About the Case
What was the crime committed?
Kidnapping/murder
Who are main suspects?
Charles Burns and Frank Costello
What day did Joseph go missing?
August 6, 1930
When was Joseph last seen?
August 6, 1930
Was Joseph ever found?
No, his body was never offically discovered
Who was the victim of the crime?
What was Charles Burns's job?
Police officer
When was he reported missing?
27 days after he disappeared
When did the case open?
August 26, 1930
Was anybody charged for the crimes committed?
No, nobody was ever officially charged for the crimes of this case, and it was never proven who actually did it
What was Joseph's job?
New York State Supreme Court Judge and an American lawyer
Who was Charles Burns's brother?
Frank Burns, Joseph's taxi driver
Where was the last place Joseph was seen?
Getting into his taxi
When was Joseph declared legally dead?
June 6, 1939
What was the main theory of the crime?
Joseph was killed by Charles Burns, after involvement with Tammany Hall
Who was Joseph married to?
Stella Crater
Who was Frank Costello?
A mobster
When was Stella's letter found?
2005
What did investigators find under the Coney Island Boardwalk?
Body remains that may or may not have been Joseph's
What was the theory about mobsters?
Theories include that he was murdered by mobsters because of his involvement in schemes. Frank Costello (mobster) may have killed him as a payoff to the Tammany Hall politicians who protected his rackets. There was also suspicion of a hitman.
What was the name of the political group he was involved with?
Tammany Hall Political Machine
Who wrote the letter that pointed to the suspects of the crime?
Stella Crater
What happened after the discovery of the letter?
The case reopened because of the letter's credibility, but then officially closed after no records of Joseph's body ever found.
When did the case officially close?
1979
Name some of the main evidence in the case.
Stella's letter, the empty safety deposit box, and the briefcases with money found in the desk