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On Tuesday, Joey Vento died at the age of 71. Joey Vento is the founder of Geno’s steaks in Philadelphia. He received national attention when he placed signs at his cheesesteak restaurant requiring customers to order in English. I have been to Geno’s steaks and was touched by the number of posters on the wall expressing support of those who have served or are serving in America’s military.
The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Huffington Post posted stories about Joey Vento’s life.
The Huffington Post reports:
According to Geno’s website, Vento learned the cheesesteak business from his father, who had opened Jim’s Steaks in the early 1940s. The site says Vento opened Geno’s in 1966 “with $6 in his pocket, two boxes of steaks and some hot dogs.”
He came up with the name after seeing a broken door in the back of his store upon which a neighborhood boy named Gino had painted his name, and he changed it to Geno’s to not conflict with a food chain of the era, the site says. The south Philadelphia location, however, was a given, because “he figured that if he was going to sell a steak, he had to be where they were already eating them.”
His story is an inspiration to anyone with a dream.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
Mayor Nutter issued a statement that recalled Vento as “a colorful, larger-than-life Philadelphian who loved his city and excelled as a businessman. Mr. Vento had strongly held views that were matched by a commendable desire to give back to his community.”
When the split three-member human relations commission ruled that Vento’s sign did not convey a message that service would be refused to non-English speakers, Vento was pleased.
“It’s a good victory,” he said, and added: “The bottom line is that I didn’t do anything wrong.” Vento always insisted he served everyone, no matter what their language.
Some commentators and websites portrayed Vento as the heroic victim of political correctness. Vento was grateful for the publicity.
“They made me famous throughout the world,” Vento said at the time. “I’m way ahead of the game. I became a hero. I’ve got to thank them for that.”
Joey was a colorful character who cared about his community and the people around him. He was known for helping the people in his community when they were in need. He will be missed.
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