(New York) Here’s a scoop: Don’t try selling your push-up pops on
Joshua Malatino’s corner.
The owner of the Sno Cone Joe franchise reportedly stalked a Mr.
Ding-a Ling vendor, telling
the man, “You don’t have a chance! This is my town!”
The Gloversville, N.Y., police arrested Malatino after they spotted
him tailgating the rival driver. They then charged him with
harassment and misdemeanor stalking. He could face three months in
prison if convicted.
So, was this a low-level mob ice cream operation attempting to
enforce its turf, or just one man’s sugary meltdown? Police aren’t
saying, but they do acknowledge Malatino has been in trouble with
authorities in the past.
Malatino, 34, and his 21-year-old girlfriend, Amanda Scott,
reportedly had shadowed the rival ice cream truck driver and
attempted to block his sales.
Police said Malatino and Scott would yell out “Free ice cream!” to
potential customers making their way to the rival Mr. Ding-a-ling
truck.
Malatino allegedly even called Mr. Ding-a-Ling headquarters,
yelling, “I own this town,” and insisting that “his business
controls the ice cream sales market in the city of
Gloversville."
According to the company website, Mr. Ding-a-Ling has been
operating ice cream trucks in the New York area for more than 30
years, with 66 trucks currently in action.
"We warned him before that this type of behavior would not be
tolerated," Capt. John Sira told the paper. "This is a pretty open
market here in Gloversville as long as you have a permit."
The Players;
Would-be ice cream kingpin Joshua Malatino has a history of
intimidating his rivals.
Amanda Scott
Mr. Ding-A-Ling ice cream was started in 1975 with
one truck and we now operate 66 trucks from Utica, NY to the
West, Pittsfield , Ma to the East and Middletown, NY to the
South and Burlington, Vermont to the North.