HATE CRIME
ERIC ZAFRA GROSSO HELD AT RIKERS, MAY 7 COURT DATE
Eric Zafra Grosso of Corona was nabbed in Manhattan on March 27, 2026 after a judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest when he failed to appear in Queens Criminal Court on March 18.
Grosso was recently indicted by a grand jury for the brutal attack on Rabbi David Shushan on January 27, 2026 in Forest Hills. The indictment’s top count is assault in the third degree as a hate crime, which carries a sentence of 1 1/3 – 4 years in prison. Grosso is accused of shouting “F*ck Jews” while pummeling Rabbi Shushan in the face. Rabbi Shushan, a mentor and leader at the Bukharian Jewish Community Center, was simply walking to shul on Queens Boulevard when Grosso, a complete stranger, targeted him for being Jewish.
Thanks to Rabbi Shushan quickly calling the authorities, Grosso was arrested shortly after the attack. However, Queens Criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar released Grosso to the streets instead of setting bail, as the District Attorney’s office requested. Although he was supposed to periodically check in with the New York City Criminal Justice Agency until his next court appearance, Grosso never did.
He also failed to show up at the next court appearance on March 16 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Germaine Auguste. When Grosso’s attorney was asked where his client was, he confessed to having had no contact with the defendant since his arrest.
Instead of issuing a bench warrant then and there, the judge gave Grosso a break and adjourned the case two days.
Predictably, Grosso was a no show again on March 18, which forced the judge’s hand to issue a bench warrant. After his arrest on the bench warrant, Grosso was held until he was brought to court on March 30 before Judge Germaine Auguste.
This time she set bail at $100,001 or $250,001 bond.
Grosso is currently jailed in Rikers until his next appearance on May 7.
Join us to show support for Rabbi Shushan and to stand up against antisemitism.
ACCUSED ANTISEMITE NATHAN WHITE—APRIL 16 COURT DATE
Nathan White, 54, who is accused of making terroristic threats against the Jewish Community is scheduled to appear in Queens Supreme Criminal Court on Thursday April 16, 2026 at 125-01 Queens Blvd., Room QECP, before Judge Toni M. Cimino at 9:00 am.
After his arrest on November 10, 2025, fortunately, White was remanded to Rikers. He faces 15 years if convicted on the top count of the three-count indictment. Specifically, White is charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, making a terroristic threat and aggravated harassment in the second degree. His public posts included the following:
• “I BEAT THE SH??!! OUT OF AN ISRAELI ON THE NYC SUBWAY, HOW REAL IS THAT, HUH??? JEWS, SMD!!!”
• “AND THAT INCLUDES THE FEDS & NYPD. I WILL KILL ALL YOU MF!!!”
• “Imma kill ALL you FILTHY Zionist!!! I CURSE ALL of YOU, and DEATH will come to YOU soon by ME MF!!!”
• “IF I RUN INTO ANOTHER ISRAELI IN NYC ALONE IN THE DARK, YOU ARE DEAD MF!!! FACTS!!!”
• “ISRAEL, THE ZIONIST, THE JEWS MUST PAY WITH THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR BARBARISM PEOPLE, FACTS!!!”
District Attorney Katz said in a press release: “As alleged, the defendant used his social media accounts to issue explicit threats targeting Jewish and Israeli New Yorkers, in addition to members of the NYPD and federal law enforcement. At a time when antisemitic vitriol is rising at an alarming rate, we know that words of hate often escalate into real-world violence. This defendant has now been indicted on felony hate crime charges and I thank our law enforcement partners in the NYPD for their work on this case.”
Again, please join us at court on April 16 to stand up against antisemitism.
Kathryn Donnelly is a Flushing-based attorney and co-founder of the Kew Forest Republican Club.
By Kathryn Donnelly