'We couldn't stay silent on this one': Wisconsin's Mars Cheese Castle added 'I can't breathe' to its famous sign

Mars Cheese Castle, a Wisconsin landmark, added the words "I can't breathe" to its iconic sign early this week.

The haunting phrase echoes the dying words of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for close to nine minutes.

The longtime store, deli and restaurant located just off of I-94 in Kenosha County is typically known for its Wisconsin cheese, sausage, gift boxes and Kringle — not its activism.

But Michael Ventura, a Mars Cheese Castle co-owner, says the response to the sign has been "overwhelmingly positive."

"This is a subject that is touching everybody," Ventura told the Journal Sentinel. "So many people have called and posted on social media that they're in support."

Ventura, who is part of the third generation now running the family business, said he and his cousins share the values their grandparents who founded the shop in 1947 taught them.

"Our grandparents who started the business, Mario and Martha Ventura, valued their fellow human beings and they treated others with dignity and respect, regardless of their life circumstances," he said. "And they used to tell us all the time everybody gets treated like family at Mars. So they definitely passed that value onto us."

Floyd died late last month after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed on the ground, crying that he couldn't breathe, calling for his mother and pleading for help.  

His killing has sparked outrage and protests nationwide.

Ventura said he and his two cousins who now run the business, Natalie Broussard and Tyson Wehrmeister, were discussing ways to support the peaceful protests over Floyd.

"We normally have a policy to stick to Mars business, and it keeps us plenty busy," he said. "But we couldn't stay silent on this one because we value our fellow human beings like grandpa and grandma taught us." 

Ventura said, "We watched that painful video as if George was our relative."

Broussard suggested adding something to the sign, and they all agreed on "I can't breathe." 

Mars Cheese Castle owners wanted to show they support the African American community and racial equality, he added.

"We as white people in America and the great grandchildren of immigrants are not complacent. We wanted them to know that we stand with them," Ventura said. "Their injustice is our injustice."

He acknowledged that a few people have interpreted the message as "anti-police."

"In no way was it meant to be anti-police," Ventura said. "It's anti bad-police."

A man named Matthew MacCarron noticed the addition to the Mars Cheese Castle sign early Monday morning and photographed it. His picture quickly circulated on Reddit, Twitter and Facebook.

"When you've lost the mars cheese castle, you've lost the nation," a Reddit user wrote.

"Sh*# just got real," another said.

Others chimed in with comments like, "Revolution brought to you by 100% real Wisconsin cheese," and "Welcome to the resistance, Mars Cheese Castle."

Another Reddit user added, "Cheese will unite this nation."

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.