By Carol Tannenhauser
“All I have is that someone stole the tip jar,” an NYPD spokesperson told WSR at around 10:45AM on Wednesday. “At 2245 Broadway. Isn’t that Zabar’s?”
It is!
The lieutenant went on to say the incident occurred “only 20 minutes ago,” so the police haven’t yet filed their full report.
We’ll update as soon as they do.
Update, 3:32PM — Here is the police report: “The complainant stated that the perpetrator did enter the location at approximately 10:08 AM, June 1, and remove a silver tip jar from the counter containing approximately $35, and fled northbound on Broadway. Two employees from the store immediately followed the perpetrator outside, when he then brandished a knife in front of them and stated, “I will stab you. Don’t follow me.” The perpetrator removed the money from the tip jar, left the jar outside the location, and fled northbound on Broadway.”
An NYPD spokesperson explained that the classification of the crime, for now, is robbery, because the perp menaced and threatened the employees. No description was available.
Is nothing sacred??
there are tip jars elsewhere that are easier to steal. inside job??
I’m guessing Z has cameras. Tuesday morning tip jar is probably not worth your job. I’m glad no smoked fish was harmed.
Btw, it’s theft, not robbery. Still a crime !
If you read the whole article…………robbery!
….and I’d recommend the rugelach!
Using force or fear escalates it to a robbery
No, he threatened them with a knife. That’s armed robbery.
From the article: it was elevated from theft to robbery because he brandished a knife and threatened the two employees.
No, it became a robbery when he pulled the knife and threatened them.
In fact, brandishing a knife or other deadly weapon is an aggravated assault, a serious felony. Up to three years in jail even if committed in the act of a misdemeanor like stealing $35.
“…when he pulled the knife and threatened them.” Then it becomes a crime. He threatened the employees with a knife WITH WORDS AND GESTURES! I’m sorry the employees weren’t armed….
They could have simply asked me. I would have told them, the bagels and lox are to die for.
How much could be in a tip jar after 2 hours and 45 mins? 10 Bucks?
I’m sure all of the Two-O’s resources are being put on this caper.
Do you not care that the man threatened rhe employees with a knife and said he would kill them? For Christ’s sake where is your sense of humanity for the employees who just want to work in a safe environment and don’t need to put into with this nonsense. I hope for everyone’s sake the 20th is going to catch this guy and that if Alvin Bragg doesn’t prosecute him maybe our gutless Albany will step in.
Re: “I’m sure all of the Two-O’s resources are being put on this caper.”
WHY so anti-cop? Any personal reason??
M’self DOES have a personal reason to be:
PRO-COP…because, as a handicapped “schlemiel”, several times I have had to call 911 for help getting me off-the-floor after falling.
The responding officers, male or female, have always arrived promptly and did NOT balk at getting my 200 pounds back onto a chair !
Oh, and one more: should YOU ever need emergency assistance, whom ya gonna call…Ghost-busters?
He was making a joke about capers (which are salty green plant buds that act as a condiment). The whole thing sounds fishy to me. Then again, I recommend they get better lox on the tip jar.
I think he was making a joke, keyboard warrior
This story seems fishy…
Clever response!!
Was there anything in the jar when they stole it?
Air, for sure.
$35 worth of air? That must be pretty rarified air! But since it’s Zabar’s, & they sell the best kinds of rarified comestibles, okay.
Also, maybe they only empty the TIP jar once a week, hence the relatively large amount of lucre available to be swiped?
At least they tried to stop him, unlike Duane Reade, Target and other chains that attract thieves to our neighborhood by doing nothing.
You’re glad two people risked their life for $35?
I’m glad they don’t just let people steal from them, which endangers all of us who live in the neighborhood.
The jokes in the comment section are bizarre: why do West siders think theft and producing a knife is funny? Is it because you only shop, and not work at Zabar’s, so the likelihood of you getting harmed is zero? This is a disgusting incident that happened where I live, and I am grateful nobody was hurt.
Well stated, no need for such a cavalier attitude or joking when commenting about what is another criminal act in the neighborhood and one that threatened two employees of Zabar’s. Making light of this theft will only diminish its importance and at a time when it appears crime is on the upswing in the UWS we need to take this very seriously.
In case you missed the past several years, this thing happens every day, only worse; so having a bit of comic relief is what Jews do after 2,000 years of chronic stress. Get over it.
Because you need to have a sense of humor to live in New York City (especially now).
why are the comments so flippant? Usually people are angry at panhandlers, public intoxication, quality of life crimes – but if it happens to someone else – it’s a comedy?
How AWFUL! I never even knew there WERE tip jars (now I’ll have to contribute!)
Zabars–the family members, and their legendary mecca for total happiness (which of course includes helpful,kind employees) deserves so much better than this. Disgusting! I still believe there are more good people than bad ones, but nail this pathetic guy and DON’T give him any smoked salmon.
“The Case of the Stolen Tipjar” modern day study of a copycat crime. ..”not what, but whom, Watson!”
I’m in there all the time, I never saw a tip jar. Where is this?
Anyway sorry to hear it and even more sorry you couldn’t get the guy. We’re all so tired of the UWS.
Re: “We’re all so tired of the UWS.”
YO, waddaya mean “we’re”? As dat Pris-zilla lady told some bro’, speak for yo’self!
And, lemmee make youse an offer youse can’t re-fuze: I hear dere’s a place dey calls da sub-urps or somepin, an’ I hear dat dey even got lectrick lights and payvd roads.
Ya outta go dere if ya don’ like it here.
Ver good haccent!
I guess the massive price increases in the cafe over the last dozen years haven’t gone to wages for staff.
There’s a tip jar at Zabar’s?
I’m sure the hard working cashiers, porters and counter personnel who had their trip jar stolen would not appreciate all the jokes posted here.
Pleased to see commenters calling out the flippant attitude towards theft. Employees work hard for tips. It’s disrespectful and wrong to steal. Stealing is illegal. All the woke hypocrisy on the UWS. You want to offer charity then offer it. Employees are working hard and deserve respect. Think hard about your privilege.
For whatever it’s worth, 2 weeks or so ago, I was in line at the Dunkin Donuts on 72nd/Amst when a guy (tall, skinny, Black male – looked to be likely homeless) walked into the store, grabbed the contents of the tip jar, and walked right out mumbling something to himself. Be careful out there…
At Starbucks on 87th, they took the tip jar off the counter because of all the thefts
Ugh. The people who work in that Dunkin are so kind and nice.
Why do so many people think this is an occasion for humor?
Is robbery funny? Is a knife funny?
Zabar’s is one of my first and favorite shopping when I return to my former UWS neighborhood. Workers deserve tips and support — it’s upsetting to read of the increase of thefts and threats of violence (ie the knife in this case) in recent months.
Fund me page?
Fingerprints on jar?
This is an awful incident. But re the humor:
No one here is a monster. Everyone recognizes how awful this was. Everyone identifies with the pain of something like this happening. Most of us, I’ll bet, even the jokesters, have had something bad like this happen to us in NYC.
But humor is a valve, an outlet. Part of the joking is an expression of relief that no one was injured. Part of it is that the thing stolen was a tip jar, not a person’s pocket, not a necklace from around a throat, not a massive equipment heist. That $35 meant something to someone who’s not getting it, yes —probably split several ways, but lost money is lost money. And the idea that someone would resort to this for any reason — hunger, drugs, need to feed a family, mental illness, general mischief — Is doubly sad.
But hey, we’re neighbors. We’re relieved. We love Zabar’s. And a little lightheartedness is to be expected. No one is forced to think any joke is funny, and it’s fine to bellyache about anything. This comments section is famous for that.
Still, that’s my take and I’m sticking with it.
That’s why god made jobs.
Zabars Cafe should allow you to add a tip to your credit card purchase like restaurants do. Almost nobody has cash anymore so tips are few and far between.
And since they’re being stolen, even more reason to be able to add to your purchase total.
The tip jar must have been at the check out at the coffee place Zaber’s has next door to the main store.
I figured the perpetrator picked the lox!
I shop at Zabars on a regular basis, though I’m rarely at the fish and prepared food counters. Is there a tip jar at those counters? The only place I’ve seen a tip jar at Zabars is in its cafe, right in front of the cash register. The cafe is an interesting place: A few years ago a gun went off accidentally, and a couple of others times I saw decently dressed panhandlers sit down at the communal table, temporarily engage in conversation and then ask their tablemates for money, with no violence involved. Zabars should nail a tip lockbox to the counter and open it when it’s time to divide the money. That would make it much harder for grab-and-go crooks.
In the future, they should put locks on the tip box as well as lox on the bagels.
Since we’re talking about Zabar’s, they gotta stop those in-store ads that run constantly on the audio system. The guy’s voice is annoying and really amateur. No audio in the store, please!
This is horrifying and is yet another frightening incident that adds to my fears of being about in what used to be a serene, safe, pleasant neighborhood. Also the comment about the thief who stole the tip money at Dunkin’ Donuts gives me the shivers. Is there any way to stop this descent into ever-increasing crime. I want these people locked up, not released. Knives, as well as guns, can kill!
what stopped criminals so much more effectively for the past 30 years, that isn’t happening now?
Criminals used to get arrested.
Actually, they still get arrested and are being arrested every day, but they get released without bail. End bail reform and this will all end. And if the politicians who are elected refuse to end bail reform, end their careers.
Well done.
You just think you understand what constitutes a crime – until it happens to you. I was punched in the chest twice and my spouse lashed with the buckle end of a dog leash by a nutter at 10:00 AM at Amsterdam and 75th. There were two witnesses who took clear pictures of the perp. I was quite sure I could track him down but the police report considered the incident “harassment” – not assault as no “serious injury” occurred. The police also told me even if it was assault the perp would likely just be released and not arrested and added that “these are difficult times”. Moral of the story -criminals can rob Zabars or assault old women on the street with impunity so you are on your own out there, fellow citizens.
That’s awful. Don’t the police have to catch him so you could bring a civil action? I cannot believe that’s not a crime. We need to reverse these laws.
For all the people who took this seriously and didn’t think this was so funny, thank you. I am a small business owner on Broadway and a resident of the UWS and what happened at Zabar’s is happening all up and down Broadway. This is ruining your small businesses. Several stores I know have lost several valuable employees who quit after incidents like this, too afraid to continue. We can’t afford to lose employees when we only have a small team. If you really care, you should write Gale Brewer and tell her to start taking care of this crime, create some laws then ENFORCE them so small businesses & customers feel safe. This little “joke” of an incident is serious & it’s about time residents here start speaking up or your neighborhood here will be just vacant storefronts.
Just as today’s storm was closing in, I walked into Basics Plus behind a guy who was clearly about to steal an umbrella. A nice one at that, not a cheapy. He picked it up and turned around to leave before I could even get in the door. He didn’t look too tough so I confronted him. He shook a little and shoved the brollie at me as I called him a stream of expletives thief.
What is going on out there? The guy looked like he was a fairly together person. Do the police arrest people for shoplifting now? An arrest like that will cost you your job if your employer finds out. People are just nuts.
Not nuts. Brazen, because they fear no consequences.
Keep voting democrat and you will get the same results. When this is realized, things will change. It is only going to get worse with the current leadership.
Yes let’s all join the GOP and start the revolution and storm the capitol
must have been at the cafe. Ive never seen a tip jar in the main