DiCosmo's Italian Ice turns 110: The story behind a small business with a big legacy

DiCosmo's Italian Ice turns 110: The story behind a small business with a big legacy
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Caesar salad, invented in Mexico by Italian immigrants, is still pleasing palates after 100 years
Caesar salad has something to celebrate: It's turning 100. In the U.S., 35% of U.S. restaurants have Caesar salad on their menus. (Scripps News)
Scripps News
On Wednesday, June 4, the family celebrated more than a century's worth of success.
DiCosmo's Italian Ice will give one small free Italian ice away to one customer for 110 days, until Sept. 22.
More than a century ago, southern Italian immigrants Giovanni and Caterina DiCosmo decided to offer a taste of their homeland in their new community of Elizabeth, New Jersey, when they started selling lemon Italian ice, a take on granita, which is a Sicilian frozen treat.
They knew it would help their neighbors cool down during the particularly hot summer of 1915. What they didn't know was that 110 years later, their great-granddaughter Eileen DiCosmo O'Connor would keep their legacy alive just south in the city of Metuchen.
DiCosmo's Italian Ice opened its seasonal shop five years ago, a sister store to the Elizabeth location. On Wednesday, June 4, the Metuchen store celebrated the brand's storied, 110-year history with $1.10 small cups of Italian ice.
It was also the first day that DiCosmo's Italian Ice will give one small free Italian ice away to a different customer each day for 110 days, until Sept. 22. For a chance to win, customers should follow DiCosmo's Italian Ice on Facebook or Instagram, or subscribe to email updates on its website. Each day, the shop will randomly select one of the followers or subscribers.
'I'm surprised that this little seasonal business selling this niche item has endured,' said O'Connor, the fourth-generation co-owner of DiCosmo's Italian Ice. 'I'm really proud. I know we have a great product and we wouldn't be here without our customers. I appreciate that for generations, they keep wanting more.'
More summer sweet treats: McDonald's new McFlurry is based on a campfire snack treat. See availability
Despite the many decades that have passed since the DiCosmos first created a recipe simply using fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sugar and water, the way that the shop makes the Italian ice today is the same as it was 110 years ago. So are the ingredients.
DiCosmo's Italian Ice uses real fruit, including local strawberries, peaches and apples when they're in season. By using real fruit, corn syrup and extra sugar are not needed, so the ice isn't overly sweet.
Only five gallons are made at a time, and only eight flavors are offered at any time — always kept at a precise temperature and with minimal exposure to air — so ice never sits for more than 48 hours.
'When ice sits, the ice crystals grow and has a different mouthfeel,' said O'Connor. 'Because it's fresh, the ice crystals stay small and has that melt-in-your-mouth burst in flavor.'
The original lemon flavor, as well as the pina colada, mango and cherry flavors, are always available. The other four slots are filled by rotating flavors based on the season.
Flavors have included lime mint, dragon fruit pineapple, strawberry guava and lavender haze, in honor of when a Taylor Swift tribute artist performed in the borough.
The Metuchen shop is open seasonally based on the weather, which means that it sometimes opens early if there's a warm week in April or stays open through October if it's a hot fall.
The Elizabeth shop was recently sold to new owners, although the DiCosmos shared their recipes and methods with them. It will open on a to-be-announced date.
After DiCosmo's Italian Ice founders Giovanni and Caterina DiCosmo retired in the 1900s, they passed the business down to their son, Alfred, and his wife Agnes, a talented cook. She developed additional flavors for the shop, while Alfred, a welder, mechanized the hand crank machines to reduce the manufacturing time and increase production.
They passed it on to their son, John, and his wife Nancy, who transformed the business from a small seasonal hobby into a modern business with extended hours and modernized manufacturing.
O'Connor, their daughter, now co-runs the shop alongside her husband Mike O'Connor. She hopes that one day, the fifth generation of her family will continue the DiCosmo's Italian Ice tradition.
'I hope that one of my kids takes the shop over one day,' O'Connor said. 'There are 14 grandchildren, so if not mine, then maybe some of the cousins.'
Go: 20 New St., Metuchen, New Jersey, 732-243-9328, dicosmos.com.
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Miami Herald

12 hours ago

• Miami Herald

McDonald's to suffer massive boycott from customers

Over the past year, McDonald's (MCD) has struggled to resonate with consumers after facing backlash for dramatically hiking its menu prices during inflation. To add fuel to the fire, it also suffered a temporary E. coli outbreak in a few of its restaurant locations in October, further scaring away customers. Amid these challenges, McDonald's sales have declined over the past few financial quarters, despite its efforts to win back customers with menu changes and deals, and the trend continued during the first few months of this year. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter McDonald's first-quarter earnings report for 2025 revealed that its U.S. comparable sales decreased by 3.6% year-over-year. This contributed to the company facing a 3% year-over-year decline in its operating income, which is its profit after paying operating expenses. Related: McDonald's CEO sounds alarm on major customer problem Also, according to recent data from the number of customers that visited McDonald's stores during the quarter fell by 2.6%. During an earnings call on May 1, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that the "impact of inflation and heightened anxiety about the economic outlook" impacted sales during the quarter. "We entered 2025 knowing that it would be a challenging time for the QSR industry due to macroeconomic uncertainty and pressures weighing on the consumer," said Kempczinski. "During the first quarter, geopolitical tensions added to the economic uncertainty and dampened consumer sentiment more than we expected." As McDonald's struggles to attract customers to its restaurants, it has another major problem on its hands that threatens to impact sales. Between June 24 and June 30, the fast-food chain will face a major boycott from customers, which The People's Union USA is organizing. The group previously organized boycotts of Amazon, Walmart, and Target earlier this year. In a recent Instagram post, The People's Union USA founder John Schwarz said that the group is calling for a boycott of McDonald's for five reasons. First, he alleges the fast-food chain pays "less in taxes than the people serving their food." "McDonald's benefits from loopholes and offshore tax havens, allowing them to pay a fraction of what they should," he wrote in the post. "Meanwhile, their minimum wage employees pay more in effective taxes than the billion-dollar corporation they work for." Related: McDonald's announces major store change to win back customers Second, he claims McDonald's is "one of the worst offenders of price gouging" as it has "dramatically raised prices in the last few years," despite raking in record profits. Third, Schwarz claims McDonald's "has a long history of anti-union tactics, silencing employees, and avoiding accountability." "They use franchise loopholes to dodge direct responsibility while lobbying against higher wages and benefits," wrote Schwarz. Fourth, he alleges that McDonald's exploits "global supply chains and environmental loopholes" as its supply chain is connected to "deforestation, poor labor conditions, and unsustainable agricultural practices." Fifth, he said McDonald's likes to "perform DEI for the cameras but fund the opposite." "While McDonald's runs DEI-focused ads, their political donations and lobbying often support candidates and legislation that undermine equity, labor rights, and marginalized communities," he wrote. The People's Union USA has been organizing "economic blackouts" of large corporations since February. So far, it has organized specific weeklong boycotts aimed at Amazon, Walmart, General Mills, and Target. Starbucks, Home Depot, and Lowe's are next on its list. According to the group's website, it aims to "expose corruption and exploitation" and "hold corporations accountable" through these boycotts. More Food + Dining: Domino's Pizza unveils generous deal amid alarming consumer trendSteak 'n Shake's beef tallow fries aren't as healthy as they appearThe Cheesecake Factory makes bittersweet changes to its menu "We're building a people-powered force that's not just pushing back, but preparing to take power back from the corporations, the billionaire class, and the political parasites that have been feeding off our work, our wages, and our rights for far too long," said The People's Union USA on its website. Amid heightened political tensions, more consumers nationwide are opting to protest with their wallets. According to a recent survey from CLYDE/Ipsos, 53% of Americans said that if a company takes a stand on an issue they disagree with, they are less likely to buy their products or use their services. Related: Dollar General suffers major boycott from customers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Politico

15 hours ago

• Politico

The winners and losers in Trump's NATO arms race

NATO members are rushing to show President Donald Trump they're shoveling money into defense — some with a dose of creative math — as Russia's battle with Ukraine grinds on and war threatens to consume the Middle East. The group's summit this week in The Hague, which Trump plans to attend, will attempt to set a deadline for members to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense. Trump has complained about European defense budgets since his first term, claiming the U.S. gets ripped off by countries that rely on Washington for a security blanket. The way allies approach this at the summit is critical. Leaders will need to walk a tightrope between staying on the president's good side — and continuing to benefit from America's role in NATO — and declaring more independence from Washington. As Trump increases pressure, members are touting new investments and shuffling around money — from a 'defense-adjacent' Sicilian bridge to a stopgap German fund. A POLITICO analysis reveals telling gaps between the big spenders in Eastern Europe and those further afield from Russia, who are still creeping toward a decade-old target. The 32 member states break down into three groups: the winners, the risers and the laggards. Most countries occupy a crowded middle ground, not quite racing toward the new 5 percent goal, but making solid progress in exceeding the current 2 percent mark. 'Most of NATO recognizes that it has to be better,' said a U.S. Defense Department official, who like others, was granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations. 'We're looking at these meetings as a very public chance, with the president watching, for them to step up.' Here's how NATO members are faring in the race to spend. Poland has led the pack for the last several years, spending 4.7 percent of its GDP on defense as it splurges on everything from drones to fighter planes. The country, which borders Russia and has dealt with errant missiles killing citizens, is keenly aware of the threat from its eastern flank. That kind of wake-up call has spurred Warsaw to ask the European Commission to shift $6.9 billion of its funding in green projects to defense. The bigger spending has made Poland a favorite in Washington. The Poles are getting creative in their weapons purchases by mixing systems and suppliers from multiple countries to get equipment delivered faster. Poland was the first NATO member to spend billions on South Korean long-range artillery and other systems — a move that other countries frustrated with delayed shipments of U.S. weapons, such as Finland, are emulating. Countries will do 'whatever works' to get to 5 percent, said a diplomat from a NATO member country, including folding infrastructure upgrades into defense spending to push the overall number higher. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia — former Russian territories that tend to march in lockstep when it comes to defense spending — have outlined plans to hit 5 percent by next year or soon after. They're already among the alliance's top spenders. Baltic officials are embracing a 'porcupine' strategy, modeled off Taiwan's efforts to ward off a Chinese invasion. This involves using small, mobile and lethal weapons fired from shore at any Russian Baltic Sea fleet ships that might threaten them. Greece is a surprise spender on defense, bucking the trend of most Mediterranean countries by dishing out more than 3 percent of its GDP. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in April announced a 12-year, $28 billion defense strategy that will focus on uncrewed vehicles, munitions, drones, satellites and its Achilles' Shield air defense system. The U.S. spends more than any other member on defense, but it still only reaches 3.4 percent of GDP. The country faces its own political challenges in reaching the NATO goal, even with a potential 2035 deadline that allies may recommend at the summit. The United Kingdom and France, Europe's two nuclear states, have made steady increases in recent years but face issues behind the scenes. Britain's defense budget rose from 2.2 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.3 percent in 2024, with a sharp increase in research and development spending. It also paid extra for major operations such as air defense in the Red Sea and aircraft carriers deployed to the Pacific. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to take that figure to 2.6 percent by 2026 — thanks in part to folding in intelligence and slashing spending on foreign aid. But he's beset by severe budget issues and has not yet set out a path to his goal of hitting even 3 percent. Paris has steadily increased defense spending since President Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017. But it only hit 2 percent last year. France is one of the European Union's most indebted countries, and public finances are dire. It's unclear how the government would find extra money to reach the 5 percent goal, especially as Macron has ruled out raising taxes. Germany and Sweden have both rewritten their debt rules as they reach 2 percent and aim higher. German governments saw the NATO target as non-binding for years, and only the advent of war in Europe — dubbed the Zeitenwende, or turning point, by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — prompted the country to change course. Berlin in 2024 reported 2.1 percent of GDP on defense spending, exceeding the alliance benchmark for the first time since 1990. But the increase doesn't boost combat strength and relies on some fancy accounting. A sizable chunk of the 2024 defense budget came from a special temporary spending fund. Sweden's defense spending surged following its 2024 accession to NATO from 1.5 percent to 2.2 percent of GDP last year. Stockholm is tweaking its debt rules to allow for up to about $30 million in defense loans by 2035. Then there's Turkey. While Ankara has missed the 2 percent mark in recent years, it has a well-developed arms industry and punches above its spending weight in weapons and the size of its military — the second-largest in NATO. Several strategically vital countries hang well below the 5 percent goal, particularly Canada, Spain and Italy. All three have made pledges to catch up. But politics, accounting tricks and historical habits are slowing progress. Canada spends just 1.37 percent of GDP on defense, with key equipment gaps across its forces. Prime Minister Mark Carney this month promised to hit 2 percent 'this fiscal year,' bringing forward a target initially set up for 2029. The lag has deep roots. Ottawa has long relied on U.S. defense guarantees while prioritizing social spending and climate goals. Carney is framing rearmament as a sovereignty issue in light of Trump's threats to annex Canada, but that would require a rapid ramp-up in procurement and industrial capacity. Spain remains NATO's lowest spender, aside from Iceland, which has no army. Madrid spent 1.3 percent of GDP on defense in 2024. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rolled out an €11 billion military upgrade plan to reach 2 percent this year. It's the country's most ambitious defense posture in decades. But Sánchez is boxed in by his governing coalition. Left-wing allies remain opposed to higher military budgets, and previous attempts to raise spending triggered a backlash. He asked Rutte this month, in a letter obtained by POLITICO, for a carveout to the new spending target. 'It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices,' he wrote, saying it would jeopardize the country's welfare system. Italy was only slightly higher at 1.5 percent last year. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government will hit the 2 percent target this year, but officials suggest that may happen more through clever accounting. Rome wants civilian infrastructure, such as a planned bridge to Sicily, to count as a defense-adjacent goal. Defense spending remains a politically fraught topic as the country faces high debt levels and strong pressure to protect pensions and welfare. This text is a collaboration of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network. Paul McLeary reported from Washington, Chris Lunday reported from Berlin and Esther Webber reported from London. Jacopo Barigazzi in Brussels, Mike Blanchfield in Ottawa, Jack Detsch in Washington, WELT's Philipp Fritz in Warsaw, Max Griera in Brussels, WELT's Thorsten Jugholt in Berlin and Laura Kayali in Paris contributed to this report.

Chicago Tribune

a day ago

• Chicago Tribune

Sunken Bayesian superyacht lifted from waters off Sicily as salvage operation completed

PORTICELLO, Italy — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was lifted from the water Saturday as salvage recovery crews completed the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian, covered with algae and mud, was visibly clear of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge off the Sicilian port of Porticello. 'The hull of the superyacht Bayesian has today been successfully and safely recovered from the sea off the coast of northern Sicily,' said TMC Maritime, the company conducting the recovery. 'This follows a delicate lifting procedure that began early today.' TMC added that the hull will continue to be held 'in an elevated position to allow expert salvage personnel to complete checks and preparations' ahead of its transportation into the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese on Sunday. The floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the port, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will be then made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. The Bayesian sank Aug. 19 off Porticello, near Palermo, during a violent storm as Lynch was treating friends to a cruise to celebrate his acquittal two months earlier in the U.S. on fraud charges. Lynch, his daughter and five others died. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. The vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 meters (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. Eight steel lifting straps were used to put the hull upright and to form part of a steel wire lifting system that began raising the vessel out of the water Saturday. As the superyacht was raised, seawater was pumped out of the hull. The Bayesian is missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut off and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be raised. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report said the crew of the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Lynch, who sold Autonomy, a software maker he founded in 1996, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011, had been acquitted of fraud charges in June 2024 by a federal court jury in San Francisco.