Bruce Lion, the heir to the Lion Raisin empire, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday and was ordered to stay at least 300 yards away from his neighbor, Rabbi Zushe Cunin, following accusations of an antisemitic harassment campaign. Prosecutors had raised concerns that Lion was not adhering to court rules.
Lion, who was arrested in June on felony hate crime charges, agreed to comply with the restraining order. He remains free on a $225,000 bond and currently resides in a different Pacific Palisades home than the one from which he allegedly harassed Cunin. The heir's previous residence was a $6 million mansion.
According to reports, Lion was heard shouting antisemitic insults and threats at Cunin from his balcony. Videos obtained by The California Post appear to capture Lion yelling, “I ain’t going nowhere Jew boy, lose some f—ing weight. Go f—ing work. Do something for a change. Your fake f—ing gospel don’t mean s—t. You’re f—ing done. You kill Jesus, you’re going to f—ing hell. Do you understand?” He also allegedly threatened to “pull” the rabbi’s nose.
Lion was also recorded during his arrest, heard saying, “Hey f—k you Jews, f—k you Jews, you’re going to hell.” He also questioned the arresting officers about their faith and threatened them.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated, “Hate has no place in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County is experiencing an alarming increase in hate crimes, with record-high antisemitic offenses, we will prosecute any crime motivated by prejudice against them.”
Following his arrest, Lion initially refused to appear in court and was sent for a mental evaluation. A judge later found him fit to stand trial. Rabbi Cunin previously expressed that he hoped the charges would provide reassurance to his community, which had endured "months of fear, intimidation, financial loss, and trauma."
Lion's next court date is scheduled for November 16 for a preliminary hearing.