Serving the public since 1944 Icy treats at Lemon Ice King of Corona

by Kristen Guglielmo Associate Editor

At the end of the opening sequence to the 1998 sitcom “The King of Queens,” Kevin James can be seen comically dropping a scoop of Italian ice.

The storefront is The Lemon Ice King of Corona, founded by Nicola Benfaremo in 1944. And if you look closely, you’ll see Michael Zampino, the shop’s current owner, scooping the treat in the background.

“I was just a neighborhood kid that got a job,” Zampino said. “[Benfaremo’s] son, Pete, was in the service in World War II and when he came back, he took the business to the next level. And I worked for him as a kid.”

“I had been working for him around 10 years at that point,” he said. “I was his No. 1 man.”

Reflecting on how he keeps business afloat year-round among the competitors, Zampino said, “First and foremost, it’s about quality. And being nice to our customers so they come back.” And they do come back: Zampino said generations of people frequent the establishment, often bringing their children, saying they used to come when they were kids themselves.

Even at 11 a.m. on a chilly weekday, the shop saw regular customers popping up at the window to order and greet Zampino and staff.

Frozen Delights

The Lemon Ice King of Corona, located at 52-02 108 St., is known as an institution of the area. Queens residents show up even in the cold for a scoop of Italian ice.

Asked how he became owner, Zampino said Pete hand-picked him once he decided to sell the business after his wife got sick.

The Italian ices are available in dozens of flavors, of which — of course — lemon is the most popular. The menu touts traditional offerings, like cherry and coconut, but also has more unusual options, like licorice, rum raisin and coffee.

“The hidden gem is the peanut butter,” Zampino said. “People make faces when they hear peanut butter, but they end up really liking it.”

Notably, the treats manage to somehow be creamy while being dairy-free and still having a classically icy consistency.

“I don’t want to call it a secret, but that’s our secret,” Zampino said. “It’s the consistency.”

The shop also gets a lot of German tourists, Zampino said, due to “The King of Queens” being widely syndicated in the country. Asked what he hopes for the future, Zampino said it’s that business picks up. “Mother Nature is the silent partner here,” he said. “When it starts getting cold, business slows down. So let’s hope she works with us.” Q