Rudy Visits Controversial Cheesesteak Shop

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News' Ryan Corsaro.

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Monday night Rudy Giuliani visited a famous Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant that serves as much controversy as it does calories.

Geno's Steaks has been a famous Philly hot-spot for years. It was thrown into the headlines last year when the owner posted a sign at the counter that reads, "This is America. When Ordering Please Speak English."

The national spotlight on the restaurant and its owner, Joey Vento, came at a time when both the media and Congress were fixated on illegal immigration - a subject that Republican candidates have been returning to in the past few months.

Giuliani, who has had to defend his record on illegal immigration as mayor of New York City, seems determined to prove he is a strong opponent of illegal immigration. Vento believes him.

"He's the right man - he's tough," Vento tells CBS News. "I'm hoping from what I've read so far about him - I believe we're on the same page as far as illegal immigration."

In the past few months, Giuliani has offered a slew of proposals signaling that he wants to end illegal immigration: increased electronic surveillance at borders, more patrol stations, "tamper-proof ID cards," and enforcing immigrants' fluency in English.

"We should make certain that they can read English, write English and speak English," Giuliani has repeated over the past several weeks at campaign stops and in radio ads - a sentiment that echoes Vento's views.

"Immigration is wonderful," Giuliani said on Monday, according to the Associated Press. "Immigration is the best thing we have going for us. We need new people. We need people who are going to inform us, give us new ideas, but it has to be legal.

"Illegal immigration is a bad thing," he added.

Vento says even if you speak fluent English, "if you're not a legal citizen, you need to get out of this country. People say we can't get rid of them. We can get rid of them in a heartbeat."

Vento is currently awaiting a court hearing regarding his sign. According to Vento, the complaint says that he's "violating and discriminating against a certain group which they don't identify."

"But the sign doesn't say we won't serve you if you don't speak English," adds Vento.

All in all, the staff at Geno's Steaks is excited that Giuliani will make a stop at the steak-and-cheese joint tonight. Whether the candidate will use the event to take aim at illegal immigration or just to meet the locals at a Philadelphia landmark is unclear, but its owner says he'll ask Giuliani to be on his side.

"We're not going to agree on everything, but I hope we agree on illegal immigration," Vento says. "Take care of Americans first, that's what Joey Vento has to say."

[cooltruth-2009]

Since when is it ''racist'' of a shop owner to want to know what his customers would like to order? I don''t blame him for preferring his customers to speak English, just to process customers'' orders quicker if nothing else.

[cooltruth-2009]

I can''t understand what they''re saying if they speak only Spanish & can''t understand English. Easier to do business where English is spoken so I can see Vento''s point in putting that sign up. Mexicans should learn enough English to order a sandwich if they''re going into an American sandwich restaurant. They came here. I wouldn''t expect them to understand English if were in Mexico instead of up here.

[klingon69]

Sorry, Draftreid, it''''s MY country, and I will kick your stupid racist little butt into oblivion before I get out. Now, go school yourself on the difference between a "lefty" and a "fascist," so you can stop looking so ignorant.
Posted by SFTodd at 12:50 PM : Oct 02, 2007

That''s true, Lefties are not facists, the right has that honor, the left is socialist/communist

[klingon69]

how about:

"This Is America. If you don''''t like what you see, go next door."
Posted by parrots7 at 11:55 AM : Oct 02, 2007

The canadians don''t want the illegals either.

[klingon69]

Hey, the Americas used to be just a part of Pangaea - maybe we should scrap all human languages and talk dinosaur, eh?
Posted by ibsteve2u at 11:31 AM : Oct 02, 2007

Growl, growl, ROAR!!!

[klingon69]

why do i care what they speak in as long as they understand me and i understand their english.
Posted by parrots7 at 10:43 AM : Oct 02, 2007

Yes, that is the problem, many if not most, do not understand spoken english, not is their english understandable. Working in retail, I see many non-english speaking people who shop in my store. Many times they have to bring their children, some as young as 4-5yrs, to translate for them.

[hwy71so]

"...the country has never seen this as an issue until...

Posted by parrots7 at 09:58 AM : Oct 03, 2007"

Apparently, you''ve never lived in one of the border states; California, New Mexico, Arizona or Texas. I''ve lived in 3 of the 4 and have seen it a number of times. They give me the attitude because I don''t understand them? I asked one guy where he was from and he named a town 10 miles away. I told him that I meant, where was he born and he named the same town. Didn''t even put in an effort as a born and raised American to become part of our union. Yet, I''m the one with the problem? I think not.

[klingon69]

It is not possible to collect social security benefits if you do not pay into your own SS account. That leads me to my second point. If some illegal worker wants to use my SS # to get a job and pay payroll taxes into my SS account, then I welcome it.
Posted by eggy1620 at 09:01 AM : Oct 02, 2007

If that was the case. Most that use stolen id/ss to get employment claim so many dependents that little if anything gets held out of their checks. That way when the feds decide to investigate you, you are left holding the proverbial bag.

[hwy71so]

I''d rather deal with a person who puts in the effort to speak English and speaks it poorly than put up with a person with an attitude because I don''t understand Spanish.

[hwy71so]

This is America. We speak English here. I agree 100%. Learn it or leave.