Texas Mattress Store Closes Indefinitely After Fallout From 'Tasteless' 9/11 Ad
SAN ANTONIO (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The owner of a Texas mattress store has closed his store after apologizing for what he called a "tasteless'' advertisement promoting a 9/11 anniversary sale.
The online ad for Miracle Mattress in San Antonio featured a woman screaming as two towers of mattresses topple.
In the video, store manager Cherise Bonanno and two employees were standing in front of two piles of mattresses, symbolizing the World Trade Centers.
"What better way to remember 9/11 than with a Twin Tower sale?" Bonanno said in the video.
At the end of the video, the two employees fell into the stacked mattresses.
"Oh my God," Bonanno screamed. "We'll never forget."
In a statement posted to the store's social media Friday, owner Mike Bonanno said the store "will be closed indefinitely.'' He said the company also "will be silent through the 9/11 anniversary to avoid any further distractions from a day of recognition and remembrance for the victims and their families.''
He repeated his Thursday apology, saying the online ad was produced without his knowledge by employees in San Antonio.
"I say this unequivocally with sincere regret: the video is tasteless and an affront to the men and women who lost their lives on 9/11. Furthermore, it disrespects the families who lost their loved ones and continue to struggle with the pain of this tragedy every day of their lives," Bonanno said Thursday.
The company also apologized in a letter posted to its Facebook page.
The store had closed on Thursday due to death threats.
"We are hate, we are love. We are somebody that stands out. We are Miracle Mattress – we make miracles happen," Bonanno told WOAI-TV. "And for our lives to be in danger, that's not what we ever wanted."
Bonanno says he will announce next week "accountability actions'' taken with the employees responsible for the ad.
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