Crime and Punishment #20

A tense diner confrontation erupts across this November 1949 cover by Charles Biro, as a man in a green striped suit squares off against another in blue while a red-jacketed figure covertly slips a gun to someone nearby — all as an oblivious onlooker watches from a stool and the proprietor demands order. The speech bubbles crackle with accusation and dangerous secrets, perfectly capturing the gritty, street-level energy that made Crime and Punishment one of the sharpest true-crime anthologies of its era. With a full 52 pages packed with stories like "Sam Denta — King of the Fix!," "The Case of the Overboard Gems," "Mobsters — C.O.D.," and "Death Without Warning!," this issue delivers serious value for a dime.