This South Philly dry cleaner is responsible for cleaning the Philadelphia Eagles' uniforms
For two decades, Joe Lattanzio has been the man behind the pristine uniforms of the Philadelphia Eagles. At Lattanzio's Linn Cleaners, the jerseys, pants, jackets and coats worn by players and Eagles staff on game day undergo a meticulous cleaning process to ensure they look as good as they play.
Often the uniforms have turf stains or mud stains, and sometimes, they are stained with the dye of the football. They almost always smell.
"They do have an odor," Lattanzio said with a laugh. "But hey – they're sweaty! What do you want them to do?"
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Lattanzio takes his work personally, often imagining the players donning the uniforms he carefully restores.
"My man [Dallas] Goedert — he's going to get us a touchdown in the Super Bowl, [aren't] you Goedert?" Lattanzio said as he worked on a jersey.
After every game – home or away – the Eagles' uniforms arrive at the shop. On an average Monday after a game, the shop processes about 250 articles of clothing. Lattanzio pre-treats stains and runs each piece through the machines three to five times until they're spotless.
"It's very hard to get these out!" Lattanzio said of tough stains.
Lattanzio said his business is run with a lot of elbow grease and a strong work ethic he learned from his late parents, Vincent and Marie, who opened the business in 1947.
"I've been doing this since I was 11 years old, standing here next to my father. My mother ran the front of the store," Lattanzio said. "My father was very, very proud of the business."
As the Eagles chase a Super Bowl trophy, Lattanzio hopes to make sure they look their best doing it.