Phil Argento was a WWII veteran who passed away on June 1, 2019 at the age of 98. A self-made man who began working as a “huckster” selling produce in the streets of Pittsburgh, PA at 15 1/2 years old with his brothers Sammy and Johnny to help support his family during the depression (his father had taken ill with a stroke).
After returning from the war in 1945, Phil went back to huckstering produce in a Ford truck that he had specially modified for street sales. Phil took pride in offering his customers the best produce available (he got up every morning at 4:30 am to pick-up fresh fruits and vegetables at the wholesale produce yards in the famous “strip” district in the City of Pittsburgh).
Phil was one of the original “rappers” (he would tell you he was rapping before there was rap!). His song “The Produce Man’s Serenade” ended up on Pittsburgh radio in the 1960’s. In his retirement he spent his time making homemade spaghetti sauce, playing solitaire everyday, enjoying good food (Italian!), good wine, good people and of course romancing widows! A proud Sicilian American, Phil would often say that “it’s a shame so many people go through life not being Italian!