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Vito Citrano and his father Giuseppe Citrano, photo courtesy of the Citrano family.
Author: Michael Perlman
mperlman@queensledger.com
Forest Hills is known for tennis, music, the first planned garden community; Forest Hills Gardens, and of course, ice cream! Eddie’s Sweet Shop, located at 105-29 Metropolitan Avenue, holds the record as the city’s most complete and possibly longest continuously operating ice cream shop.
On September 24, the historic ice cream parlor received a certificate that read: “Eddie’s Dessert Shop in Forest Hills, New York has been designated a New York State Historic Business and has been added to the Historic Business Preservation Registry by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.” The agreement was signed by 15th Senate District Commissioner Kathy Moser and Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
It was a glorious moment for owner Vito Citrano and his wife Angelina Citrano, as well as his father Giuseppe (Joe) Citrano. “We are honored that Eddie’s Dessert Shop has been designated by the Historic Business Preservation Registry. We are very proud that it is the ongoing legacy of this old-school ice cream shop for all to enjoy,” said Vito and Angelina.
“It’s great that little Senator Addabbo came to our store and presented us with such a prestigious honor,” Vito said. “What a wonderful and fun afternoon it was for our family. The Senator arrived before we opened our store to the public, so it was a beautiful private presentation,” Angelina continued.
They plan to display the certificate in a place where everyone can recognize it, from loyal local customers to tourists. The presentation will also spark memories for the Citrano family and its dedicated employees and remind them how lucky they are to have achieved this milestone. The couple explained: “Our new customers are also keen to hear about our achievements because when you step into our store you feel like you have stepped back in time and this certificate proves it. You feel like you are in such a special place enjoying the amazing things we have prepared in store over the years.”
According to city records, a new building application was submitted for 105-29 Metropolitan Avenue on June 24, 1925, calling for a two-story brick building with shops on the first floor and residences on the second floor. Certificate of occupancy was issued to J. Rosenberg on September 10, 1925. Seelig & Finkelstein of 44 Court Street, Brooklyn, drafted the blueprints and Isidore Solomon was to become the property owner. Still, the earliest commercial records remain to be seen. Rumor has it that the location has an ice cream bakery with a lunch counter.
Historic facade and recently restored neon sign, photo by Angelina Citrano.
Around 1949, the store was named Witt’s Ice Cream Parlor after owner William Witt. The ad says “We make our own,” referring to the ice cream and candy. Customers can call BO 8-9794. After retiring to Florida in 1967, the store was sold to the Citrano family, who renamed the historic location Eddie’s Dessert Shop in 1968. At the time, Vito was only one year old. He started helping out as a child but didn’t get paid until he was 12 years old. Giuseppe and his son Vito Citrano of Forest Hills coined the slogan, “Take your kids where their grandparents had ice cream” and “A Forest Hills tradition for four generations.” Three generations worked side by side until the death of Vito’s grandfather (also Vito) in September 1995.
On July 20, 1979, when classic ice cream parlors were on the verge of extinction, The New York Times’ Ann Barry wrote “Where to Find the Best Ice Cream in Town.” She based her research on the atmosphere and quality ingredients, and artist Randy Jones drew the “Great Ice Cream Journey” comic. It features elephants jumping into both classic and more modern living rooms. The elephant eventually saves Eddie’s Dessert Shop, and a customer sitting on a revolving stool says, “This antique shop will be a beautiful trophy for the Smithsonian Institution!”
The landmark Metropolitan Avenue corner features an authentic brick wall and signage reading “Eddie’s Dessert Shop” and “Ice Cream” along with the Coca-Cola emblem. The top window pane had leaded glass with the words “Candy” and “Ice Cream” written on it. The inner panel of leaded glass depicts a sunburst pattern with tulips.
The interior décor is reminiscent of the turn of the 19th century, dominated by mosaic floors inlaid with honeycomb patterns and stamped tin ceilings with rose moldings. Customers arrive at an elegant mahogany and marble counter with cast-iron swivel stools, where they sit elbow to elbow facing friendly soda drinkers. The timeless backdrop of gorgeous wood built-ins features two arched inlaid mirrors and 3 different arched pediments, enhanced by a stenciled floral gold leaf design with hints of red and green. The antique cash register was manufactured by the National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio. Also of significance is one of the first electric refrigerators. Authentic tapestry-embellished woodwork and sconce fixtures surround the rear seating area. The woodwork is topped by a wall clock produced by the pioneer Seth Thomas Clock Company, which also produced the Grand Central Station clock. Another treat is the classic wooden phone booth.
Looking back at how this beloved ice cream shop has stood the test of time, the Citrano family has a lot to share. “We have enjoyed watching Eddie’s Sweet Shop serve generations of customers as well as new customers over the years. Our family estimates that we have worked on over 30 movies, commercials and commercials in the years we have owned the store. Eddie’s Sweet Shop hosted a movie chapter that included scenes from Brighton Beach Memoirs and Find Me. Some TV commercials include Hostess, and TV commercials include Sherry.
“My dad taught me not to be afraid to work hard,” Vito said. “When it comes time to make hot fudge, I keep stirring until it’s just right, no matter how late it is or how tired I am.” Angelina is grateful, too. “We’ve had so many proposals at Eddie’s that our first wedding of 2020 was held right on our doorstep. We were honored!”
Original flavors include rum raisin, butter pecan and assorted fruit. Two interior art deco “sundae” logos originate from the famous Horn & Hardart Automat chain. The delicious menu continues to evolve, appealing to increasingly diverse palates, but originality, authenticity and magic remain the same. “We make special flavors that we haven’t prepared in the past, like pumpkin spice. We’ve been preparing it for a few years and our customers love it,” Angelina said. Vito continued, “In the summer, we have blueberry and peach flavors available, and people can’t wait to come in and get some in late spring or early summer. When those flavors aren’t available, customers will definitely feel sad because they love them.”
Employees and customers have become one extended family, drawn not only to the ice cream sundaes but also to the coffee, chocolate sodas and vanilla ice cream sodas. Vito explains, “We added a hot chocolate menu, which we both love so much, and of course, the classic vanilla hot fudge sundae is always great.” Angelina added, “We all love to enjoy some delicious treats here after get off work, but my favorite is the raspberry ice cream with a marshmallow sundae. It takes me back to when Vito and I first went on a date here and we were so, we can’t forget how delicious and coffee and milkshakes we had!”
“We hope to continue preparing delicious homemade ice cream, toppings and whipped cream,” Vito said. Every day is filled with wonderful celebrations, “Eddie’s Sweet Shop Style”. He continued, “We are very much looking forward to our 100th birthday in the summer of 2025, and it’s our 101st this year, which is special and fun. In addition to our family’s milestones, we have many different milestones and we are honored to have many customers celebrate here with their families.” These include proposals, engagement parties, birthday parties, weddings, retirement parties, gender secret events. Eddie’s Desserts became the go-to spot when babies were introduced to dairy products for the first time. “We recently had a very special customer who celebrated her 100th birthdayth birthday and we are so excited to celebrate her with her,” Angelina said.
Holding up the Monopoly Queen featuring Eddie’s Dessert Shop, photo courtesy of the Citrano Family.
Vito and Angelina present the “Queen’s Edition of Monopoly” to Senator Addabbo. Having Eddie’s Sweet Shop on the board of directors in 2024 is a true honor, and the couple remains grateful to the customers who voted for their store. “The Monopoly Queen game is selling really well. Everyone loves it and of course plays the game with the family trying to buy Eddie’s game. We love hearing all their funny stories and looking at the photos,” Angelina said.
The promotions have been going on since the beginning. “If you buy a Monopoly Queen board at Eddie’s for $45 (plus tax), you’ll receive a $20 gift certificate that can be used toward ice cream on your next visit. People have been loving it and thanking us,” Vito. Plus, it’s worthwhile considering the Citrano family’s humanitarian spirit, which has seen them donate numerous donations to various schools and fundraisers.
They shared some of Eddie’s Dessert Shop’s secrets to success with aspiring entrepreneurs. “We would tell anyone looking to open a mom-and-pop shop to dream big and have big goals, but have an amazing product that will make a huge impact.”
Vito and Angelina explain: “We love that everyone can enjoy the unique treats made with quality ingredients at Eddie’s. Some people have been loyal customers for years, taking a break from a busy day. A family walks in for a dessert, a couple enjoys an ice cream date. We all love it all.”