Inventor Of Triangle Bar's Legendary Battleship Sub Dies

PITTSBURGH, PA - You might not recognize Joseph Catanzano’s name, but if you’re from southwestern Pennsylvania you probably have tasted the creation that cements his legacy.

Mr. Catanzano and his brother, John, formerly owned the iconic Triangle bar in Swissvale. The pair created the legendary Battleship sub - a 27-inch long hoagie that for decades has people lined up in droves to order at the unpretentious tavern that sits in the shadow of the old Carrie Furnace.

Mr. Catanzano, 93, of Swissvale, died Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The Battleship is a monster of sandwich packed with 1.25 pounds of meat and cheese. In addition to the salami, ham and provolone, it comes with heaping helpings of lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano.

Though wildly popular - the sandwiches have been shipped around the country to Pittsburgh expatriates - the Battleship’s vastness can be intimidating. So the Triangle offers two smaller versions, the 12-inch Destroyer and the 6-inch Torpedo.

Mr. Catanzano, who sold the bar to the Crombie family in the early 1980s, was the husband of the late Ann (D'Alesio) Catanzano; father of Rose Ann Mycka and her late husband, Robert of Monroeville, Theresa Kocak and her husband, Albert of Forest Hills, and Joanne Hogan and her husband, Robert of Kennesaw, GA. He was the grandfather of Joseph and Robert John "R.J." Mycka, Ryan and Justin Kocak, and Sal and Gina Hogan; great-grandfather of Hunter and Meredith Mycka; brother of Sam Catanzano and his wife, Sara, Renee Unglo and her late husband, Paul, and the late John Catanzano and his late wife, Julie.

Mr. Catanzano was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a lifelong member of the Madonna del Castello Parish.

Friends will be received from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas L. Nied Funeral Home, 7441 Washington St., Swissvale. A Mass of Christian Burial will occur in Madonna del Castello Roman Catholic Church Friday at 9:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society, 320 Bilmar Dr., Pittsburgh PA 15205.

Photo via Google Maps.

Subscribe to Pittsburgh Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.