The local ACLU chapter has staked out a middle ground. "Putting up a sign saying you need to speak English is protected speech," said Mary Catherine Roper, an ACLU staff attorney in Philadelphia. But refusing service based on language or nationality would violate the law, she said.
Anthony Marconni, who was helping Geno Vento serve steaming cheesesteaks, said no customer had been turned away. "We serve everybody. We're not discriminating against anybody," Marconni said.
Back when Joey Vento was speaking to newspapers, he told the Inquirer that illegal Mexican immigrants had brought diseases and crime, and were a drain on hospitals and schools.
It's "wrong, wrong, wrong that a Mexican girl comes here to pop a baby," the paper quoted Vento as saying.
He added: "I say what everybody's thinking but is afraid to say."
Vento, who has "Geno's Steaks" tattooed on his arm, has posted "Speak English" signs on his Hummer. According to the Inquirer, he has driven through South Philadelphia with a public-address system, chastising businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
Vento said the sign, which he posted about six months ago, was intended to improve communication. "If you can't tell me what you want, I can't serve you," he said.
For the uninitiated, a cheesesteak is a cholesterol-delivery device consisting of grilled strips of beef, melted cheese, onions and peppers on an Italian roll.
It is sometimes difficult for outsiders to order at Geno's or other local cheesesteak emporiums because of an unspoken code that requires ordering "wid" or "widout," meaning with or without onions. (One newcomer once asked "Wid what?" and was told, "Wid cheese, stoopid!") One must also specify the cheese -- Cheez Wiz or provolone, as in "Cheez Wiz wid."
Given those customs, ordering a "bistec con queso" is not likely to elicit cooperation.
"Why can't they go to school and learn English?" asked Penny Constantino, 78, who told Geno Vento that the sign was too small and should be "more like 10 feet by 10 feet."
Constantino, a lifelong resident of South Philadelphia, said her neighborhood had been swamped by Mexican immigrants. "They're here for years, and they still won't learn English," she said, chewing on a cheesesteak \o7wid. \f7
