Tom Carvel
Encyclopedia
Thomas A. Carvelas, also known as Tom Carvel (July 14, 1906 – October 21, 1990) was a Greek
-born American
businessman and entrepreneur
known for the invention and promotion of soft ice cream
in the northeastern United States
. He is the founder of the Carvel brand and franchise
, and often considered the father of modern franchising in the United States
.
, in 1929, out of his truck. Then, on Memorial Day
weekend of 1934, Carvel's truck suffered a flat tire—so he pulled into a parking lot next to a pottery store and began selling his melting ice cream to vacationers driving by. When (within two days) he realized he had sold his entire supply of ice cream, he concluded that he could increase his profits by working from a fixed location (rather than traveling).
The owner of the pottery store consented to allow Carvel to use electricity from his store, so he opened his parked truck for ice cream sales.
.
Carvel also developed new refrigeration
machines and sold his designs. After World War II
, he began to franchise his ice cream stores.
Carvel was featured in his own advertisements as the company believed that his gravelly voice and personal charm were important factors in the success of his business.
The Carvel company specialized in ice cream cake
s, often in the shapes of animals. Two of the most popular ice cream novelties introduced by his business were "Fudgie The Whale
" and "Cookie Puss
".
, Dutchess County, New York
, in 1990 and is buried with his wife Agnes in Ferncliff Cemetery
in Hartsdale, New York, which is only a couple of miles away from the spot where he began selling ice cream in 1929.
Pamela Carvel, a niece of the late Tom Carvel, is not convinced that her uncle died of natural causes in his upstate New York home. She thinks he was killed because he realized employees had been stealing millions from his company. A private investigator for the niece says the doctor whose name is on Tom Carvel's death certificate has admitted he can't recall signing it—and the handwriting that appears on another part of the document and explains how Carvel died does not appear to be his.
Pamela wants to have Carvel's body exhumed for an autopsy.
Pamela and other relatives have long suspected Tom Carvel was drugged or suffocated by someone he thought was stealing money from him. His death sparked a complex and still-pending battle over his estate, stemming largely from questions about money Carvel had earmarked for donation to children's charities. Pamela Carvel suspects an untold amount was stolen instead of going to those charitable causes.
The charges and countercharges through the years have included accusations that Pamela Carvel was herself trying to steal from the Carvel estate after her uncle's widow, Agnes, died in 1998.
Pamela Carvel says his death occurred one day before he had planned to fire two veteran employees he had suspected of stealing from him. Her uncle died as she was heading back to New York at his behest to help investigate how he suspected his ice cream empire was being systematically embezzled.
While the timing of his death was suspicious, it took a back seat to the family's grief. No autopsy was performed.
Subsequently, there were more and more suspicions of financial chicanery and missing money.
In April 2007, members of his family went to federal court
to have Carvel's body exhumed and an autopsy performed to investigate whether he was poisoned. Some family members suspected he was drugged or suffocated by employees Carvel himself suspected of embezzlement.
In May, 2007 a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale ruled that Carvelʼs exhumation is a matter for New York courts
to decide.
There is no public record indicating an exhumation request has, to date, been filed in New York.
Carvel's estate is said to be worth about $80 million to $250 million.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
known for the invention and promotion of soft ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
in the northeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is the founder of the Carvel brand and franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
, and often considered the father of modern franchising in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early business career
Carvel began selling ice cream in Hartsdale, New YorkHartsdale, New York
Hartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at ....
, in 1929, out of his truck. Then, on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend of 1934, Carvel's truck suffered a flat tire—so he pulled into a parking lot next to a pottery store and began selling his melting ice cream to vacationers driving by. When (within two days) he realized he had sold his entire supply of ice cream, he concluded that he could increase his profits by working from a fixed location (rather than traveling).
The owner of the pottery store consented to allow Carvel to use electricity from his store, so he opened his parked truck for ice cream sales.
Founds Carvel Brand as a franchise
Two years later (in 1936) Carvel purchased the pottery store and converted it into a roadside ice cream stand; this permanently established Carvel as the first retailer to develop and market soft ice cream. The same year, he established the Carvel Brand Corporation and developed a secret soft-serve ice cream formula. As of 2006, the Carvel Corporation is headquartered in Farmington, ConnecticutFarmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
.
Carvel also developed new refrigeration
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
machines and sold his designs. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he began to franchise his ice cream stores.
Carvel was featured in his own advertisements as the company believed that his gravelly voice and personal charm were important factors in the success of his business.
The Carvel company specialized in ice cream cake
Ice cream cake
Ice cream cake is either ice cream in the shape of a cake or ice cream and cake layered together to make a single form. The idea of ice cream cake came from desserts composed of cream and cookies or cake called trifles, which first turned up in the Renaissance...
s, often in the shapes of animals. Two of the most popular ice cream novelties introduced by his business were "Fudgie The Whale
Fudgie The Whale
Fudgie the Whale is a type of ice cream cake produced and sold by Carvel in its franchise stores. It was developed by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made products, along with Hug-Me Bear and Cookie Puss.-Development:...
" and "Cookie Puss
Cookie Puss
Cookie Puss is an ice cream cake character created by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made products sold only in its stores, along with Hug-Me Bear and Fudgie the Whale...
".
Death and controversy
Tom Carvel died in Pine PlainsPine Plains (town), New York
Pine Plains is a town in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,569 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the geographic character of the region.The Hamlet of Pine Plains is on the north border of the county.-History:...
, Dutchess County, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in 1990 and is buried with his wife Agnes in Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
in Hartsdale, New York, which is only a couple of miles away from the spot where he began selling ice cream in 1929.
Pamela Carvel, a niece of the late Tom Carvel, is not convinced that her uncle died of natural causes in his upstate New York home. She thinks he was killed because he realized employees had been stealing millions from his company. A private investigator for the niece says the doctor whose name is on Tom Carvel's death certificate has admitted he can't recall signing it—and the handwriting that appears on another part of the document and explains how Carvel died does not appear to be his.
Pamela wants to have Carvel's body exhumed for an autopsy.
Pamela and other relatives have long suspected Tom Carvel was drugged or suffocated by someone he thought was stealing money from him. His death sparked a complex and still-pending battle over his estate, stemming largely from questions about money Carvel had earmarked for donation to children's charities. Pamela Carvel suspects an untold amount was stolen instead of going to those charitable causes.
The charges and countercharges through the years have included accusations that Pamela Carvel was herself trying to steal from the Carvel estate after her uncle's widow, Agnes, died in 1998.
Pamela Carvel says his death occurred one day before he had planned to fire two veteran employees he had suspected of stealing from him. Her uncle died as she was heading back to New York at his behest to help investigate how he suspected his ice cream empire was being systematically embezzled.
While the timing of his death was suspicious, it took a back seat to the family's grief. No autopsy was performed.
Subsequently, there were more and more suspicions of financial chicanery and missing money.
In April 2007, members of his family went to federal court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
to have Carvel's body exhumed and an autopsy performed to investigate whether he was poisoned. Some family members suspected he was drugged or suffocated by employees Carvel himself suspected of embezzlement.
In May, 2007 a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale ruled that Carvelʼs exhumation is a matter for New York courts
to decide.
There is no public record indicating an exhumation request has, to date, been filed in New York.
Carvel's estate is said to be worth about $80 million to $250 million.
See also
- Carvel Brand Ice Cream
- "Fudgie the WhaleFudgie The WhaleFudgie the Whale is a type of ice cream cake produced and sold by Carvel in its franchise stores. It was developed by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made products, along with Hug-Me Bear and Cookie Puss.-Development:...
" - "Cookie PussCookie PussCookie Puss is an ice cream cake character created by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made products sold only in its stores, along with Hug-Me Bear and Fudgie the Whale...
" - FranchisingFranchisingFranchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
- EntrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s