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08/23/2017 08:30 AMThe rain has barely stopped after a big lunchtime downpour but it’s 3 p.m. on a Friday in August, so Papa Joe, his dog Bailey and the Good Humor ice cream truck are right here, ready for the Farmer’s Market on the Madison Town Green.
“I won’t sell any ice cream today, but I come down because everyone knows I’m here in the summer,” he says.
And Joseph Barbato, known to ice-cream lovers everywhere as Papa Joe, has been here in Madison selling sweet treats every summer for the past 27 years. As the season fades to fall, Joe will pull the truck over for the last time this year—a big change for one of the shoreline’s most popular businesspeople.
“I’m going to miss it something awful. I don’t know what I’ll do after I stop, but until then, I’m enjoying my final summer,” he says.
“The people of Madison are fantastic and I appreciate their business,” he says. “They have all been very, very loyal to me and it means a lot. I love the people and I love the kids.”
Joe’s daughter and owner of Madison’s bellaPerlina Jewelry, Andrea Panullo, is pleased to invite the whole town to a special Papa Joe Appreciation Day event at the American Legion Hall in Madison on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.
“It’s a chance for local kids—and those who were kids—to say goodbye to Papa Joe, and we’d love people to bring photos and share their memories,” she says.
It’s sure to be a big crowd and Panullo knows the special place that Joe holds in the heart of Madison.
“He’s Papa Joe and everyone knows him. He used to read at the schools and he would always read the same book: Casey at the Bat,” she says. “When Academy School was open, he would park there and the kids would walk up from Island Avenue school. There was always a long line, so Dad would ask trivia questions and give free ice cream to the winner.”
With genuine pride and emotion, Andrea shares the value of her father’s legacy.
“Papa Joe brought back something that was missing in this town—and he did it with love, enthusiasm and excitement,” she says.
In 2016, Joe was named Citizen of the Year by the Madison Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Executive Director Eileen Banisch says that Papa Joe was a natural selection for the accolade, and that locals will certainly miss seeing him on the truck.
“Papa Joe embodies all that’s great about a small town like Madison. Kids love him and grown-ups are reminded of a simpler time in their lives,” she says. “It’s not just the truck and the ice cream, it is his personality and of course Bailey as well as other canine accomplices who have gone before. I feel a special connection, too, as Joe was our ‘wedding cake’ provider.”
With an impressive 27 years on the job, Joe says that remarkably little changed in the iconic business.
“Nothing has changed except the prices. The ice creams are all the same and the customers are always great,” he says. “The kids’ eyes light up when they hear the bell. They can’t wait for me to come. And that’s been the best part of the job.”
It’s a group effort for the Madison Good Humor team. Wearing his customary white shirt and brimmed hat, both embroidered with “Papa Joe,” the seller has always been accompanied by his best canine friend. Customers will remember Margaret, Hope, Charlie, and Belle sitting patiently on the truck.
These days the important post belongs to part golden retriever and part yellow Labrador, Bailey. Joining the job as a puppy, Bailey has greeted customers for five great seasons.
“I’ve always had a dog by my side on the truck and Bailey does a great job.” Joe says. “All of my dogs have loved the truck and they’ve loved the children.”
Amazingly, there has only ever been one vehicle. Papa Joe’s distinctive white 1967 Ford truck is covered with colorful signs of all the treats staying cold in the frosty compartments. The back of the truck bears the bumper stickers of Madison lacrosse, baseball, and soccer; and Joe attends them all.
“I go to all the games and I love it. I also go to the markets and both beaches—East Wharf and West Wharf. And I drive down the streets of Madison. Everywhere there’s people, I’m there.”
The classic truck won’t be complete without the shiny bell hanging from the rearview window. Joe rings the bell and it’s the sound of childhood, eliciting a Pavlovian response that inspires people to track down the truck.
“One day, I was driving the truck down Main Street and this guy started chasing me down the road, yelling out to stop. Now, he was no young kid, he was like 55 or 60, and he’s here running me down. I thought he was going to have a heart attack. When I pull over and he catches his breath, he says, ‘I don’t want no ice cream, I just want you to ring the bell,’” Joe says.
“I did and he just smiled—it brought back great memories for him. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Good Humor truck is popular at birthday parties, reunions, and all kinds of events that bring hungry people together. And the most popular event that needs a truck full of ice cream?
“Weddings. I do lots of weddings and people just love it.”
Born and raised in New Haven, Joe was a pro baseball player in Detroit and owned his own insurance company, before a rather casual start to his ice cream selling career.
“I was retired and looking for something to do and I saw the ad for the ice cream truck business. I said, ‘I’ll try it out for a couple of weeks.’ And here I am, 27 years later,” he says. “Other ice cream trucks have come and gone, and I’ve outlasted them all.”
Joe so loved Madison, he moved here 15 years ago, now sharing a hometown with his two daughters, Andrea and Linsley Barbato, while he has one son, also named Joe, in Florida. If you think that Joe is missing the opportunity to sell ice cream year-round in the Sunshine State, you’d be wrong.
“You know what the two most popular states are for ice cream sales? It’s Connecticut and Massachusetts! Two cold weather states sell the most ice-cream,” Joe says.
It’s the classic varieties that sell big on Papa Joe’s run: Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich, Choco Taco, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Original. But the biggest seller is Joe’s personal favorite: Toasted Almond.
Ice-cream lovers of the shoreline need not despair, however, while Papa Joe is retiring the Good Humor vehicle will, well, keep on truckin’. Madison’s new ice-cream man, Jim Rinere, will take the wheel next summer.
“Coach Jim is a resident of Madison and he will carry on the tradition,” Joe says. “It was very important to me to get the right person to take over the business. Coach Jim loves kids and will be an asset to the community.”
Coach Jim is excited to take up the mantle and locals will have a chance to meet him—and receive a free ice-cream—at the Papa Joe Appreciation Day.
“I first met Papa Joe on the 4th of July, 22 years ago, and he instantly became my hero. Every time I met him I was impressed with his energy. He just brings a smile to so many people,” Jim says.
“I was the president of Madison Youth Lacrosse for many years and I love kids, so when the opportunity came up to own the ice cream van here, I was just really excited.”
And just like Papa Joe, he will have a special canine assistant with his dog, Lola, on the truck, starting next summer.
“For me, it’s about keeping the tradition alive. In our world of high technology, there are lots of things that change but some things just need to stay the same, and Papa Joe’s legacy is one of those things.”
With “so many tremendous memories,” Joe’s farewell message to his customers and loyal fans of all ages reflects the messenger—direct, heartfelt, and delivered with a grin.
“Thank you, everyone. I love you all,” he says.
Papa Joe Appreciation Day is at the American Legion Hall, 43 Bradley Road, Madison, on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. All welcome.