NYC confiscates 34 ice cream trucks, striking back against scofflaws.

In a story first reported in the New York Times, New York City came up with a clever way to punish companies not paying fines on illegally parked trucks.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

This happened in 2019, proving that, while New York was still crazy, it had a more whimsical veneer.

One hot day in June, the city hijacked 34 of them. They towed them away and parked them next to New York’s worst polluting power plant in Ravenswood, Long Island City.

“By constantly changing companies, operators could continue to re-register their trucks while eluding city officials,” the Times said.

“The truck owners ‘sought to evade enforcement of our traffic laws through an elaborate shell game, transferring ownership of their ice cream trucks between and among dozens of phony companies, effectively shielding their trucks from fines and seizure,’ said Zachary W. Carter, the city’s corporation counsel.”

When New York City confiscates 34 ice cream trucks…

It’s a piece of a continuing saga of trouble with these seemingly innocent pieces of wheeled commerce. When NYC confiscates 34 ice cream trucks, it pales next to the turf wars in which they’ve been involved.

• The icy backstory to that ‘clink clink’ you’ll hear when raising a toast to the end of 2020
• Only in New York, il laboratorio del gelato, best in the universe
• Gauguin’s Cat – A Whimsical Cat Art Parody
• Let’s make a smart traffic plan for Roosevelt Island…
• TUGBOATS EAST RIVER FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY PRINT

As Eater New York reported…

Summer is just barely unofficially back and so is the now-infamous soft serve brawl between longtime giant Mister Softee and young disruptor New York Ice Cream. The fight between the two ice cream trucks is now several years deepand returns this year with theatrics like private investigators and violent intimidation tactics.

Eater New York

Read the original article…

More from New York City…

Latest posts from Assorted Ideas, Large & Small

• 
  MTA Launches Six-Year Signal and Track Overhaul on A and C Subway Lines
  The MTA launches a six-year signal and track overhaul on A and C subway lines, bringing CBTC and major infrastructure upgrades to the Fulton and Liberty Avenue corridors through 2032.
• 
  Long Island City Rent Overcharge Lawsuit Seeks $50 Million Against Developer
  A Long Island City rent overcharge lawsuit seeks about $50 million from Rockrose Development, raising questions about billing practices, tenant protections, and legal oversight in NYC’s fast-changing rental market.
• 
  Astoria E-Scooter Rider Dies After Northern Boulevard Crash in Long Island City
  A 22-year-old Astoria e-scooter rider died after a Northern Boulevard crash in Long Island City. Details remain under investigation, highlighting micromobility risks on busy city streets.
• 
  Hate Crime Charges Filed After Vandalism at Fresh Meadows Kosher Bagel Shop
  Hate crime charges have been filed after vandalism at a kosher bagel shop in Fresh Meadows, with prosecutors alleging bias-motivated acts. Hearings are set in New York’s legal process.
• 
  Midtown Subway Shooting Leaves 26-Year-Old Dead; Queens Incidents Separate
  A shooting inside a Manhattan subway station left a 26-year-old dead. Police investigate the Midtown incident and separate shootings in Queens as commuters seek safety.

Stack Work Advances While Answers Do Not

HPD told the CAG there was no projected start date and that five business days’ notice would be given. Work on the eastern smokestack began six days later.

Theo Gobblevelt Jul 3, 2026

On June 17 and 18, HPD told the first meeting of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant Demolition Community Advisory Group that smokestack demolition had no projected start date. Residents and the CAG would receive at least five business days’ advance notice once a date was set. Scaffolding around the stacks could not proceed until soil removal and backfill were complete and the area stabilized.

Continue reading →