Life — February 21, 1930 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Growing Concern" - Life Magazine Cartoon This satirical cartoon depicts two men in overcoats and fedoras standing against a backdrop of crime headlines. The illustration critiques what the caption frames as "A Growing Concern" — appearing to reference the escalating organized crime and gang violence during Prohibition era Chicago. The newspaper clippings behind them feature sensational headlines about murders, holdups, and police shootings ("Policeman Shot Dead in Harlem," "Gangster Slain," "Informer is Slain by Chicago Gunmen"). The two figures likely represent either gangsters or corrupt officials, positioned ominously against this violent backdrop. The overall message appears to satirize how organized crime had become endemic to American urban life, treated almost as a normalized "concern" rather than exceptional criminality. The bottom caption "Disarmament Begins at Home!" suggests ironic commentary on civic violence overshadowing international peace efforts.