Fingold's political career began at the age of 21 when he was elected to the Malden City Council.

[2] On December 18, 1953, Fingold called for the Massachusetts Governor's Council to ban the comic book Panic within the state, on the grounds it "desecrated Christmas" depicting the holiday in a "pagan" manner.

Under his orders the head of the state police, Captain Joseph Crescio, cut off the distribution of Panic throughout Massachusetts.

Fingold warned distributors who resisted compliance that they would be susceptible to criminal prosecution, although it is unclear what they would've been charged with.

Publisher William M. Gaines retaliated by announcing that he was permanently withdrawing Panic from distribution in the state of Massachusetts and yanking his Picture Stories From The Bible from that state (which hadn't been published in over five years).