[1] Vento serves his cheesesteak without chopping the steak[7] and believes provolone is the preferred cheese to be added.
[8] Vento had been accused of discrimination on multiple occasions against Hispanics and immigrants who had trouble speaking English.
", generated controversy and received attention from the Commission on Human Relations for possible violation of Philadelphia's ordinance due to discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Vento has denied accusations of racism, stating he has never turned away anyone on the basis of race or language but many locals of eastern Asian and Latin American descent have spoke of times where they have been refused service for ordering with an accent.
[10][11] Vento died of a heart attack on August 23, 2011, at his home in Shamong Township, New Jersey, at the age of 71.