Judge, 1931-09-05 · page 10 of 36
Judge — September 5, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Gangster Activities"** (top): A mock crime report listing New York organized crime figures and their recent exploits—speakeasy operators, fruit-stand racketeers, pushcart league members. The humor relies on treating brutal criminal activity (murder, extortion, dumping bodies in rivers) with deadpan bureaucratic tone, as if reporting minor business infractions. This satirizes Prohibition-era gangsterism that was rampant in 1920s New York. **"Why We Sometimes Envy the Nudists"** (bottom): A series of domestic complaints about clothing—bad laundry service, unfashionable gifts, weight gain, exclusive clubs, unpaid bills. The joke is that nudists avoid all these clothing-related marital and social annoyances. This pokes fun at middle-class anxieties about fashion, status, and domestic friction in the Jazz Age. Both pieces use exaggerated scenarios to satirize contemporary urban life—one targeting organized crime, the other consumer culture and social pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE Gangster Activities Yirser Nowtures, former prosecutor of the Tennyson Market Court, is incriminating and degrading himself before a special investigating committee. “Meat” Snaddleverg, well-known speakeasy proprictor of Brownsville, is enjoying the bomby weather at his summer place in the Catskills. The Villittitti gang of the Bronx, who have been the small fruit stand rackets, have delivered a few pineap- ples to independent owners. Several delinquent members of the Williamsburg Push- cart League have been ousted for non-payment of dues. They were ousted off the docks into the East River. © Slobbkin is spending his vacation on the bench arket Court, until conditions in the dance-hall business improve. The Cazzazza mob of Greenwich Village are planning to fight their next war in the air, when they raid Tony Saloo- cha's Roof Garden. “Fidget” Jeefers, speakeasy owner of the lower West Side, announces that gin bottles intended for the house-to-house trade, will hereafter be wrapped in cellophane. Enrico Noozini, boss of the Williamsburg speakeasy racket, was badly wounded at a dinner in his honor, recently when the bouquet of roses he was presented with, exploded. —Dana L. Cote e’ve climbed the wrong moun- tain—there’s no hotel up here!” Why We Sometimes Envy the Nudists “W what do you think of those ties? Wasn't it nice of me to get them for your birthday? The clerk said bright checks are the very latest thing in neckties, and I want you to keep right in style, dear.” “Well, well—a new suit, ch? Where's the fire sale?” “You didn’t get the right shirts back? Hmm—that’s mighty strange. We sel dom make such a mistake in this laun- dry.” “Say, old man, those flannels look pretty good—that is, they'd probably look pretty good to a moth. Ha, ha!” 7 gp eas VEE “Boy, that's some pair of plus fours —plus eights, I mean! Are you sure there're no stowaways with you? You know this is a pretty exclusive golf club. and a lot of people would like to get in!” Inless we receive full payment for the suit you purchased from us last year “My Gawd! This sit- we shall feel obliged to take instant ting around evening after evening; action... .” we never go any place any more!” —Ormonp Ronains comicbooks.com