Ross Scianna, owner of Antone's Banquet Center on Market Street in Boardman says reports on social media that the center in closing are rumors and not true.  

"What I want the public to know is we're not shutting down, we're open and we're going to continue to be open," said Scianna.

The reports started to show up on social media and spread quickly. Other banquet facilities started posting that they would be available to Antone's customers. And then Scianna says he started getting cancellations.

"That's what's happening now, people are coming in and they're cancelling. They're not even asking us they're saying we heard it on social media you're closing and we want to cancel.  I've had about twenty of those today, according to Scianna.

Cardinal Mooney High School confirmed Monday that a staff employee with Antone's told them Saturday they were closing and the Sweetheart Dance on Saturday night was cancelled. Mooney then booked the Maronite center for the dance.

The UAW local 1112 retirees have been using Antone's banquet center for their bi-monthly meetings but after seeing a post on social media and despite Scianna telling them he's staying open, the retirees decided to go elsewhere for their March meeting.

He says he has no idea how the rumors started or why they started.  He says he has weddings booked all the way into 2018, but as of today with the weddings that have cancelled he's lost events totaling about seven thousand people.

According to the company's website, the family business began in 1961 when Scianna’s mother opened Antone’s Restaurant and Confetti Lounge on Market Street in Youngstown.

The building which currently houses the banquet hall was constructed in 1963 and was remodeled in 2009.