This is the man that saved my father, Steve Arrowood, by
placing him on his ice wagon and taking him home after a bicycle accident in Lineberger's Park, Gastonia, N.C.
(Picture also appears on Tony's Icecream website).
The original horse drawn wagon is on display at the Gaston County Museum in Dallas, N.C.
The following article ran on Thursday, May 22, 1941 in the Gastonia Daily Gazette.
Carmine (Charlie) Coletta, erstwhile subject of "His Imperial Majesty", Victor Emmanuel, 3rd, has been trading ice cream cones for the pennies and nickels of children and adults ever since he shook the dust of Italy from his heels 54 years ago, when he was 15 years old.
He hails from the little mountain town of Viticuso in Central Italy, situated 111 miles from Naples and about 150 miles from Rome. He still owns half interest in the family farm in Viticuso- that is if the farm is still there, which he doesn't know- along with a brother, whom he hopes is still living.
Mr. Coletta was born in Viticuso on Nov. 8, 1872, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Antonina Coletta and is now 69 years old. His father was a farmer. At the age of 15, young Coletta decided to leave Italy to seek his fortune in the fabled countries to the north. He first went to France and after a short while there, journeyed on to England and then after a short while, to Glasgow, Scotland where he used to sell the palate pleasing flavors to Glasgow factory workers.
All in all, he remained in England and Scotland for 18 years.
He went back home to Italy once, during that time but did not stay.
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More about Tony's~
What began in the 1920's as a push cart business, owned and operated by Carmine Coletta, has stood the test of time and remains one of the landmarks of Gaston County. In search of a better life for his family, Carmine came to America in 1911 from Glasgow, Scotland. He made and sold ice cream from carts and horse-drawn wagons. One of the wagon's has been restored and is located in the Gaston County Museum of Art and History in Dallas.
Ice cream was produced at two locations, Tony's Ice Cream on Willow Street and City Ice Cream on Morehead. Tony's was run by Antonia Janetta, the husband of Maria Coletta. They would take horse-drawn wagons to mill villages, ball games, carnivals and camp meetings. Their presence became a part of everyday life in Gaston.
In the early 1930's, trucks replaced wagons and in 1947 Antonia Janetta built the present location on East Franklin Boulevard and another one on West Franklin. Anthony Coletta, or Tony as he is known, was the youngest son of Carmine Coletta. He managed the two locations until the death of Antonia Janetta and his wife Maria in 1971. Tony passed away in 1976, and ownership passed to his two sons, Robert and Louis.
Carmine Coletta is buried at Belmont Abbey Cemetery, Belmont, North Carolina.
Rest in Peace, kind man.
