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The Spectacle Blog
Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia, died on Tuesday of a massive heart attack. He was 71.
Let me give you an idea of how successful Vento's business was. I've never been to Philadelphia and I've never had a cheesesteak. Okay, I can't eat cheese. But the point is I knew who he was. As memory serves, it was the Southwest Airlines commercial that first drew my attention. The one where the guy in the cab says Philly is "like a baby New York." Then, of course, when there's a Phillies game on ESPN or FOX, they invariably show Geno's Steaks.
In 2005, Vento got into hot water with the City of Philadelphia because of a sign he put up in his window which read, "This is America. When Ordering "Speak English." Yet for all the controversy, Vento never refused service to anyone. But it didn't stop the Philadelphia Human Rights Commission from initiating a complaint against him. However, the Philadelphia HCR ended up ruling in Vento's favor in 2008. But then again one of the key witnesses in the case who was offended by the sign nevertheless allowed her children to continue to go to Geno's because the cheesefries were delicious. I mean it's not like she couldn't have told her children to patronize Pat's King of Steaks instead.
Yet the controversy still leaves a bitter taste with some. In Philadelphia Magazine, Johnny Goodtimes (I'm assuming it's a pen name) wrote:
Furthermore, he ripped the immigrants inability to speak English, calling them "morons." All of this without a hint of irony, despite the fact that his own English was highly suspect....His supreme lack of irony would have been amusing had it not been so spiteful.
But Stu Bykofsky of the Philadelphia Daily News takes a far more charitable view. "Since he left school after the sixth grade, he was an imperfect messenger," wrote Bykofsky, "Grammar often tripped him up like untied shoelaces, but people seemed to understand him anyway."
Contrary to Goodtimes' assertion, I cannot find an instance in print or on video in which Vento referred to non-English speakers as "morons."
Now if I were running a cheesesteak shop, I probably wouldn't have put a sign like that in my window. But that's just me. After all, I'm not running a cheesesteak shop. I'm not working 18 hour days for 35 years. I didn't build a multi-million dollar business from scratch. Joey Vento pursued happiness in his way, achieved it and shared his good fortune. As Ronald Reagan would say, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
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More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/08/25/joey-vento-rip
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Special Feature
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JGT| 8.25.11 @ 1:32PM
Here is the video where Joey calls them morons. Technically, he says that "Spanish people...I called you morons and I'm gonna tell you why". But I am quite certain he wasn't talking about people in Barcelona. He is referring to Spanish speakers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWtDLSqgFSA
FC| 8.25.11 @ 1:44PM
It's good to know that you speak for Reagan and that he'd approve of a bigoted hypocrite. That sounds about right.
Vento's grandparents never learned English. Wonder if Vento would have served them??
Jive Bomber| 8.26.11 @ 2:39PM
It was his shop and he could put up any sign he wanted. You don't like his sign, then act like a grownup and go where you feel the signage is somewhat more salubrious.
Clint| 8.25.11 @ 1:46PM
Joey was a Philly Guy.
A real to life South Philly Success, with his boardwalk style neon lights & his gold chain & medallion. A Real Philly Character Guy.
"With".
Clint| 8.25.11 @ 2:01PM
The PC Professional Victmhood Agendists Are Attempting To Smear Up Joey, once again.
Little sign in window:
"This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING Please 'SPEAK ENGLISH'"
Vento said that no one has been refused service for not speaking English, but said, "If I can't understand you, you might not get the sandwich you thought you ordered."
Occam's Tool| 8.25.11 @ 2:05PM
Sounds like a good guy who supported the police. Made money selling a quality product. What's wrong with that?
PCC| 8.25.11 @ 4:53PM
Baseball. Pop music. notable deaths. Household pets? Not yet!
Dave| 8.26.11 @ 8:44AM
He writes columns about substantive issues, too, and he writes them quite well. Get a life.
Rich Matarese| 8.25.11 @ 11:06PM
I've always hated his cheesesteaks (I've gotten better from dozens of places both in Philly and South Jersey down the decades), but I still love his politics.
If "multiculturalism" were to have been as pervasive a century ago as it is today, neither Mr. Vento nor I would've grown up speaking the American language as our milk tongue, and the pathetic stereotype of the "Mustache Pete" would prevail throughout our respective communities.
I'm awfully sorry he's gone. The Phillies ought to play out the rest of the season with black armbands in Joey Vento's honor.
Or maybe those ought to be on the uniforms of the food service vendors at the Linc and Citizens' Bank Park.
Con Chef (NB)| 8.26.11 @ 12:28PM
I didn't like his steaks either. But hey, you gotta go & see what they're all about. Pat's is also not a fave of mine. Neither is Jim's. The reason I HATE Jim's is that they use the wrong kind of beef. They use top round, which has WAAAY less marbling than the traditional sliced ribeye used by other places. I found Jim's to be very dry. It was worse than Geno's. I LOVE Tony Luke's though. His steaks are the best, in my opinion. You also can't go wrong with a steak from a normal Mom n Pop pizza shop in Philly. Most ALL of them make badass steaks.
Here in Pittsburgh, we have a place that makes the best steaks west of Philly called South Side Steaks:
www.southsidesteaks.com
JimH| 8.26.11 @ 8:00AM
Not from Philly so I could be wrong, but I thought the only words needed were Wit or Wit Out.
Clint| 8.26.11 @ 11:22AM
That's Pat's, across the street.
Con Chef (NB)| 8.26.11 @ 12:22PM
G*d bless Joey & his family. As someone who goes to Philly regularly, I've been to Geno's. NOT the best steak in Philly by a LONG shot (I like Tony Luke's the best), but a true slice of Americana. The WHOLE neighborhood where Vento's shop is. Right across the street from Geno's, you also have the famous Pat's (also not a fave). Right next door to Geno's, you have one of the best taco/burrito stands outside LA.
While I didn't like his samiches, I DID like seeing all the pics at his shop of him with celebs, politicians, atheletes & yes, just normal folks. I saw the famous "Speak English" sign, in addition to a couple of "FRY MUMIA" stickers & a picture of the cop Mumia killed that says "We Honor His Memory." Vento was an American original!
Clint| 8.26.11 @ 2:30PM
That's Danny Faulkner.
The Piece of Black Racist Garbage,Wesley Cook ( Mumia) back shot Danny & Danny spun around & wounded the coward. Then, Cook stood over Danny & unloaded four rounds into Danny, killing him.
Cliff| 8.26.11 @ 2:04PM
I recently visited Philly, first time I was there that I had a chance to make it to Geno's. It took me two seconds to figure out that Joey was A. Controversial, B. INCREDIBLY AWESOME.
He reminds me of a lot of the people I grew up with in Everett, WA. Blue collar, fun loving, opinionated, and very patriotic.
America could use more like him. I pray God welcomes him with open arms.
yisong| 10.27.11 @ 9:53PM
slewing ring may be used for slewing conveyer, welding arms and positioners,light,medium duty cranes,excavators and other engineering machines. http://www.1stbearing.com