
[Photos by Steven]
The coming soon signage for Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream has arrived at 145 Avenue A and Ninth Street...

As we noted on March 3, the expanding company has several new outposts planned this year, including in the East Village.
This business dates to 1928 when Ralph Silvestro started selling Italian ice (or water ice) from his truck around Staten Island. The first retail store opened in 1949 on Port Richmond Avenue in Staten Island. In recent years the company has franchised out, expanding to other parts of NYC as well as Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester County.
Ralph's takes over for Gelarto, which closed early last summer after a rocky two years selling gelato on the corner.