California raisin heir arrested for antisemitic terror campaign against rabbi
California raisin company heir Bruce Lion was arrested on terror threat charges after allegedly harassing Jewish neighbors with antisemitic slurs from his Pacific Palisades mansion.
Bruce Lion, 64, the scion of Lion Raisins, was taken into custody by Los Angeles police late Friday night following repeated complaints about his disturbing conduct toward Rabbi Zushe Cunin and members of the Chabad of Pacific Palisades congregation.
Video footage obtained by media outlets shows Lion screaming vile antisemitic slurs and racist invective from the balcony of his $5.3 million property, which he purchased in March directly next to the rabbi’s chabad house.
In one recorded tirade, Lion can be heard hurling obscenities at the rabbi, making derogatory comments about his weight, accusing Jewish people of killing Jesus, and threatening physical violence. The dried-fruit magnate also repeatedly deployed racial slurs against black people during various outbursts, according to Rabbi Cunin.
The rabbi told reporters that Lion has disrupted worship services with his hateful screaming, forcing young children to witness shocking displays of bigotry. It was horrific, Cunin said, adding that he had never experienced such open hatred in America, especially in front of minors.
Lion was charged with making terror threats and held on $50,000 bail by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department following his Friday arrest.
Traci Parks, the city councilwoman representing the Pacific Palisades district, condemned Lion’s behavior as reprehensible and deeply disturbing. She praised the LAPD for taking swift action and made clear that hatred has no place in Pacific Palisades or anywhere in Los Angeles.
Lengthy Criminal History
Lion’s arrest marks the latest chapter in an extensive criminal record. In 2019, he served jail time for making criminal threats and illegally possessing a firearm in violation of a court order barring him from gun ownership. That conviction stemmed from violating a domestic violence restraining order.
He faced arrest again in 2023 on multiple charges after allegedly throwing rocks at vehicles in Monterey County, blocking a highway with debris, and assaulting construction workers. The charges included assault, false imprisonment, vandalism, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Later that same year, Fresno police arrested Lion for allegedly violating a domestic violence protective order at his ex-wife’s residence, just one day after officers responded to another domestic violence incident at the same location without making an arrest.
Earlier this year, the Department of Labor ordered Lion Raisins to pay back wages and penalties after investigators determined the company failed to transport workers safely following a fatal crash.
Family Fortune From Fruit Business
Lion built his wealth through his family’s Fresno County-based operation, Lion Raisins, which markets itself as having five generations of expertise and 120 years of growing experience. The company employed approximately 400 workers and generated more than $71 million in revenue in 2024, according to industry estimates.
In an interview conducted one day before his arrest, as New York Post reports, Lion openly acknowledged blasting Christian devotional music from his television at maximum volume specifically to antagonize his Jewish neighbors. He displayed multiple paintings of Jesus Christ on his property and stated he wanted his neighbors to know they are going to hell, which he said made him happy.
Lion also revealed he plays the Black Sabbath song “War Pigs” because he considers his neighbors to be what he termed as gross pigs.
With information from New York Post
