To a lot of people, he will rightly be remembered as a great defensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts. In fact, he was an NFL Hall of Famer.
But I'm guessing that is not why most people in this area mourn the passing of Gino Marchetti.
The gridiron great died this week at 92.
But he also became synonymous with fast-food.
Yes, Gino Marcetti was the man behind Gino's and one of the great fast-food delectables ever concocted. That would be the Gino Giant.
There was a time when Gino's probably was more popular than McDonald's - at least in this area.
Marchetti was a member of the great Colts team that beat the New York Giants in 1958 in what is often referred to as the "greatest football game ever played."
He parlayed the money he won in that NFL title game and, along with teammate Alan Ameche and a few others, started a fast-food joint.
He even lent it his name - Gino's.
At its peak, Gino's had 330 locations dotted along the roads in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
There was one on MacDade Boulevard in Ridley.
The franchise eventually was sold to Marriott. Many of the locations were converted to Roy Rogers outlets. The others were closed.
And to make it even more of a local story, Marchetti eventually retired in this area, living in Wayne and Paoli.
Just remember this the next time you order a Big Mac. Before that, there was the Gino Giant, the so-called "Banquet on a Bun."
RIP, Gino Marchetti.
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