Life — June 12, 1931 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces about contemporary social issues: **"A Letter to Mr. Capone"** is a mock-serious letter (with intentionally garbled text) addressing Al Capone, the famous Chicago mobster. The opening news quote establishes he's merely a "businessman," not a criminal—satirizing the authorities' public relations attempts during Prohibition era organized crime. **"In Reno"** cartoon satirizes Nevada's divorce courts, then famous for quick divorces. The crowded scene and judge's comment about granting "four divorces from women I've never seen before" jokes about how casually and frequently divorces were processed there—reflecting 1920s anxieties about marriage dissolution. The other brief jokes concern everyday concerns: managing household bankruptcy, memory, and loneliness.