Countryside Liquor Store Owner: Facebook Post Is A Lie
COUNTRYSIDE, Ill. (CBS) -- A Countryside liquor store owner is the victim of a Facebook-fueled campaign to hurt his business, which, he says, is based on a lie.
As WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports, the Facebook post addresses residents of the LaGrange and Countryside area and begins, "A friend of mine has a friend who has a son serving as a Marine who was just home on leave."
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The message goes on to say the Marine came to Countryside Liquors, formerly Williams Liquors, at 5540 S. Brainard Ave., to make a purchase, using his military ID to verify his age.
It says the clerk said he did not support the U.S. military and refused to serve the Marine, and kicked him out of the store.
"Please show your support by not going to this store and go to another liquor store for your purchases," the message says.
WBBM Newsradio stopped in and asked the owner and clerk, Gary Modia, about the allegations.
"That is not the truth. That is not true," Modia said. "We always support the military."
Modia said the Marine just looked very young, so he wanted a second form of identification, and that the young man was not upset when Modia would not sell him liquor.
Modia says his phone has been ringing constantly.
"They're all hate; they're all hateful, they have a lot of bad words," he said.
Modia says he actually gives military personnel 10 percent discounts at the store, and he would be crazy as a businessman to do what the Facebook post claims he did.
