Bruce Lion, an heir to the Lion Raisins fortune, has been arrested on suspicion of making terror threats after allegedly directing racist and antisemitic abuse at Jewish neighbors from his multimillion-dollar home in Pacific Palisades.
According to videos obtained by The California Post, Lion is seen and heard from the balcony of his $5.3 million property allegedly berating neighbor Rabbi Zushe Cunin, shouting a stream of profane and erratic complaints about Judaism and the rabbi personally.
Cunin said the harassment began after Lion bought the mansion next door to the Chabad of Pacific Palisades in March for $5.275 million. Since then, the rabbi said, Lion has repeatedly disrupted worship services, hurled slurs targeting Jewish and Black people, and accused Jewish residents of setting fire to the Palisades.
The 64-year-old has had previous encounters with law enforcement, including past cases involving alleged criminal threats and gun possession. The latest accusations add to a pattern of troubling behavior described by neighbors and captured on video.
In one of the recorded confrontations, Lion allegedly shouts a series of antisemitic insults at Cunin, including a threat to “pull” the rabbi’s nose. In other clips, he can also be heard repeatedly using the N-word.
The videos and Cunin’s account paint a disturbing picture of escalating hostility in a residential neighborhood better known for its quiet, upscale setting than for scenes of open religious and racial intimidation.
The rabbi accused Lion of interrupting a congregation at his home while shouting antisemitic statements in front of children.
“It was horrific,” Cunin said. “I’ve never experienced it, especially in front of kids. Little children. In this country, to have to see this kind of hatred and antisemitism is just unacceptable.”
Cunin said he and others repeatedly complained to the police, who were called to the area just before midnight Friday and arrested him, the LAPD said.
He was charged with making terror threats and held on $50,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
City Councilwoman Traci Parks, whose district covers the Palisades, expressed horror at Lion’s conduct.
“The hate and harassment directed at a rabbi and members of his congregation in Pacific Palisades is reprehensible and deeply disturbing,” she told The California Post.
“We appreciate LAPD taking these concerns seriously and acting swiftly to protect our community. Let me be clear: hate has no home in Pacific Palisades, in Council District 11, or anywhere in the City of Los Angeles.”
Lion has a lengthy rap sheet, including serving jail time in 2019 for making criminal threats and having a gun, despite a court barring him from owning a firearm. In that incident, he was convicted of violating a domestic violence restraining order after authorities said he possessed a firearm and made threats.
He was arrested in 2023 for allegedly throwing rocks at cars in Monterey County, blocking the highway with debris and assaulting construction workers. Lion was booked on charges that included assault, false imprisonment, vandalism, and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm.
Lion was arrested again in 2023 after Fresno police said he violated a domestic violence protective order at the home of his ex-wife. The arrest came one day after officers responded to another domestic violence-related incident at the same address but did not take Lion into custody.
The Post could not confirm the outcome of the 2023 cases.
In January, the Department of Labor named him while ordering Lion Raisins to pay back wages and penalties after an investigation determined it neglected to transport workers in a safe vehicle following a deadly crash.
Lion made his riches through his family company, Lion Raisins, which touts “five generations of greatness” and “120 years of growing experience and expertise.”
The Fresno County-based fruit company employed 400 people and had more than $71 million in revenue in 2024, according to estimates.
A day before his arrest, The Post spoke to Lion at his Pacific Palisades mansion.
Christian devotional music could be heard blasting on his flatscreen television, which Lion said he played as “loud as I can” to annoy his Jewish neighbors. He also had multiple paintings of Jesus Christ on his property.
“I want them to know they’re going to hell, and it makes me happy,” he said.
He also blasted “War Pigs” by legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath because he wants his neighbors to know they are “gross pigs.”
For his part, Lion had a different account of his disputes with the rabbi and his congregation — claiming he had a “run-in” with Cunin “because he was being belligerent.”
“His guys were cussing me out, calling me all kinds of names. I mean, it’s like, I don’t know what’s with this guy,” he said, before changing his mind and shifting the blame to Cunin’s associates.
“It’s not him, he’s a good guy. It’s his guys that live with him,” he said.
Lion also claimed that the rabbi was “hiding bodies” on his property.
Later, he asked a Post reporter to drive him to a Porsche dealership so he could select a luxury car to replace a Ferrari he recently wrecked.
On Friday, the day of his arrest, Cunin said that Lion repeatedly called him in the middle of the night. When the rabbi picked up, he said Lion launched into a profanity-laced tirade.
“He said, ‘ Guess what?, Cunin said. “‘Iran is coming to get you. You should move out.’”
“Really crazy stuff,” the rabbi added.
