Atilis Gym owners after receiving new summons: ‘We are not shutting down’
"They are going to have to take other steps in order to shut us down," one of the owners of the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, N.J., said Tuesday, the second day the business defied a government order to remain closed.
“They are going to have to take other steps to shut us down. We are not shutting down,” co-owner Frank Trumbetti told local Fox Affiliate Ch. 29.
“I promised my wife, I swore to her that the day I open my doors, whether it was because they said I could open my doors or not open my doors, I will not close my doors again unless I’m behind bars and unable to unlock the door,” Trumbetti added. “I guarantee you this door will be open every single day unless you put me behind bars.”
Smith and Trumbetti have said the decision to resume operations at the members-only facility was not about financial gain, but rather a question of Constitutional rights.
“We truly believe that if we don’t do this, in the end, we will have zero rights and no say in what happens,” Trumbetti said in a video posted on the gym’s Facebook page. Trumbetti has said he recently lost a loved one to the coronavirus.
On Monday, dozens of people came out to show their support for the gym, with many holding signs critical of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Here's the Gym's current GoFundMe Page