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Joey Vento

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Joey Vento
Born(1939-12-18)December 18, 1939
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 23, 2011(2011-08-23) (aged 71)
Shamong Township, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityItalian American
Known forCheesesteak chef
Founder of Geno's Steaks

Joseph Anthony Vento (December 18, 1939 – August 23, 2011) was an American cook and restaurateur who founded Geno's Steaks, a cheesesteak restaurant, in 1966, starting a longtime rivalry with neighboring restaurant Pat's King of Steaks.[1][2]

Early life

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Joseph Anthony Vento, a third generation Italian American, was born in Philadelphia to Eva and James Vento. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade to assist his father in running a restaurant.[1] Vento came from a family of sandwich makers; his grandfather operated a sandwich shop in the Italian Market in the 1920s.[3] Before opening Geno's, Vento worked various jobs including dishwasher and meat truck driver, saving $2,000 to open his own steakshop at age 23.[4] He named the restaurant after his son Geno, who was born in 1953.[5]

Restaurant business

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Vento opened Geno's Steaks in 1966 on the corner of 9th and Passyunk,[6] starting a longtime rivalry that is ongoing with Pat's King of Steaks. His restaurant is considered one of Philadelphia's Big Three cheesesteak establishments and is open 24/7.[1] Vento serves his cheesesteak without chopping the steak[7] and believes provolone is the preferred cheese to be added.[8]

Controversy

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Vento had been accused of discrimination on multiple occasions against Hispanics and immigrants who had trouble speaking English. Vento's family and Geno's steaks has never officially apologized for the sign. Many people claim this is to not interfere with their business to anti immigration supporters.[9]

In 2006, his sign, which stated "This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.", generated controversy and received attention from the Commission on Human Relations for possible violation of Philadelphia's ordinance due to discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. The ruling in 2008 stated the sign was not in violation of ordinance. Vento has denied accusations of racism, stating he has never turned away anyone on the basis of race or language but many locals of eastern Asian and Latin American descent have spoke of times where they have been refused service for ordering with an accent. [10][11]

Death

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Vento died of a heart attack on August 23, 2011, at his home in Shamong Township, New Jersey, at the age of 71.[1] Ownership of Geno's Steak was passed to his son Geno, whom he named after the restaurant.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Dennis Hevesi (2011-08-24). "Joey Vento, Founder of Cheese-Steak Institution, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  2. ^ David Whitford (2003-06-01). "Sandwich Superheroes Philadelphia's cheese-steak kings have fought for more than 30 years. Now they can't imagine life without each other". CNN Money. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  3. ^ "Joey Vento, 71, Geno's Steaks owner". Philadelphia Inquirer. August 24, 2011. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  4. ^ "Joey Vento, Philadelphia Cheesesteak Impresario, Dies at 71". The New York Times. August 26, 2011. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  5. ^ "Our History". Geno's Steaks. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  6. ^ "The history of the Philly cheesesteak". 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  7. ^ "Deck's Cheesesteak Challenge – Pat's vs. Geno's". Deck on food. 2010-07-17. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  8. ^ Mucha, Peter. (23 May 2008). "Whiz on a cheesesteak: Hit or myth?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  9. ^ Johnny Goodtimes (2011-08-25). "A Few Thoughts on the Death of Joey Vento". Philly Mag. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  10. ^ Associated Press (2011-08-23). "Geno's Steaks Owner Joey Vento Dies in Philadelphia". Fox News. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  11. ^ Emily Langer (2011-08-25). "Joey Vento, Geno's Steaks founder, dies at 71". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  12. ^ Victor Fiorillo (2013-08-30). "Joey Vento's Dying Wish: Keep "Speak English" Sign at Geno's". Philly Mag. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
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