Man of many stars celebrates 100 years

Johnston Sun Rise ·

Mario “Jim” Maccarone may be Rhode Island’s newest centenarian, but he holds another distinction as one of the Ocean State’s most unique entrepreneurs of all time.

His four children – James, 71; Ronald, 68; Robert, 64; and Mary Lou, 59 – recently traveled from Cranston, Danville and South Windsor, Connecticut, and Westchester County, New York to The Bridge at Cherry Hill to honor their “fantastic father,” who earned three bronze stars for his front-line heroics during World War II.

“Our father earned one bronze star in each of three countries – Germany, Belgium and France – while serving in the United States Army during the Battle of the Bulge,” Robert Maccarone said of his dad, who was born in Providence on Jan. 13, 1917. “We are all proud of his service to our country and what he did after the war.”

Mario Maccarone joined the Army in 1941 and served as Private First Class. He fought in the Battle of the Ardennes and the Battle of the Bulge and received the Good Conduct Medal and Medal for Meritorious Service before being discharged in 1945.

However, like most men of that era, Robert Maccarone said, “Our dad never spoke about the war and we only recently learned the extent of his service in reviewing his honorable discharge.”

Yet there were stories aplenty when Mario’s family celebrated his milestone inside The Bridge at Cherry Hill’s dining room during a fun-filled party that included his eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

“My dad was all about God, country and family,” Robert explained. “He was very religious. He taught us great family values and almost unmatched work ethic. He is a marvelous man who loves life and people.”

Perhaps Maccarone was a carbon copy of his father – Vincenzo “Jim” Maccarone – who immigrated to the United States from Italy when he was just seven years old.

As the Maccarone family history has it, Vincenzo worked in the Rhode Island textile mills and even had an after-work job selling ice cream from a horse-and-cart in Providence and Warwick.

“My dad went on the ice cream route with his father,” said Robert Maccarone. “He used to say the horse knew the route and exactly when and where to stop.”

After learning the ropes from his father, Mario Maccarone started selling ice cream – “from a Ford Model T truck” as Robert said, “and also worked odd jobs until he entered the U.S. Army in 1941.”

In 1943, Mario married Lucia Giuliani, also of Providence, who he dated for some time.

“Dad wanted to be sure she was the right one,” said Robert,

Mario and Lucia were married 66 years when she passed away in 2008 at age 91.

But it was after his return from the war that Mario began a journey – “with his wife’s help and support and founded the White Mountain Ice Cream Company that was then based in Providence.” Mario manufactured his own high-quality ice cream that he sold in the areas of Mount Pleasant and North Providence, according to Robert.

“Dad worked on the ice cream route, which was seasonal from April to October, until he was 81 years old,” said Robert. “He bought his last ice cream truck at age 71. In all, he sold ice cream for 65 years. He loved his business and loved his customers. We all have fond memories of our father coming in at 11 p.m. and my mother having dinner ready for him.”

Mario, said son Robert, “used to come home whistling, and I remember him telling mom how good the people on his ice cream route were. Dad even knew the name of every child and family on his route, and he expected my brother and I do to the same thing on our ice cream routes.”

The Maccarone brothers were also involved in the White Mountain Ice Cream Company. Jim sold ice cream in Smithfield and North Smithfield while Ronald and Robert peddled the family product in Greenville and North Providence.

“It was a wonderful life,” Robert said. “We worked and did everything as a family. Mom was definitely the woman behind the man – and his children – who worked 80 hours per week and made their product a household name for years under his mother’s special slogan, Peak of Quality. That included dad importing cocoa from Holland to make chocolate as well as other secret ingredients from places like Mexico…everything was fresh and we used to sell ice cream for five cents.”

While the Maccarone family story is unique, so was the marriage of Mario and Lucia who, as Robert noted during dad’s birthday bash, “My father and mother were married 67 years – longer than I’ve lived – and they dated for four years prior to getting married. Together, they raised a family in Cranston’s Eden Park, educated four children and together we operated the White Mountain Ice Cream Company – the Peak of Quality.”

 

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PROUD POP: Mario “Jim” Maccarone is joined by his four children, Ronald, James, Mary Lou and Robert, during his 100th birthday celebration at The Bridge at Cherry Hill in Johnston. (Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

 

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CENTENARIAN CAKE: This was the classic cake that Mario Maccarone’s family enjoyed during his 100th birthday party at his residence, The Bridge at Cherry Hill in Johnston.