Let’s clear up a few things since I am still getting hate mail and people questioning my heart and, well, as I continue to grow, I guess more and more haters and stalkers will keep on coming just like the copycats, posers and clones.

When I wrote my blog “The Real JM” I was a bit fired up. You gotta understand, meatballs are my life, have been for over five years…I eat, sleep and breath them, ask my wife. So anytime anyone comes along who is starting a meatball company, they are on my radar…I got a meatball app on my phone which rings whenever anybody in Jersey is doing a meatball related thing. I’m not gonna apologize for writing that or back peddle off anything but I am not going to continue harping on this Hudson County bunch anymore on here or social media, I got bigger balls to fry.

But I just want to address one minor thing here which got me so fired up in the first place. This is not about someone selling meatballs. I did not invent the meatball I have said that time and again. But it’s a fact that I was one of the earliest major contributing players in repopulating it into a nationwide food trend. I respect all my counterparts in this biz and I expect the same treatment. I don’t play dirty, if I did I could make one quick call to the tabloids and expose a lot of dirt on a lot of people. But there’s room for all of us as long as you do your own style and give me credit where it’s due.

I work in the streets, so there’s a code there. This is not some mob wannabe mentality, it’s just common courtesy. A dear friend told me back in the day in his old neighborhood if someone was known in an area for a food, nobody else tried to swoop in and steal their thunder. And especially not by selling the food in a manner that implies that they are the original and best. I kill my competitors with kindness and always outsell them but this is not about money. I may not be the richest guy around or the most famous, but I do have intangibles that most street vendors and most storefront owners don’t have. Star power.

I’m a showman first and foremost and I spend more time marketing my sizzle than the steak so I don’t like it when people minimize that fact because I have a real track record of going on TV where others don’t. I get flattered when years later people still remember me from “My Big Friggin’ Wedding” on VH1 but I have done so much more since then but if you still never heard of me, I guarantee you this year you will know who I am and I will surely be included in every meatball mania and contest and story and event that takes place.

See when I do an event, I am the meatball guy. Then there’s the sausage guy and the zeppole guy. I don’t go anywhere where there are repeat stands so that’s why you will never see me at San Gennaro where I am another fish in a big pond, I want people to be able to come to Johnny Meatballs and enjoy their experience and know that they are getting the best. My people all appreciate that I give my all and that I am the star of that show on that particular day for them. That’s not me being conceited, I just have a mentality to be #1 and the cameras seek me out and help keep me shining bright. Am I just a “street vendor”? No, and I will get more into that later.

Just to put a capper on the whole “Real JM” blog, it just upsets me when people act like they never heard of me or are elusive when asked about using similar marketing phrases and colors. The worst part though is how this was all orchestrated behind my back with people I considered allies. I reached out to the owner of this place when I got wind of what was going on to discuss a possible collaboration for the grand opening. He was courteous and seemed open to talking. But when I asked him who his celebrity sponsors were he would not reveal it…That was the first red flag there because he knew that I knew them and that they knew I was planning this exact storefront idea.

Whatever, I am moving on even if they aren’t by starting a fan page to imply that they are making a reality show now about their company. I am not gonna go tit for tat with this stuff, I know I am being watched…everything I do is public and that goes with the territory so if I am going to be taunted with pictures and notes with pictures of crowns (yet another one of my signature things) or them using the term “boss” instead of “king” that's their business. Remember this...when you see a crown, “got balls,” black and gold, and hear “Jersey's best meatballs,” there's only one company who came first on TV and in the streets of Jersey. All the rest can try to copy but they will never compare. I did it all with balls...different sauces, toppings, foot longs, sliders, balls-on-skewers, big, small, bare...all with real old school Sunday family tradition, that aint just a story to make me seem authentic, that's my childhood. And the only pictures I post online of meatballs are of my own which I cooked, not ones stolen off other websites. Can't get more real than that.

See the other problem with our society is that everything is in excess… Burger King and McDonalds, Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, that’s all fine and good but then you got 50 more burger joints and coffee joints which dilutes quality and dilutes interest. Hey, I love our free market country and competition but independently owned businesses should still follow some ethics even if the corporate giants don’t. Especially fellow paisans.

I never go on rants about Dan Mancini, he does his thing and I do mine. And although they are Jewish, I am not bothered by the Meatball Shop in NYC, that’s a totally different concept than what I do…but the Hudson County place is too similar to me and too close for comfort, however I am focusing on my own thing and not looking for trouble. I may show up there and I don’t anticipate it getting ugly. I’ll roll up in my new meatball bus with a red carpet wearing a robe and crown and hand out my balls to the crowd with a full news crew present. Just kidding. Their best move would be to make me a partner and put my name on the marquee to ensure staying power because I am not going anywhere, I’m only growing every day. Because like I said, I may not have an incredibly long history in food but when it comes to the meatball genre, I have those intangibles which I will now discuss…

I hope you all enjoyed me this past weekend on the I-Italy program on NYC Life TV. Those six minutes captured beautifully what I am all about and if you haven't caught it, check my facebook as I will share the youtube link. As the expression goes, that was far from my first rodeo, but I appreciate all the compliments about how natural I seemed and how much you wanted to see more. I did feel natural, being in front of the camera is when I am at my best and I will continue to seek out those opportunities, although most of the time those come to me. Whether it's TV, radio, web shows, you name it. The offers are currently coming in and it looks like April and May are gonna be real busy. Nobody is more dedicated to showcasing who I am and what I do and I take the filming of a reality show just as serious as I take a public access show done “Wayne's World” style in someone's basement. Because again, that's about respect.

Yet I still have certain people who think I'm a big joke or shouldn't be mentioned in conversations when it comes to ranking the top professionals when it comes to meatballs in this state. How many meatballs do I have to roll, how many events do I have to do or media appearances before haters stop hating. Maybe it's just the reverse and as I keep getting to the top of the mountain more haters will keep on emerging. I'm not Bobby Flay but I will be on that level in time, mark my words. In the meantime, I gotta just keep on hustling, keep trying to stay a step ahead and using my voice here to stay relevant and remind people of my goals to never give up. I have no agent, no manager, I operate from the heart and if these occasional emotional responses make me look unprofessional, that's just the way it is.

So I'm gonna end all this competition chatter once and for all because I have no competition. I stand for who I am and do what I do just like I said on TV Saturday night. I have my following of thousands and thousands and I owe it to them to be my positive self and turn the corner on this long winter and get ready to rock and roll in the streets.

But one last thing...to answer that question, no I am not just a “street vendor,” that would minimize what I do. I create pop-up restaurants wherever I go in a dinner-theater fashion with a vast menu serving a variety of items mixed with a variety of comedy and musical stylings. Sometimes solo, sometimes with sidekick Frankie Antipasto. And this year, it's gonna be the most insane setup ever...the new bus will add to my aura with lots of Italian selections...along with that and my meatball wagon there will be massive signs and banners...tents...a VIP sit-down area...of course my camera crew and posse will be in tow at all times...yes indeed it's gonna be a wild time here in New Jersey and I'll be all over the place making sure I reign as the king. No other simple street vendor gets called from reporters for feature stories as much as I do which is not bragging but the simple fact that standing out is my priority. All you gotta do is Google Johnny Meatballs and the proof is right there that I pop off the computer screen.

Of course in addition to all that look for the release of my documentary film and my next appearance on TV which could be the biggest and craziest yet. Stay tuned my friends, I am here for the long haul and whoever doesn't support me, I'm sorry but I no longer have the time or energy to waste on you. That may come off as harsh but that's just the way it is. In order for me to move forward in a positive way and in order for that to happen I am leaving all the negativity behind.

So stand with me or see ya later...I gotta go fry those balls...