7 New York City businesses receive swastika hate letter

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Seven New York City businesses have received the same hate swastika flyer, and both the NYPD and Brooklyn District Attorney's Offices are investigating.

The incidents happened in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

The letters were sent to a Borough Park bakery, three law firms in Sheepshead Bay, the Harlem Business Alliance on Lenox Avenue, the Numero Uno jewelry store on East 116th Street, and a Starbucks on West 145th Street.

Under the image of a swastika, the flyer includes the phrase "Make America Great Again," along with a Holocaust-era German phrase meaning "out with the Jews" and other language targeting blacks and gays.

The first letter appears to have arrived at the Weiss Kosher Bakery on 13th Avenue, and owners contacted Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who released a photo of the letter.

"I was not afraid, but it is shock," Weiss Bakery owner Abraham Weiss said. "First it's shock, then it's disgusting. We're going back to the World War II era. Why would people do such a thing? I would never do anything to anyone."

The subsequent six letters are identical to the bakery letter.

"We don't have specific numbers on hate mail," said Evan Bernstein, with the Anti-Defamation League. "We know the NYPD has seen over a 30 percent spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City already this year...so that's incredibly concerning for us. We've also seen an uptick in overall hate crimes in New York City, and I think these kinds of incidents are very detrimental not only to the individual that's having to read the letter, but also to the rest of the community fearful that what people are really thinking about them."

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.