Man dead following brawl at Pat’s King of Steaks: ‘It was just mayhem’

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 09/16/2021 | Erin McCarthy

[Kid Shelleen]

Conversation among soccer fans over post-match cheesesteaks quickly escalated into three people being beaten unconscious, one fatally, near the iconic Pat’s King of Steaks in South Philadelphia, Pat’s owner Frank Olivieri said after reviewing security footage of the deadly brawl.

“It was just mayhem,” he said. “I’m never going to get this vision out of my mind that I watched on the video tape.”

Around 2 a.m., Olivieri said, people in soccer jerseys are seen eating cheesesteaks, talking amongst themselves, seemingly getting along. Many appeared to wear gold jerseys, the color of the Philadelphia Union’s Wednesday night opponent Club América,

[moovova]

Is no place sacred anymore?

[moovova]

I’m sure the fight was started while discussing the merits of Pat’s Steaks vs Gino’s.

[Larry Lucido]

Exactly. I wasn’t even trying to call that a “Philly-style” anything, just saying their steak and cheese sandwiches rival anything out of that city. Had to go with a stock photo. I do like a good cheesesteak, though.

What drives my crazy is when a local sandwich shops sell something they call a “Philly cheesesteak” (over here, Jersey Mike’s does a good job, by the way, but Penn Station is horrible - I don’ know what that meat is they are using) and the sandwich maker asks “What do you want on it?” Seriously? Put what the folks in Philly put on it. You’re the ones saying you make “Philly cheesesteak.” At least suggest what SHOULD go on it!

[Enterprise]

Oh now, that’s just the kids fussin’ and fightin’. You know how they do.

[Albion Wilde]

The owner said he’s confident they’ll be caught, however, adding that a cell phone, beer cans from which DNA could be recovered, and other personal items were left at the scene. Olivieri said he also has nearly 40 surveillance cameras around the store that captured everything. “They’re all HD,” he said. “Their faces are clear as day. Its only a matter of time until they’re apprehended.”

Amazing, and well done Frank Olivieri.

[JerseyDvl]

Is there any publicly available video of this yet?

[mylife]

provolone bitches!

[mylife]

[Williams]

Let’s be honest, they aren’t very good.

[Albion Wilde]

It's an institution. Almost 100 years old (founded 1930) and family-owned (Frank is the grandson of one of the two original owners/brothers). This is the place that created the Philly cheesesteak—accept no imitations. Here's another view, from the other end of the building, in calmer times:

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, 2007

[chuckles]

Nothing good will ever come out of soccer. Ban it!

[Albion Wilde]

The other great thing about Pat’s and Geno’s is that they are pretty easy to get to from either any of the south Philly sports stadiums, or from passersby on I-95.

A young relative of mine grew up in Philly. He went away to school with youths from all over the place. One time his sports team was coming back to Maryland from an “away” event north of Philly, and when it was time to eat, he directed the bus driver how to exit and get to Pat’s instead of stopping on one of those crowded superhighway plazas. The team loved it.

It should be even easier for people to find now, with GPS and smart phones.

[Albion Wilde]

In the 70s-80s, Philly was the safest of the ten largest U.S. cities. Because Rizzo. Now "they" have torn his statue down, painted over his mural, and smeared him in the media. But he was loved in South Philly.

[wardaddy]

Two killings there in past two months now.

Involves Latinos and whites ....mostly

[Albion Wilde]

No American goin to Pat’s is gonna be that invested in soccer. No way.

Are you aware that there is a PPD holding cell and a judge in the lower level of the main stadium in the South Philly Sports Complex? And it's been there for decades.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Gringos just don’t understand how loyal foreigners are about their football teams.

A few years back an Italian fan threw himself in front of a train when his favorite team traded his favorite player.

I was in Bucharest about 20 years ago about to watch the Steaua/Dinamo game. I wore red, white and blue. One team has red & white, the other red & blue. I got it from both sides LOL! So I took my GF’s jacket and just covered up.

[Albion Wilde]

Most dangerous street in Philadelphia Kensington Philadelphia Drug & Crime Problems

For anyone reading your Post #30, the Kensington neighborhood is literally miles away from Pat's Steaks, and it's not an area where tourists or business travelers would ordinarily go. The area around Pat's Steaks is nothing like Kensington.

Kensington is like Appalachia — a blighted white working class area that has suffered from Philly's poor management of white poverty after the large manufacturing enterprises were offshored in the 80s-90s. Thanks, Bill Clinton. And stupid Democrat-forever voters.

[Albion Wilde]

This sort of thing is only supposed to happen after a Flyers-Bruins playoff game.

Or Eagles-Redskins.
Or Eagles-Steelers.
Or...

[Scarpetta]

The key to a great cheesesteaks is incorporating the melting cheese throughout the beef like a sauce. Donkey’s Place in Camden New Jersey makes them that way. No need for any condiments.

[Scarpetta]

Old Original Nick’s Roast Beef on South 20th is worth a visit. I order the combo endcut overboard (beef and provolone, meat cut from the outside of the round with extra jus soaked into the kaiser roll). And a birch beer ontap.