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Perhaps it was a misteak.
The descendant of the original creators of the Philly cheesesteak has found himself preparing the iconic sandwiches at a Long Island pizzeria while clad in Knicks attire. This unusual scenario unfolded after he lost a friendly bet with the pizzeria’s co-owner.
Frank Olivieri, the proud proprietor of Philadelphia’s famed Pat’s King of Steaks, will don the Knicks’ signature orange and blue as he serves up cheesesteaks at Dario’s Pizza in West Hempstead. This comes after the Knicks decisively defeated the 76ers with a score of 144-114 on Sunday.
The wager was the brainchild of Olivieri, who proposed it to Louis Cretella, co-owner of the pizzeria. The bet was simple: backing their respective teams, Olivieri chose the 76ers while Cretella rooted for the Knicks. The loser would have to visit the winner’s establishment and work a shift wearing the victorious team’s apparel.
“[Olivieri] suggested betting on game three, but I upped the ante to the entire series,” Cretella shared with The Post.
Olivieri is accustomed to losing, but held out hope for his Philadelphia team until the bitter end.
“We always have a feeling that the 6ers, or anyone else in Philly are going to come back. We’re used to saying ‘maybe next year’,” he told The Post.
He shrugged off the impending ignominy, adding that he’s “been meaning to try [Dario’s] cheesesteak anyway.”
“I figured it would be a good way to extend some brotherly love to our brothers up in New York and on Long Island,” he added.
Olivieri and Cretella haven’t set a firm date for when the cheesesteak connoisseur will grace the Long Island pizzeria, but suggested that this may not be the end of their game.
“We’re willing to do another bet in the next round, whether it’s a place Cleveland or Detroit, so we’ll see,” Cretella said.
The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and will play the winner of the Detroit Pistons vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers series.
The friendly wager came about after Olivieri learned his ancestors’ cheesey, meaty creation had come under fire amid the NBA’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Knicks were pitted against the 76ers.
Many eateries in New York City seized on the rivalry and cheekily desecrated their menus’ Philly cheesesteaks, including Dario’s Pizza.
Cretella changed the menu item from Philly cheesesteak to the Philly SUCKS cheesesteak in the restaurant’s computer system. Hard copy menus also have the “Philly” crossed out and “F*** Philly” in black marker written over it.
Olivieri took notice and reached out to place the bet he has now lost.