One bite over the line at cheese steak-eating contest in Rockville Centre

In the end, it was all decided by a single bite.

That was all that separated first-place face-stuffer “Munchin” Mike Longo, a Long Island native, and second-place Philadelphia native David “Tiger Wings and Things” Brunelli in the 2010 National Cheese Steak Eating Championship at With Cheese Please in Rockville Centre on June 5.

A dozen self-described food warriors came out on a hot day to do battle with With Cheese Please's eight-inch cheese steaks. In the first round, the competitors had five minutes to eat as many of the sandwiches as they could. The top six moved on to the final round, where they had another two minutes to chow down. In the end, Longo, who is originally from Miller Place, finished first, scarfing down four complete cheese steaks and one bite's worth of meat, cheese and bread.

“It was a fantastic contest,” said Arnie “Chowhound” Chapman, chairman of All Pro Eating, which sponsored the contest. “[The heat] was one of the biggest things the guys had to battle today.” Chapman led the day's events, displaying an unparalleled enthusiasm for food and eating.

Only one Rockville Centre resident, Mike “The Show” Capobianco, qualified for the competition. He managed to stuff down a cheese steak and a half, but that wasn't enough to get him into the final round.

“I gave it a solid try,” said Capobianco, who started off well but lost his momentum halfway through the first heat. The bread on the sandwiches was tougher than he had expected, he said, and it fatigued his jaw. Capobianco, who competes in backyard eating competitions, said he was able to accept his loss, “as long as I represent New York and Rockville Centre.”

The competition was tinged with controversy when Brunelli challenged the results, claiming that he had eaten more than the judges had counted. But after reviewing the scores, the judges stuck by their call. Brunelli refused to be photographed with the other winners after the contest.

“It was really tight,” said Chapman, who officiated the event. “I think we gave [Brunelli] the benefit of the doubt, but we had four people look at the results.”

Longo received a $600 cash prize, Brunelli, $300, and third-place finisher Joel “The Cannon” Podelsky, $100. Pat “The Viper” Viviano, from Levittown, was also awarded $100 as the top-placing Nassau County resident.

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