How many of you got an idea or a concept for something but lacked the capital and resources to make it a reality, only to find out that some other person or company then came out with a very similar idea and concept? Let’s go back to 2008. Me and my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife started a little catering service called Bonnie & Clyde’s. One of the offerings was called “Johnny’s Meatballs In Sunday Gravy.” A recipe which was a little bit of my grandmothers and mothers with my own twists.

Nobody at that time was making meatballs with veal, pork and beef, a proprietary “10 spice” blend and caramelized onions. At least nobody was making them and selling them for catering. Some restaurants certainly had 3-Meat meatballs, but the majority of pizzerias or other spots only served beef meatballs. The Subway meatball sandwich certainly never had or never will have the 3 meats. No jarred or canned meatballs and none in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store contained all 3 meats. All the customers we serviced went crazy for my meatballs and then “Johnny Meatballs” was born, where I decided to make that food my main focus.

I was doing my thing, a little guy trying to make this into a career, and it was right around that time that another guy launched a meatball company in grocery stores. Not gonna mention his name, but I have no ill-will for him and he’s a fellow New Jersey paisan with a fine product. He was the first to launch a frozen meatball package in tomato sauce as a “Sunday dinner” idea. (However, for the record, that doesn’t mean he was the first to conceptualize it.) When I saw it, I thought, ok, how can I now launch mine and not be looked at as a copycat? I had no idea that over the next 5 years, the meatball craze would absolutely sweep America. Then I thought to myself, well, my product is different than his, mine are veal/pork/beef and his are all beef. Was anyone else selling the 3 meats in stores? I researched this endlessly and the answer was no.

Then, I launched my frozen dinner package of “Johnny’s Meatballs In Sunday Gravy” in Corrado’s grocery stores. The first commercially produced meatballs on the market made of all 3 meats.

What came next? That meatball craze.

Filmed in 2009 and airing in 2010 was “My Big Friggin’ Wedding” a 10 episode reality show on Vh1 where I got married to my wife while simultaneously building my meatball business on TV. A year later, season 3 of “Jersey Shore,” Snookie & her girlfriend Deena start calling themselves the “meatballs.” Coincidence my show was created by the same production company? Look into the Vh1 archives, the word “meatballs” was said more than “wedding” on a show about weddings! There’s even a “Big Friggin’ Meatball Mashup” video on youtube which shows this. I think it’s safe to say, I made an impression on national TV, where I also was shown as the first person to call himself “Meatball King” and use the phrase “got balls.”

I was the first to design tee-shirts and merchandise around meatballs. My next plan was to open up my own little storefront specializing in meatballs. But in the meantime, I still sold them in 2009 and 2010 in the streets at feasts and festivals using chafing dishes and crockpots under a tent.

Then 2010, The Meatball Shop in NYC opened.

In 2011, I decided instead of opening a storefront to bring my meatballs to the public in a more efficient way with a mobile food concession. A meatball wagon. I invented and built “Johnny Meatballs On A Roll – The World’s First Mobile Meatball Cart.” And I did research for weeks before I labeled it that. Nobody in America had a converted hot dog cart that only specialized in meatballs.

In 2011, “America’s Next Great Restaurant” aired on NBC. A cast member was trying to launch an “original” idea of a meatball shop and sell “3-Meat” meatballs. He lost the show competition but later opened that shop. While his website “story” section claims that the “3-Meat” concept he talked about on TV is indeed his “Classic” meatball served in his shop, upon careful inspection of the actual menu, the “Classic” is listed as all beef. A little bait and switch there. Still leaving me as the only one selling the 3-meats to the masses.

Since then, many meatball “shops” and stores have opened, but again I was the first to conceptualize the idea of building a menu around a meatball.

Just a month ago, a guy in Connecticut came out with a meatball wagon just like mine.

So here I am 5 years later still going strong. I still intend to open up my own Johnny Meatballs store and when I do, it will be different than all the rest and it will be proven that when I open the doors that mine are the best and the original.

To recap, I didn’t invent the meatball. And you really can’t trademark an idea of selling them like this. Bottom line is, there are a lot of imposters out there claiming to have originated the meatball craze in America...every new, trendy meatball shop, food truck and cart that has emerged and continues to come out comes out AFTER me. I’m the first guy to use the phrase “got balls,” the first guy to make meatball shirts & merchandise, first guy to sell veal/pork/beef meatballs in a commercial retail package, first guy to invent a mobile meatball wagon, first guy to actually name himself after his business!!!

I’ll be the first to launch a MEATBALL KING jewelry line along with many other projects coming soon. Haters and imitators are motivators for me baby. Nobody else can call themselves THE MEATBALL KING. All I ask for is respect from my counterparts in the industry and to be included in meatball events. When I challenge you to a friendly “throwdown,” it’s good for both our businesses and it’s only fair to let the people decide. Don’t ignore me or act like you never heard of me. This is food; this is not life or death. I started it all and I’m gonna keep on rollin’ and doing my thing!