MIAMI (WSVN) - Residents of a high-rise in downtown Miami spotted large Nazi flags unfurled near their building twice, including hours before the start Rosh Hashanah, but the flags’ owner said this was all a misunderstanding.
Residents said someone spread out the red flags with the swastikas on top of bushes near the condos on two occasions.
On Wednesday, they drew the attention of residents who live next door.
One of them, Frank Frione Jr., took out his smartphone and began recording.
“Wednesday morning, I walked out on my balcony. I looked down. I see a Nazi flag displayed, and it kind of confounded me. I was like, ‘What is this?'” said Frione.
Frione said he noticed the flags once again on Friday.
“Well, my friends, the Nazi flag is back up,” he is heard saying in cellphone video.
Residents spotted the flag hours before Jewish communities across the globe began celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
“To have it on any holiday displayed like that, it makes a big impact,” he said.
Frione posted several videos on Facebook, and he said people urged him to do something about it.
He said some people called police to check out the flags.
As it turns out, they belong to a museum called the Museum Club Miami.
“The owner was very distraught; he was very apologetic. He didn’t really realize what happened,” said Frione.
On its website, the museum lets people know they collect historical items from wars, firearms and weaponry.
“They purchased the Nazi flags, and apparently there was mold on them, so they sprayed it with chemicals and laid it out,” said Frione, “but I guess they didn’t realize it was a Jewish holiday, and there are tall buildings all around the area.”
Frione said he wishes there would have been more awareness, especially coming from a museum and on a Jewish holiday.
Frione said he’s been told the owner plans to make a donation to a charity of his choice.
“You grab a bad situation, this could turn into a nice, positive one for everybody,” he said. “He’s not a bad guy, from what I was told. He’s a very loving, caring, compassionate person, but nobody knows who he is and what that building is, and when you see this kind of flags, it raises some eyebrows,” he said.
7News spoke with the owner of the museum off camera, Friday night, but he declined to comment on the flags.
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