Inside the high-stakes Santa operation at Century III Mall

Was the Black Friday photo taken that day?

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A viral photo has angered Santa Claus and his helpers.

So here they were Thursday, on the first floor of Century III Mall in West Mifflin, eager to set the record straight — and eager to tell the world that they’re doing just fine operating their Santa photo booth in the desolate-looking shopping center.

It had only been a few days since an overhead photo of their operation spread rapidly on the internet in Pittsburgh. The photo — posted first on Century III Mall Memories, an independent Facebook page documenting the mall’s history — purported to show the Santa booth on Black Friday, surrounded by empty space in an empty mall.

“Just heartbreaking,” the caption read. “Santa earlier today on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. There were no lines to be seen. No children laughing or smiling. Not a single person in sight. Behind him, many empty storefronts are visible.”

But according to Santa’s crew, the photo is highly misleading — not even taken on Black Friday — and has caused more trouble than it was worth. The Post-Gazette spent time with Santa and his helpers on a weekday afternoon, getting a behind-the-scenes look at a once-a-year business that is both highly visible and necessarily secretive about the magic that lets Santa be in many places at once.