues - but it does build an unusual argument as to what might have happened, and is packed with supportive if not conclusive evidence.