Texas mattress store closes after owner’s daughter mocks 9/11 in ad

The owner of a Texas mattress store has closed its doors after his daughter appeared in a television advertisement promoting a 9/11 anniversary sale.

At the end of the commercial, two Miracle Mattress employees knock over two towers of stacked mattresses, while Cherise Bonanno, the owner's daughter, screams.

In a statement posted to the store's social media accounts 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. He doesn't mention, however, that his daughter — the store's manager — stars in the ad.

Calls to the store's phone number on Saturday got a busy signal.

Readers and listeners of New Jersey 101.5 — many who practically lived in the towers' shadows from across the Hudson, or who saw Ground Zero's smoke clouds from miles away, or who knew someone who perished in the attack — were outraged after Jeff Deminski brought their attention to the ad's existence.

Commenting on Jeff's article, Randy Kiefer said: "Wonder if they would do one based on the Alamo or Pearl Harbor as well?"

Suzanne Ziola Mazzuoccolo said: "I personally believe that the owner knew and wrote the letter to appease the public. WHY? Because it is the owners daughter in the video."

Nancy Chipura said what most people probably were thinking: "Terrible, Disgraceful, Offensive, and totally disrespectful to all those who were killed on 9/11. Shame on you for spoofing 9/11."

The store's Facebook and Instagram pages also were hit with tons of angry comments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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