New York Flag Stolen From Above City Hall

BOSTON (AP) _ A New York City flag that was flying atop City Hall because of a mayoral World Series bet has been stolen by a group calling itself the Red Sox Revenge Squad and demanding that New York’s Ed Koch wear a bunny suit.

The flag was stolen Monday, and the Revenge Squad told The Boston Globe it would be held until the Mets apologize ″for the behavior of their security force and fans″ and the injury of Red Sox secretary Jack Rogers.

Rogers was hit by a thrown bottle after Game 7, which gave the Mets their series victory over the Red Sox.

Another demand was that Koch ″dress up in a bunny outfit and scream to the people of New York, ‘Ray Knight is my Cabbage Patch twin.‴ Knight, the Mets’ third baseman, was the series’ most valuable player.

Koch and Mayor Raymond Flynn had agreed that the city whose team lost the World Series would fly the other’s flag. New York flag was raised Friday.

Flynn spokesman Frank Costello on Monday blamed the prank on ″a wayward New Yorker apparently masquerading as a Red Sox fan.

″It is our view that the culprit had to be a New Yorker, since no true Boston Red Sox fan would engage in such thuggery.″

But Koch won’t have to dress up as a bunny to get his flag back. The one flying here was one bought by Boston to use instead of a special flag reading, ″I Love the New York Mets. Don’t Tread on Me,″ that Koch had wanted.

Costello said Koch will have his own flag back Tuesday.

Koch said through a spokesman that he still holds ″the people of Boston in high regard, as I certainly do the mayor. It was not necessary for him to replace the flag, but it was nice that he did.″