This has been a costly election for Anthony Calandra, according to a report on NJ.com. The name behind a chain of well-known bakeries in Newark, Fairfield and Caldwell, NJ, Calandra is not saying who he supports in the presidential election. But a few weeks ago, a photo began circulating across the Internet suggesting he was no fan of President Obama.

The photo showed a banner in front of a factory building, proclaiming: "My Grandfather, an Italian immigrant started this business without any government help." It was signed Paul Calandra.

The photo was captioned as having been taken "outside a famous bakery in Newark," and began going viral among Calandra’s customers — some of whom were clearly not pleased with the political sentiment.

"People started commenting to me, both positively and negatively, with some saying, ‘We’re never coming back to your bakery,’" Calandra said.

So for the past few days, Calandra has been spending big bucks putting ads in newspapers disavowing any knowledge of the banner or its message.

Indeed, the photo was clearly not of Calandra’s bakery, a fixture in Newark’s North Ward, where the smell of fresh-baked Italian bread is a constant presence in the neighborhood.

"There is no Paul Calandra in my company. I don’t have a Paul Calandra in my family," he said.

Anthony Calandra said his own political views are personal, but he in no way approved that message.

"It’s costing us quite a bit of money," he said. "We want to make sure people know we have nothing to do with it."