Wood's personal life was marred by drinking and gambling addictions, and he served a total of three years and eight months in prison between 1958 and 1963 for manslaughter.
"[3] Wood worked for the Harry "A" Chesler Group, which provided artwork for Lev Gleason Publications, MLJ Magazines, and Novelty Press.
[4] In 1942, Wood left the Chesler Group and went to work full-time for Gleason, where he co-created Crime Does Not Pay with Charles Biro, serving as editor and sometimes artist.
[5][6] In 1958, after the cancellation of Crime Does Not Pay, Wood's drinking and gambling problems worsened, culminating in his arrest for manslaughter.
[7] The cabbie reported Wood's actions to the police, who arrested him at his Greenwich Village residential hotel.