Joey Vento, the owner of Geno’s Steaks – one half of the cheesesteak launching pad near South Philly’s Italian Market – is still getting ink for a sign he put on his business’s window back in 2006, according to KYW Newsradio.
The sign, “This is America, when ordering ‘Speak English” got international media attention for being a symbol for the struggles the United States has had with its newest wave of immigration.
On Friday, Vento testified at a hearing of the Philadephia Commission on Human Relations, which has the power to heavily fine him or even revoke his business license.
The Commission found probable cause that Vento discriminated against the foreign-born. Vento counters that he has never turned down a customer but that, instead, he put the sign up for political beliefs.
Vento, whose grandparents emigrated from Italy, is a self-made millionaire off wiz and sirloin. A decision won’t be made for at least two months.