Cold Storage: The Life and Death of Tom Carvel

If you were going to write a screenplay about an American Dream turned American Tragedy, it would be the story of Tom Carvel. Legend has it that on a hot Memorial Day in 1934, his ice cream truck got a flat tire and his profits began to melt. But the locals of Yonkers, NY saved his career by eating up the residuals. Carvel had his eureka moment: Start a business selling soft-serve ice cream. Whether this tale was true or not, Carvel was right — his Mom-and-Pop ice cream shoppe evolved into an empire that spread from Bensonhurst to Tokyo. While he went that extra mile for those he cared about, Carvel's inability to cede control to his franchisees not only ruined other Moms and Pops who’d invested their life savings into the Carvel name, but multiple lawsuits hurt his bottom line as well. And Carvel’s iron-fisted business also stood in sharp contrast to his ambiguous and poorly-planned will, which managed to set his widow, family, and business associates at loggerheads in a legal maelstrom that continues to this day. Hardly the Carvel way—but perhaps that was his intention all along.In “Cold Storage” we investigate the shockingly tumultuous life of an ice cream man, unfurling his story over multiple episodes until the bittersweet end.

Those of you who lived up and down the East Coast but especially in NY and NJ and are of a certain age remember Carvel ice cream shops as if there was on every corner. Now where can you find one? As it turns out, at one point Carvel stores, like those who patronized them, largely ditched the cities for strip malls in the suburbs, leaving behind the glass-front shops that had twirling cones on the roof. Now that was ice cream!So what caused this twist of fate? Was it an inability to change with the times? Bad luck? Or murder? We'll find out in Cold Storage.

This week we'll delve into the following:The 19th-century French wine industry was almost destroyed by an American bug, leading Greece to bail them out with raisins until Greece went bankrupt--with the Carvels forced to leave for America.Prohibition turned ice cream from a sweet treat to a booming empire as people needed their sugar fix--breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Yuengling began to sell rocky road instead of beer.By the end of Prohibition in 1933 the demand for ice cream decreased, though ice cream itself was firmly entrenched in our way of life … just in time for Tom Carvel to be riding his truck through Hartsdale, NY.In addition to ice cream, how did the Greek community corner the market on diners?“Cold Storage” is hosted by Heather Quinlan, head of Canvasback Kid Productions, and Paul Finnegan, creator/host of the acclaimed podcast CenterPieceNY. Episode Two includes interviews with Tom Nealon, author of "Food Fights & Culture Wars" and Liz Pristourtis, owner of the Parkway Restaurant in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

This week we'll delve into the following: The inside story on why soldiers needed ice cream to keep going during WWII--the U.S. Navy spent $1 million converting a barge into a floating ice cream factory that made 10 gallons of ice cream every seven minutes.During the war, Tom Carvel was selling ice cream at Ft. Bragg and according to Carvel lore learning the freezer business--but it was his brother Bruce who was developing the freezers that would make Tom Carvel a multi-millionaire.How Tom was able to take credit for his brother's freezer inventions and get away with it.The seeds for this love/hate relationship between the brothers were planted early on, with Bruce being the eldest, the favorite, and "the handsome one."“Cold Storage” is hosted by Heather Quinlan, head of Canvasback Kid Productions, and Paul Finnegan, creator/host of the acclaimed podcast CenterPieceNY.

In Episode 5, Tom Carvel tries to balance the family atmosphere of his store with his less than family-friendly business practices, leading to multiple lawsuits which he wins, but at a high cost. Meanwhile, we interview those who worked at Carvel ("It was like Studio 54") and those who just loved Fudgie the Whale.

Ret. NYPD Det. Brian McCabe, former Commanding Officer of the Manhattan South Homicide Squad, uncovers the strange inconsistencies in Tom Carvel's death, from anonymous phone calls the night before he died, to Carvel's physician claiming his signature on Carvel's death certificate was forged. Says Det. McCabe: "It's a great case."

In our series finale, we speak with Mary Arcadipane--niece of Carvel secretary/power behind the throne Mildred Arcadipane--about her aunt's auspicious climb and tragic end. Then we'll talk with estate planning pros Danielle Mayoras and Sean O'Dowd about why having seven executors in your will is never a good idea. A legacy that began with frozen custard would end with years of litigation. But still and all, we'll try to end this ice cream podcast on a sweet note.