Harry M. Olivieri (May 25, 1916 – July 22, 2006) was an American restaurateur of Italian descent. He is credited, along with his brother, Pat Olivieri, as the co-creator of the
cheesesteak
A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular ...
in 1933. The brothers opened
Pat's King of Steaks
Pat's King of Steaks (also known as Pat's Steaks) is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, and located at the intersection of South 9th Street, Wharton Street and East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, directly across the ...
in 1940, one of the best known purveyors of steak sandwiches in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
.
Early life
Olivieri was born in
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
when he was three, returning to Philadelphia four years later. He attended Southwark School before leaving to work as a carpenter. Olivieri married his wife, Anna DeLuca, in 1936.
Pat's King of Steaks
In 1930, he opened a
hot dog
A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...
stall with his older brother Pat Olivieri at the corners of 9th Street, Wharton and Passyunk Avenues. The brothers ran the stall while holding down other jobs; Harry worked as a carpenter, while Pat made sleds.
In 1933, as the family relates the story, the brothers invented the steak sandwich, selling the first one to a cab driver for ten cents.
In 1940, the brothers rented space to open Pat's King of Steaks at the same spot that they had their stand. The two brothers worked at the restaurant for 15 to 18 hours a day for the next few decades while the restaurant was open 24 hours a day. Harry worked at the
Philadelphia Naval Yard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries.
Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...
during World War II before returning to the restaurant.
In 1972, Olivieri had a heart attack and retired from day-to-day management. He still visited the business for a few hours each day to meet and greet the customers. Pat's son Herbert Olivieri disputed ownership of the business with Harry and his children. Son Frank Olivieri eventually bought out his father, sister and cousin.
In the last few years of his life, he lived with his daughter in Brigantine, New Jersey. He died of heart failure on July 22, 2006, in
Pomona, New Jersey
Pomona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Galloway Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Obituary: Harry M. Olivieri / Philadelphia cheesesteak's co-creator
His grandson, Frank Jr., now runs the business.
See also
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History of Italian Americans in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a significant Italian American population. In 2010, the Philadelphia metropolitan region had the second-largest Italian-American population in the United States with more than 142,000 residents with Italian ancestry, and about 3,1 ...