Joey Vento
{{Short description|Cook and restaurateur}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Joey Vento
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|12|18}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|8|23|1939|12|18}}
| death_place = Shamong Township, New Jersey, U.S.
| nationality = Italian American
| other_names =
| known_for = Cheesesteak chef
Founder of Geno's Steaks
| occupation =
}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/us/25vento.html|title=Joey Vento, Founder of Cheese-Steak Institution, Dies at 71|author=Dennis Hevesi|website=The New York Times|date=2011-08-24|accessdate=2014-05-19}}{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2003/06/01/346418/index.htm|title=Sandwich Superheroes Philadelphia's cheese-steak kings have fought for more than 30 years. Now they can't imagine life without each other |author=David Whitford |date=2003-06-01 |publisher=CNN Money |accessdate=2014-05-18}}
Early life
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. Vento came from a family of sandwich makers; his grandfather operated a sandwich shop in the Italian Market in the 1920s.{{cite web |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20110824_Joey_Vento__71__Geno_s_Steaks_owner.html |title=Joey Vento, 71, Geno's Steaks owner |website=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=August 24, 2011 |access-date=2024-11-24}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/us/27vento.html |title=Joey Vento, Philadelphia Cheesesteak Impresario, Dies at 71 |website=The New York Times |date=August 26, 2011 |access-date=2024-11-24}} He named the restaurant after his son Geno, who was born in 1953.{{cite web |url=https://www.genossteaks.com/our-history |title=Our History |website=Geno's Steaks |access-date=2024-11-24}}
Restaurant business
Vento opened Geno's Steaks in 1966 on the corner of 9th and Passyunk,{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/the-history-of-the-philly-cheesesteak|title=The history of the Philly cheesesteak|date=2012-04-30|language=en-US|access-date=2016-09-06}} 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. Vento serves his cheesesteak without chopping the steak{{cite web|url=http://deckonfood.com/?p=535|date=2010-07-17|title=Deck’s Cheesesteak Challenge – Pat’s vs. Geno’s|website=Deck on food |accessdate=2014-05-19}} and believes provolone is the preferred cheese to be added.{{cite news |last=Mucha |first=Peter. |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=23 May 2008 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990246_1_cheez-whiz-cheesesteak-frank-olivieri |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015215550/http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-23/news/24990246_1_cheez-whiz-cheesesteak-frank-olivieri |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |title=Whiz on a cheesesteak: Hit or myth? |accessdate=22 April 2011}}
=Controversy=
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.phillymag.com/news/2011/08/25/thoughts-death-joey-vento/ |title=A Few Thoughts on the Death of Joey Vento |author=Johnny Goodtimes |date=2011-08-25 |magazine=Philly Mag |accessdate=2014-05-18}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/genos-steaks-owner-joey-vento-dies-in-philadelphia |title=Geno's Steaks Owner Joey Vento Dies in Philadelphia |author=Associated Press |date=2011-08-23 |publisher=Fox News |access-date=2014-05-18}}{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/joey-vento-colorful-purveyor-of-philly-cheesesteaks-dies-at-71/2011/08/24/gIQAHTmVcJ_story.html |title=Joey Vento, Geno’s Steaks founder, dies at 71 |author=Emily Langer |date=2011-08-25 |website=The Washington Post |accessdate=2014-05-18}}
Death
Vento died of a heart attack on August 23, 2011, at his home in Shamong Township, New Jersey, at the age of 71. Ownership of Geno's Steak was passed to his son Geno, whom he named after the restaurant.{{cite web|url=http://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2013/08/30/joey-ventos-dying-wish-keep-the-speak-english-sign-at-genos/|title=Joey Vento’s Dying Wish: Keep "Speak English" Sign at Geno’s|magazine=Philly Mag|date=2013-08-30|author=Victor Fiorillo|accessdate=2014-05-18}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.genosteaks.com/}}
{{Cheesesteak}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vento, Joey}}