Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery Vandalized

Groundskeepers at Green-Wood Cemetery on Tuesday discovered 51 damaged and toppled plaques and statues scattered throughout the 478-acre cemetery, which opened in 1838

Thursday, Aug 23, 2012 | Updated 10:26 PM EDT

Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery Vandalized

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Dozens of tombstones and memorials at Brooklyn's historic Green-Wood Cemetery have been vandalized, causing $100,000 in damages.

The Daily News says groundskeepers on Tuesday discovered 51 damaged and toppled plaques and statues scattered throughout the 478-acre cemetery, which opened in 1838.

Green-Wood Cemetery president Richard Moylan told the newspaper that most of the damaged monuments date back to the 1800s. Green-Wood is asking for the public's help to pay for repairs.

The cemetery is a final resting place for many historic figures, including Boss Tweed, composer Leonard Bernstein and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. In 2006, the cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Police say the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is working with the local precinct on the investigation.