Geno's Signs Could Be Worse, Here's Proof

I don't know. I'm disappointed in you, Joe. I was led to believe you were on the forefront with this sign thing, but it looks like Casa D'Ice in Pittsburgh has you beat, bro. I mean, you don't need a Hummer with a P.A. system if you've got a sign like that. And Casa D'Ice even has more where that came from.

You know, I bet their cheesesteak is even better than yours.

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WWGD: What Would Geno’s Do?

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday that Philadelphia’s Commission on Human Relations (“PCHR”) filed a complaint on Monday against Geno’s Steaks alleging violations of two of the City’s anti-discrimination laws: (1) refusing service to someone because of his or her national origin; and (2) posting written notices to the effect that services will be denied on account of national origin. (See Phila. Code §§ 9-1105(a)(1)(a) & (b).)

What puzzles me is this: the inflammatory signs at Geno’s have received national attention, scarring Philadelphia’s image and eroding its reputation as the City of Brotherly Love. People in Philly are pissed at Geno’s owner, Joe Vento; he has received complaint letters and even death threats. So, then, why hasn’t any non-English speaking, cheesesteak lover filed a private law suit against Geno’s?

Normally, if you want to sue for a violation of federal or state discrimination laws, you have to exhaust all of your administrative remedies before you file your lawsuit in court. The administrative process, however, can be long and drawn-out, and often is criticized as an impediment to true legal redress. The Fair Practices chapter of Philadelphia’s City Code, however, does not appear to have such a limitation. Rather, it has it’s own private right of action that does not appear to be limited by an exhaustion requirement. (See Phila. Code §§ 9-1110.)

To put it in plain English (because, of course, that’s what Geno’s wants us to do), if you believe someone discriminated against you in violation of Philly’s Fair Practices Code, it looks like you don’t have to wait for a green light from some administrative agency before you go to court, which is sorta like not having to wait in line to get your cheesesteak after you stumble out of Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar at 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Plus, the Code allows you to ask for attorney’s fees, which is kinda like having Geno’s pay someone to stand in line to get you a Whiz wit. Capisce?

All I’m saying is, ask yourself this question: If you’ve been wronged by Geno’s antics, why not show them that you know what it really means to be a citizen in this country and hire a lawyer? After all, isn’t that the American way? If that’s the American way, isn’t that what Geno’s would do? And if that’s what Geno’s would do, isn’t that what you should do?

Speaking of the American way, I’ll end this post with a disclaimer. After all, what sign is more American than a good ol’ fashioned disclaimer? Being fond of signs themselves, I’m sure Geno’s would agree.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this blog post is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to certain legal issues and cheesesteaks. (Keep in mind, I write a food and wine blog. Any lawyer who has time to write a food and wine blog probably isn’t worth listening to for legal advice, especially if the lawyer analogizes discrimination law to standing in line for cheesesteaks.) The information is not guaranteed to be correct, complete or current. PhilaFoodie makes no warranty, expressed or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information in this post or at any other website to which this post is linked. (Nobody really reads or links to this blog anyway, but, hey—belts and suspenders, yo.)

This information is not intended to create any legal relationship between PhilaFoodie and the person reading this post. This post is not intended to create and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and PhilaFoodie. (I could be Joe Vento, for all you know. Would you want Joe Vento to be your attorney? I didn’t think so.) This post is not soliciting clients and does not propose any type of transaction. You should not act or rely on any information in this post without seeking the advice of an attorney. (Again, I’m makin’ it up as I go along here. Just in case that wasn’t clear by now.) The determination of whether you need legal services and your choice of a lawyer are very important matters that should not be based on blog posts, especially posts from a food and wine blog, for cryin’ out loud.

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Yo quiero el filete del queso “Whiz wit,” por favor.

According to an article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, the neighborhood in which Geno’s Steaks sits has become home to thousands of Mexicans. But apparently Joe Vento, the owner of Geno’s, isn’t happy. So Joe is insisting that his customers order cheese steaks in English. As the pic in the article reveals, Joe conveys this message through two signs that, naturally, are only in English: one sign has a stereotypically pissed-off looking eagle in front of an American flag and declares “This is America. When Ordering, ‘Speak English’”; the other says “Management Reserves the Right to Refuse Service.”

This is going to be fun:

• It is ironic that Geno’s has signs directing you to order in English given that, in reality, they make you order your cheese steak using magic code words that arguably don’t qualify as English. Remember: a cheese steak with Cheez Whiz and fried onions is a “Whiz wit.” Otherwise, you may be heading to the back of the line, or worse—branded a foreigner.

• Best quote in the article: “If you can’t say the word cheese, how can I communicate with you . . . ?” I’m just gonna let that one sink in.

• Joe spends his free time chastising local businesses for hiring illegal immigrants. According to Joe, he’s just saying “what everybody’s thinking but is afraid to say.” Except that Joe likes to say it through the P.A. system in his Hummer as he drives around the neighborhood. No wonder property’s still relatively cheap in South Philly.

• Joe wants things to be like they were in 1921, when his Italian-born grandfather became a U.S. citizen. His proposal: “Go back to the 19th century and play by those rules.” Ouch . . . . Yeah, I cringed, too. He missed that 1921 was part of the 20th century. Apparently, his math isn’t as good as his English.

Joe may want to rethink his proposal, though:

• First, Joe admits that even his grandfather had trouble with English. Uh, Joe? If you want things to be like they were when your grandfather came over, but even he couldn’t get the language down . . . ? Ya followin’ me here? Pot? Kettle? Black?

• Second, according to the Inquirer, there were no meaningful immigration restrictions in the 19th century, except for a bar on Chinese enacted in 1882. I’m gonna go out on a limb here. And say that Joe’s the kinda guy who’d probably be in favor of a few more restrictions than they had in the 19th century. Just a guess.

• Third, Cheez Whiz wasn’t even introduced until 1952. So if we went back to the 19th century, what would we order our steaks wit? Wait, I’ve got it! Hows about salsa?

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