What is the Italian Sandwich in New Jersey Called? is it the Hoagie, the Hero, or the Sub?

What is the correct name for the Italian sandwich inHog Island, a shipyard during World War I, had many
New Jersey? Is it the Hoagie, the Hero, or the Sub?Italian immigrant workers who would take large Italian
New Jerseyans love their food and the most popularsandwiches made with cured meats, spices, oil,
sandwich in New Jersey is the Italian sandwich,tomatoes, onions, and peppers for their lunches.
although it's not called the Italian sandwich, dependingBecause of the location of the shipyard, the workers
on what part of the state you live in, it is called thewere nicknamed "hoggies", and at some point the
Hoagie, Hero, or Sub.sandwiches they ate adopted the name "Hoggie".
New Jersey, similar to the United States, is divided intoAfter World War II, the "Hoggie" became the "Hoagie"
two geographic regions with people having differentand quickly caught on outside the Italian community and
roots, cultural traditions, and food tastes. I-195, runningsoon achieved the status as the favored sandwich in
west to east from Trenton to Belmar, is consideredPhiladelphia. South Philly neighborhood "mom and pop"
the unofficial dividing line, between north and southdelis began offering the Hoagie as the featured
Jersey.sandwich and Wawa Food Markets began selling
North and south Jerseyans root for different footballHoagies in the late 1970s. Philadelphians who began the
teams, different baseball teams, different basketballmigration to south Jersey in the 50's, retained the name
teams, and have different accents.Hoagie for the popular Italian sandwich.
In south Jersey, most people who live there had rootsFormer Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell declared the
in the Philadelphia area. South Jerseyans receive theirhoagie the "Official Sandwich of Philadelphia".
TV programming and newspapers from PhiladelphiaThe Origin of the Hero
and tend to be slower paced with food tastes andThe Hero originated in New York City. The term is
food descriptions largely influenced by Philadelphia.now used in downstate New York and north Jersey.
People who live in the more crowded north Jersey areThe name "Hero" is credited to NY Herald Tribune
influenced by NYC events and traditions and eitherFood writer Clementine Paddleford who wrote in the
have roots in New York or commute to New York to1930's that you needed to be a hero to eat the giant
work. North Jerseyans receive their TV programmingsized Italian sandwich.
and newspapers from NYC and tend to be fasterLegend has it that in 1905, James Manganaro, who
paced, with food tastes and food descriptions largelycame from Italy to New York to join his cousin in the
influenced by New York City.deli business was responsible for popularizing the Italian
Where did the Italian sandwich come from?sandwich in NYC where he sold the king sized Italian
Most of the early twentieth century Italian food in thesandwich that later caught on and became the Hero.
United States came from the southern ItalianThe Origin of the Sub
immigrants who arrived during the great wave ofThe origin of the name submarine sandwich or "Sub" is
immigration in the United States from the late 1800's towidely disputed, with stories of its origin taking place in
the early 1900's.Boston, MA, Groton, CT and Patterson, NJ. Today the
Most of these immigrants settled into the large northterm is used throughout New Jersey and New
east cities of New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia.England, and has spread across the United Sates by
Many Italians became fishermen, shoemakers, waiters,the many chain restaurants like Subway, Quiznos,
fruit and food peddlers, and tradesmen, though mostBlimpies, and Jersey Mikes Subs.
were unskilled laborers working in mines, constructionOne legend credits it being originated at a restaurant in
jobs, building roads, and as longshoreman on theScollay Square in Boston, MA at the beginning of
waterfront.World War II, and whose customers were large
The southern Italian immigrants from the Naples, Italynumbers of navy servicemen stationed at the
region (Neapolitan) brought with them the ItalianCharlestown Navy Yard who coined the name sub
sandwich, made with baked crusted bread withafter the hull of the submarine.
pointed ends stuffed with cured meats and cheese.Another story places the naming of the sub sandwich
Entrepreneurial immigrants seized on the opportunity toduring World War II when the naval submarine base in
peddle the sandwich to the Italian immigrant workersGroton, CT ordered 500 Italian sandwiches a day from
on the docks at the waterfront, and to the laborers atCapaldo's Italian deli in New London, CT and the
construction sites.employees of the deli began to refer to the sandwich
Later on, this tasty sandwich became sought after byas the "Sub".
Americans and other ethnic groups and they began toThe other legend has the earliest date in 1910, when
include additional varieties of meat, vegetables andthe sub was named by Dominic Conti owner of
cheese. It wasn't until the end of World War II that theDominic Conti's Grocery Store on Mill Street in
Italian sandwich caught on outside the Italian-AmericanPatterson, NJ who observed the similarity of shape
community and began to achieve widespreadwith his crusted, pointed end bread sandwich and a
popularity. At that time, the typical Italian sandwich waslocal exhibit of the first experimental submarine, and
made with 12" long by 3" wide baked crusted breadbegan selling the sandwich as the "sub".
with pointed ends, provolone cheese, Italian hard salami,The Correct Name of Italian Sandwich in New Jersey
lettuce, tomatoes, oil and vinegar, oregano, salt, andis the Sub.
pepper.The appropriate name for the Italian sandwich in New
How did the Italian sandwich in New Jersey take onJersey is the Sub. Although the location of the origin of
the names of Hoagie, Hero, and Sub?the name "Sub" is widely disputed, one of the three
The Origin of the Hoagiepopular legends has it that the name "sub" was coined
The Hoagie originated in the Philadelphia area. Thein Patterson, NJ. The Jersey legend also has 1910 as
term is now used in regions such as Scranton,the earliest date of all the legends. Hoagie and Hero
Pittsburgh, southern New Jersey, Delaware, andclearly have their origins in Philadelphia and New York
southern Ohio.City.
Legend has it that an area of Philadelphia known as