‘The League’ star Rannazzisi lied about escaping 9/11 attacks

Comic Steve Rannazzisi has admitted what, for those of is in the New York-Jersey area amounts to blasphemy: He lied about narrowly escaping from the World Trade Center tower on Sept. 11, 2001.

For years, Rannazzisi has told the same story: That he escaped from his job at Merrill Lynch before the second plane hit the Twin Towers. He's said the attacks moved him to leave his job, and pursue a comedy career in Los Angeles.

But in a series of Tweets Wednesday, Rannazzisi acknowledge it was a fabrication.

"I don’t know why I said this," he wrote. "This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry. For many years, more than anything, I have wished that, with silence, I could somehow erase a story told by an immature young man.It only made me more ashamed."

The 37-year-old has told the story several times over the years. The New York Times, which confronted Rannazzisi with evidence of his lie, recounts a 2009 interview: “I was there and then the first tower got hit and we were like jostled all over the place."

According to the Times, Rannazzisi, had been working in midtown on 9/11, and not for Merrill Lynch, which had no record of his employment and no offices in either tower.

Responses on Twitter to Rannazzisi's confession were, predictably, unkind.

The Times also notes Rannazzisi has said his girlfriend worked in the south tower on Sept. 11 — but that's false as well. She was scheduled to work in the World Financial Center, nearby, not in the south tower, according to the report.

According to several reports Rannazzisi has apologized privately to Pete Davidson, a Saturday Night Live  player whose firefighter father died during the attacks.

And Davidson offered some forgiveness:

Rannazzisi is a seven-year star of "The League" and expected to appear for a one-hour special this Saturday on Comedy Central.

Louis C. Hochman is digital managing editor for NJ1015.com. Reach him at louis.hochman@townsquaremedia.com or on Twitter @LouisCHochman.