The dispute began in 1847 after the house of Jewish former Portuguese consul-general to Greece, David Pacifico, better known as "Don Pacifico" – who had been dismissed from his consulship for exceeding his authority repeatedly during 1842, but who continued to reside in Athens[1] – was attacked and vandalised by a mob that included the sons of a government minister, while police, according to Pacifico's claims, watched and neglected to intervene. James Mayer de Rothschild had been visiting Athens during the Greek Orthodox Easter (which was on April 4) to discuss a possible loan,[2] and the city government decided to ban the traditional custom of burning the effigy of Judas,[3] thinking that Rothschild might be offended by the tradition.[4] As Scott reports it: