Ice cream truck operators stalked, harassed rival: Gloversville police

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

Police lodged charges Tuesday against two ice-cream truck operators accused of harassing a driver from a competing ice cream truck company.

Joshua V. Malatino, 34, and Amanda C. Scott, 21, both of 62 East Boulevard in Gloversville, were charged with second-degree harassment and fourth-degree stalking, according to a release from the Gloversville Police Department.

Police in the release allege an investigation showed Scott and Malatino, who own several “Sno Cone Joe” ice cream trucks, were “found to have shown a pattern of stalking and harassing behavior towards the rival ice cream truck.”

Police followed up on a complaint lodged by an unidentified driver of a “Mr. Ding-A-Ling” ice cream truck who alleged both Scott and Malatino were following his truck, blaring their music and offering free ice cream to his customers in an effort to corner the ice cream market.

Police further allege Malatino shouted out at the Mr. Ding-A-Ling driver that his business “controls the ice cream sales market in the city of Gloversville.”

Police allege the incidents took place on three separate occasions: on April 16 on West Eighth Avenue; on April 19 on Forest Street and again on April 28 on North Main Street.

Calls to the Gloversville Police Department have not been returned this afternoon, and calls to the Malatino residence are not being answered.

A woman who answered the phone at the Latham-based Mr. Ding-A-Ling headquarters this afternoon said she was too busy to find a company official to speak with the press.