Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Williamsburg Hooligan Hoists Holy Hasidic Hat!
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 20, 2011
Modified Sep 20, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Sep 20, 2011
Modified Sep 20, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A thief was busted at a Williamsburg hat store for attempting to pawn off a stolen shtreimel, the distinctive fur-and-velvet hat worn by many Hasidic Jews. The alleged thief, Robert Giuff, brought the hat—which he said he found next to garbage on the street—to a store where he tried to sell it for $350, which is not the smartest move when the owner's name is written inside.
The store's owner immediately noticed the name and phone number of the shtreimel's righful owner written inside of the hat. When the owner, Moishe Horowitz, was reached, he said that someone had broken into his car overnight. “I got a call from the hat store,” said Horowitz, who immediately called the cops. “So I ran over right away. I felt very relieved." Giuff, who the Daily News helpfully notes has seven prior misdemeanors and is currently in a court-mandated drug program, was charged with grand larceny and is currently being held on $5,000 bail.
Shtreimels are traditionally worn by men on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. They are typically custom-made for their owners using real fur, and are almost always the most expensive article of Hasidic clothing, ranging from $1,000-$5,000 a pop. So in other words, Giuff's real mistake was not knowing the market value of his stolen goods.
Tagged
hasidic jew
hat
robbery
shtreimel
williamsburg
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans. We could get used to this.
Seeing high hopes dashed had become so routine, it was part of our identity. This year feels different.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
News
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .