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While not a pro wrestling story, this would at least be pro wrestling adjacent for anyone who's attended events in the city of brotherly love.
For decades, if you were heading to professional wrestling in South Philadelphia, part of the pilgrimage was visiting Tony Luke's on Oregon Avenue for a Cheesesteak.
Located within walking distance of the ECW (now 2300) Arena or a short drive from any of the arenas that housed WWF, WCW, etc., a stop before or after the show became part of the tradition for the event. It was not unusual for fans to be standing in line waiting to order or pick up their food alongside the same wrestlers they watched on shows that just ended.
For a time, signed photos of ECW wrestlers especially, including The Public Enemy and The Pitbulls, among others, were displayed alongside other celebrities who swung by for food, especially international talents who were brought there by talents who already knew the secret. It was the same for those playing music in Philly, and I can distinctly remember running into the legendary Angelo Moore of Fishbone before a show they were playing there as we each waited to order.
The location was also the setting for at least one FBI promo on ECW’s weekly series, which featured, as an easter egg, Paul Heyman and Sabu sitting in the background eating away without ever being identified.
The Philly Voice reported yesterday that the eatery, now known as Tony and Nick's Steaks, is on the market for sale, priced at $3.2 million.
The location hitting the market is the latest twist in the sordid story of the eatery. In January 2024, owners Anthony Lucidonio Sr. (Tony Luke Sr.) and son Nicholas Lucidonio were sentenced to nearly two years in prison each on tax fraud charges that cited they hid $8 million in revenue from the IRS. The paid had been running the legendary Oregon Avenue location with two sets of books, which was revealed when a family feud involving Anthony Lucidonio Jr. (Tony Luke Jr.) and subsequent lawsuit between the two sides led to the financial records that showed the fraud being extricated and handed over to the authorities.
There had been heat between the two sides for a long time as Luke Jr. owns the rights to the Tony Luke's name, which led to the Oregon Avenue location being forced to remove the Tony Luke name and rename themselves as Tony and Nick’s. Luke Jr. still controls the franchise, has relocated to Las Vegas, where a Lukes operates out of The Rio, and oversees the other locations in Philly and beyond. He has not had any involvement in the Oregon Avenue location for many, many years.
When they were found guilty, Luke Sr. and Nicholas asked if they could do their prison terms back to back, not at the same time, arguing that if they could not run the location, it would go out of business and 24 employees would be out of a job. They later appealed the sentences, claiming that it did not account for the involvement of other employees.
Now that their respective sentences are complete, they are seeking to sell the Oregon Avenue location in order to move on. The Philly Voice article notes Nick Sr. has already retired white his son Nicholas is looking to move on and have a fresh start.
In 2024, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported there was an agreement in place between the different factions of the family as part of a settlement between the two sides. At the time, it was reported that should the Oregon Avenue location shut down for longer than 10 days, Tony Luke Jr. has the right to purchase the location outright and take it over. It does not appear, based on the location going to market, that is still the case, but it remains to be seen what the next turn for the eatery will be.
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