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As It Happens

Ice cream truck driver gives us the inside scoop on New York turf wars

A Mister Softee ice cream truck driver takes a breather from dishing out the good stuff to dish on the ruthless ice cream turf wars unfolding in New York City.
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'All I can do is just serve ice cream to the kids and make them happy,' says 25-year-old Mister Softee driver Ricardo Cruz when asked about New York turf wars. (Submitted by Ricardo Cruz)
As It Happens7:53Mister Softee ice cream truck driver gives us the inside scoop on New York turf wars

This story was originally published  June 2, 2016.

Revenge is a dish best served cold — with sprinkles and hot fudge.

Don't let the joyous little song and the light-hearted names on the sides of the trucks fool you: ice cream outfits like Mister Softee have got it hard — and particularly in New York. 

There's a long history of ice cream turf wars in the Big Apple and lately the competition is bubbling over like a badly poured float, the New York Times reports.

"It's like selling drugs,"  Mister Softee truck driver Ricardo Cruz told As It Happens host Carol Off. "You're fighting for turf, you're fighting for a block, for a school or this corner."

A Mister Softee ice cream truck makes its way through the streets of Brooklyn. (Bebeto Matthews/The Associated Press)


The 25-year-old only started working for the long-established company three months ago, but grew up across from a Mister Softee garage.

Cruz says his first day behind the wheel was "crucial" to understanding the game. He trained with a veteran driver known to carry a baseball bat.

"[He] put me on to this ice cream life," Cruz said. "Can I just keep it real with you guys? Like it's just for defence, but we keep a machete — we don't keep a bat."

As It Happens0:50Mister Softee driver shouts out his partner, AIH, The New York Times and most of all, Drake
After a candid interview on the ice cream truck turf wars in New York, Mister Softee truck driver Ricardo Cruz asks As It Happens host Carol Off if he can do a couple shout outs.

The recent turf wars began after former Mister Softee employees went rogue and formed a new company called New York Ice Cream.

Now, drivers of the upstart and Mister Softee are fighting to hold down their routes.

People line up to buy ice cream from a truck during a heat wave in New York in 2013. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Competition is just as fierce from other vendors hawking goods like pretzels and hot dogs. In his short career, Cruz says he has already had a number of altercations, including one with a rival New York Ice Cream driver who smacked his truck to try and intimidate him.

"They think they own Midtown," Cruz said. "All I say to them is they're not going to push me off where I'm making my money at. That's all I'm saying. I'm not scared of none of that. First come, first serve."

Despite carrying a machete, Cruz made it clear he doesn't want any trouble.

But running around with a lot of money, especially on his lucrative Manhattan route, it's a precaution he needs to take for self defence.

"All I can do is just serve ice cream to the kids and make them happy," Cruz said. "I believe nothing is going to happen to me because I'm not doing anything negative in order to get negative back — I'm doing positive."



Cruz, a father of three, works seven days a week and hopes to save enough money to eventually invest in his own truck. But at present, he's just as concerned with getting the ear of Canadian hip hop star Drake, who he shouted out at the end of the interview.

"Drake, you come to my ice cream truck any time. We do parties. If you want to rent us, hit me up!"

So, Drake, if you're reading this, it's not too late.

Contact us at: aih@cbc.ca. 

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