We can’t imagine a more appropriate setting for the Rita’s story to begin than the sweltering hot summer of 1984. It was then that Bob Tumolo, a former Philadelphia firefighter, started selling Italian Ice from a small porch window in Bensalem, PA. Bob and his mother, Elizabeth, created their own Italian Ice recipe, which they made fresh each day and quickly perfected the flavors and consistency of the frozen treat, adding chunks of fresh fruit to some of the flavors. With the modest goal of earning a little extra income, he named the business after his wife, RITA!
