Mobsmen on the Spot
"Mobsmen on the Spot" was the ninth pulp magazine story to feature The Shadow. Written by Walter B. Gibson, it was submitted for publication as "The Shadow fights the Rackets" on December 4, 1931, and published as "Mobsmen on the Spot" in the April 1, 1932, issue of The Shadow Magazine.
Plot
The story is based on the criminality of the time. America was hit by protection rackets and Union racketeering, like on the Docks where they used their own labour only and extorted extra money for doing so. As the story tells us, it hit all walks of life where for instance people paid an extra one cent on every loaf of bread sold (normal price was 5-9 cents) with every extra cent going to gangsters.
In this story, The Shadow does what the American population of the time wanted as he takes down various gangsters and mobs who control warehouses, parking garages (park there or your tyres get slashed), theatres, etc. Soimething the police and politicians (crooked and honest) of the time were generally unable to do. As gangsters die, others take their place, but they too must face the deadly guns of The Shadow.
This was the first appearance of Cliff Marsland (not his real name, a man with a checkered past that The Shadow knows about). Marsland had spend years in Sing Sing for a crime committed by his girlfriend's brother. The Shadow takes him into his organisation and Marsland uses his criminal contacts to fight the criminals, and to get information for The Shadow so he can thwart the mobsters.
Many criminals die, some by the hand of other criminals, before The Shadow confronts the masterminds ultimately behind the racketeering and protection rackets and emerges triumphant. Cliff Marsland marries his old sweetheart, but as future stories tell, he remained one of The Shadow's trusted band.
Clyde Burke makes an appearance. Burbank is mentioned. No Harry Vincent, who had played a big part in earlier stories.
Summary
- Shadow Disguises: himself and Lamont Cranston.
- Shadow Agents: Cliff Marsland, Clyde Burke, Burbank
- Plot: Warehouse owners are approached by an "Association" and offered 'protection'.