Joseph Crater and Sally Lou Ritz. Missing 6 Aug 1930: 75 Years Ago...
Joseph Force Crater
Missing since August 6, 1930 from New York City, New York County, New York.
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1889
Age at Time of Disappearance: 41 years oldHeight and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'0; 180 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair, mixed with gray, thin at the top, parted in the middle and "slicked" down. Brown eyes. The tip of his right index finger is somewhat mutilated due to having been crushed.
Clothing: Last seen wearing a dark-brown,double-breasted suit with thin green stripes, pearl gray spats, a high white linen collar with a detachable choker, a panama hat or one of a similar style, wore tortoise-shell glasses for reading, yellow gold Masonic ring somewhat worn, a yellow gold square-shaped wristwatch with a leather strap.
Dentals: Dentures for upper and lower jaws.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Crater was an associate justice on the New York State Supreme Court in 1930. Many people believe that he was appointed to the court because of his involvement with New York City's Tammany Hall Democratic organization. Crater had a scandalous history that came to light after 1930, particularly due to his association with several organized crime members and a few suspicious financial dealings.
Crater withdrew $20,000 from the bank at approximately the same time he was appointed as interim justice to the State Supreme Court in April 1930. That amount is close to his yearly salary at the time and was considered the standard amount earned for Tammany Hall positions. Crater apparently used the money to become the receiver for a bankrupt hotel in New York City. He sold the building later in the year to a mortgage firm for $75,000. The city purchased the hotel two months later for nearly $3,000,000. The building was demolished due to a street-widening project. Crater was married to his former client Stella Wheeler, whom he wed in 1917 after her divorce. He was infamous for his affairs, although many described their relationship as "devoted." Crater and Wheeler were residing in their summer house in Belgrade Lakes, Maine in June 1930 after the courts recessed. Cratee received a phone call in Maine in late July and told his wife he had to travel to New York City to "straighten those fellows out." He returned to Maine by August 1, afer apparently stopping in Atlantic City, New Jersey with one of his girlfriends.
Crater traveled to New York City again on August 3 and stayed at the 5th Avenue apartment he owned with his wife. Crater reportedly spent two hours in his office during the morning hours of August 6. He removed several files in locked briefcases and brought the papers back to his residence. Crater's assistant told authorities that his employer cashed $5,000 worth of checks later in the day before dismissing him.
Crater purchased one ticket for the Broadway performance of Dancing Partner at the Belasco Theatre later that night. He arrived at Billy Has' Chophouse on West 45th Street during the evening hours and met his friend, attorney William Klein. Crater's girlfriend, showgirl Sally Lou Ritz, was also at the restaurant. Witnesses stated that Crater departed from the restaurant at approximately 9:10 PM, which was after the start time of the play he planned to attend. Crater hailed a taxi on West 45th Street and disappeared. He has never been heard from again.
Wheeler became concerned about her husband when she failed to contact him by August 16, 1930, ten days after he was last seen. Authorities initially believed Crater would return to New York in short order and did not begin an investigation. A search was initiated on August 25, when Crater failed to appear at the opening of the courts. A grand jury was convened in October 1930, nearly two months after Crater's disappearance. Substantial evidence was collected during the investigation, but the jury members could not decide if Crater was deceased.
Wheeler sued several insurance companies in 1937, seven years after her husband vanished. She claimed that he had been murdered by members of organized crime. The companies won the lawsuits, but Wheeler continued to maintain that Crater was a victim of foul play due to his political and criminal connections.
Crater was declared legally deceased in 1939. Rumors persisted that he was killed or disappeared of his accord and was living outside of the United States. Crater's girlfriend, Ritz, vanished several weeks after he was last seen in 1930. Many people theorized that Ritz was aware of illegal improprieties and was murdered in an effort to silence her. Others speculated that Ritz joined Crater in an unknown location and was alive and well. She was never located.
Crater was declared legally dead by the State of New York on June 6, 1939. Crater and Ritz's cases are no longer under investigation, but their stories will last for decades to come.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
NYPD Missing Person's Squad
212-473-2042 Source Information:
Reader's Digest
Hardini's Place
Sally Lou Ritz
Missing since August/September of 1930 from New York City, New York County, New York.
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1908
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Ritz worked as a showgirl in the New York City area in 1930. She was romantically involved with Joseph Crater, a married associate justice on the New York State Supreme Court, at the time. Crater had political and criminal connections, mainly due to his involvment in the city's Tammany Hall Democratic organization.
Ritz met Crater and another friend at Billy Has' Chophouse on West 45th Street during the evening hours of August 6, 1930. Crater departed from the restaurant later that night and disappeared. His case has never been solved and has led to widespread speculation about his fate.
Ritz vanished several weeks after Crater was last seen. She has never been heard from again. Authorities were never able to determine if Ritz slipped away with Crater or if both were victims of foul play. Some people believe that Ritz was aware of criminal information that involved Crater and was murdered as a result.
Ritz's case has never received as much attention as that of Crater's unsolved disappearance, and she was never located. The investigations into both Crater and Ritz's whereabouts have long been closed, but their stories will live on for decades to come.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
New York City Police Department
Missing Person's Squad
212-473-2042 Source Information:
Reader's Digest
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/840dfny.html
Joseph Force Crater
Missing since August 6, 1930 from New York City, New York County, New York.
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1889
Age at Time of Disappearance: 41 years oldHeight and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'0; 180 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair, mixed with gray, thin at the top, parted in the middle and "slicked" down. Brown eyes. The tip of his right index finger is somewhat mutilated due to having been crushed.
Clothing: Last seen wearing a dark-brown,double-breasted suit with thin green stripes, pearl gray spats, a high white linen collar with a detachable choker, a panama hat or one of a similar style, wore tortoise-shell glasses for reading, yellow gold Masonic ring somewhat worn, a yellow gold square-shaped wristwatch with a leather strap.
Dentals: Dentures for upper and lower jaws.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Crater was an associate justice on the New York State Supreme Court in 1930. Many people believe that he was appointed to the court because of his involvement with New York City's Tammany Hall Democratic organization. Crater had a scandalous history that came to light after 1930, particularly due to his association with several organized crime members and a few suspicious financial dealings.
Crater withdrew $20,000 from the bank at approximately the same time he was appointed as interim justice to the State Supreme Court in April 1930. That amount is close to his yearly salary at the time and was considered the standard amount earned for Tammany Hall positions. Crater apparently used the money to become the receiver for a bankrupt hotel in New York City. He sold the building later in the year to a mortgage firm for $75,000. The city purchased the hotel two months later for nearly $3,000,000. The building was demolished due to a street-widening project. Crater was married to his former client Stella Wheeler, whom he wed in 1917 after her divorce. He was infamous for his affairs, although many described their relationship as "devoted." Crater and Wheeler were residing in their summer house in Belgrade Lakes, Maine in June 1930 after the courts recessed. Cratee received a phone call in Maine in late July and told his wife he had to travel to New York City to "straighten those fellows out." He returned to Maine by August 1, afer apparently stopping in Atlantic City, New Jersey with one of his girlfriends.
Crater traveled to New York City again on August 3 and stayed at the 5th Avenue apartment he owned with his wife. Crater reportedly spent two hours in his office during the morning hours of August 6. He removed several files in locked briefcases and brought the papers back to his residence. Crater's assistant told authorities that his employer cashed $5,000 worth of checks later in the day before dismissing him.
Crater purchased one ticket for the Broadway performance of Dancing Partner at the Belasco Theatre later that night. He arrived at Billy Has' Chophouse on West 45th Street during the evening hours and met his friend, attorney William Klein. Crater's girlfriend, showgirl Sally Lou Ritz, was also at the restaurant. Witnesses stated that Crater departed from the restaurant at approximately 9:10 PM, which was after the start time of the play he planned to attend. Crater hailed a taxi on West 45th Street and disappeared. He has never been heard from again.
Wheeler became concerned about her husband when she failed to contact him by August 16, 1930, ten days after he was last seen. Authorities initially believed Crater would return to New York in short order and did not begin an investigation. A search was initiated on August 25, when Crater failed to appear at the opening of the courts. A grand jury was convened in October 1930, nearly two months after Crater's disappearance. Substantial evidence was collected during the investigation, but the jury members could not decide if Crater was deceased.
Wheeler sued several insurance companies in 1937, seven years after her husband vanished. She claimed that he had been murdered by members of organized crime. The companies won the lawsuits, but Wheeler continued to maintain that Crater was a victim of foul play due to his political and criminal connections.
Crater was declared legally deceased in 1939. Rumors persisted that he was killed or disappeared of his accord and was living outside of the United States. Crater's girlfriend, Ritz, vanished several weeks after he was last seen in 1930. Many people theorized that Ritz was aware of illegal improprieties and was murdered in an effort to silence her. Others speculated that Ritz joined Crater in an unknown location and was alive and well. She was never located.
Crater was declared legally dead by the State of New York on June 6, 1939. Crater and Ritz's cases are no longer under investigation, but their stories will last for decades to come.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
NYPD Missing Person's Squad
212-473-2042 Source Information:
Reader's Digest
Hardini's Place
Sally Lou Ritz
Missing since August/September of 1930 from New York City, New York County, New York.
Classification: Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1908
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Ritz worked as a showgirl in the New York City area in 1930. She was romantically involved with Joseph Crater, a married associate justice on the New York State Supreme Court, at the time. Crater had political and criminal connections, mainly due to his involvment in the city's Tammany Hall Democratic organization.
Ritz met Crater and another friend at Billy Has' Chophouse on West 45th Street during the evening hours of August 6, 1930. Crater departed from the restaurant later that night and disappeared. His case has never been solved and has led to widespread speculation about his fate.
Ritz vanished several weeks after Crater was last seen. She has never been heard from again. Authorities were never able to determine if Ritz slipped away with Crater or if both were victims of foul play. Some people believe that Ritz was aware of criminal information that involved Crater and was murdered as a result.
Ritz's case has never received as much attention as that of Crater's unsolved disappearance, and she was never located. The investigations into both Crater and Ritz's whereabouts have long been closed, but their stories will live on for decades to come.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
New York City Police Department
Missing Person's Squad
212-473-2042 Source Information:
Reader's Digest
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/840dfny.html
