Schiele Museum wants to break Guinness record for most people making ice cream

Gastonia’s Schiele Museum of Natural History is attempting to set a Guinness world record for the most people making ice cream at one time.

At 1 p.m. May 23, as part of its new exhibit, “The Scoop on Ice Cream,” the Schiele will attempt to break the record. The first 300 participants will get a certificate in recognition. Visitors will be able to discover the science of ice cream through demonstrations and activities – and sample traditional and unusual flavors.

Tony Pasour, project manager of the ice cream exhibit, said about half of the exhibit will showcase Tony’s Ice Cream, a landmark celebrating 100 years in business in Gastonia. Carmine Coletta, who came to America with his family in 1911, started making and selling ice cream in 1915 from carts and horse-drawn wagons, mostly to the mill workers in Gastonia. One of Carmine’s horse-drawn wagons is on display at the Gaston County Museum of History in Dallas.

Carmine Coletta’s daughter, Mary, married Antonio “Tony” Janetta. He and Coletta’s son, Tony, opened several retail ice cream stores in Gastonia. At one time, there were four neighborhood stores.

In 1947, Tony Coletta and Tony Janetta opened the store at 604 E. Franklin St. in downtown Gastonia. They started a grill in the store and began selling hot dogs, burgers, ham sandwiches, barbecue, breakfast sandwiches, etc., which became wildly popular. Janetta died in 1971 and Coletta in 1976. The fifth generation of Colettas now runs the ice cream business.

The ice cream is produced in a building across the street. Louis Coletta said the business makes an average of 2,000 gallons a week in summer and about half of that in winter.

The exhibit at Schiele Museum will include several items used in the business throughout its history, including scoops (one has Carmine Coletta’s initials engraved on it), an ice cream machine, milkshake machine, a replica of Carmine’s original push cart, and milk cans. The exhibit will replicate a 1960s-era ice cream shop.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Schiele Museum wants to break Guinness record for most people making ice cream."