Bensonhurst Ice Cream Girl pens children’s book

Bensonhurst native Maria Campanella, also known by locals as “The Ice Cream Girl,” has taken her 32 years of experience driving an ice cream truck and written a children’s book inspired by her life called Maria the Ice Cream Girl, a story about giving back and helping others in need.

The book follows the journey of a girl and her sidekick puppy as they travel in the ice cream truck and help children cope with their problems. “This book is to inspire children to give everybody a chance in life and help people, even if they mess up,” she said. “People need each other. It’s also about giving it all you’ve got.”

To some degree, Campanella learned that lesson from her father, nicknamed Chubby, from whom she inherited the truck and who started the business in 1944 on a bicycle after retiring from the Army.

Eventually, Campanella’s father – recognizing that his daughter was a struggling teen — got her involved in the family business. “He tried to persuade me to do something with my life and become more focused,” Campanella recalled. “He put me on the right track.”

Fast-forward 20 years, and changes in the neighborhood and competition led to a decrease in business for the Campanellas. Then six years ago, Campanella’s father died, leaving Campanella determined both to keep the business going and to branch out.

A friend mentioned to Campanella that she should do something creative. Although her first goal was to create an animated series, she came up with the idea of writing a children’s book focused on the ice cream truck and loosely based on her life.

“Four years ago, even when business was slowing down, I saved every penny I could to write the book,” Campanella recalled. “It just came to life. It took a long time and a lot of sacrifice because of the money.”

Although finances were difficult, the writing process came easy to Campanella. “The pieces to the book came so natural,” she said. “Once I started, it wasn’t that hard. It was so real to my life.” With the help of an illustrator, the book was finally completed.

One of the toughest obstacles while penning the children’s book was a lack of support. “People didn’t believe in me when I’d mention it,” she said. “They would quickly get off the subject. That was really hard.”

Another hardship Campanella endured was the death of her main supporter, her mother, who died in November, 2014. “The one thing that kills me inside is that I wanted my mom to see the book finished,” Campanella confessed.

Despite the struggles, she is thrilled with the final product. “It’s exactly how I wanted it to be,” she said. “It’s so inspiring, touching. You don’t have to be a kid to love this book; it hits you. There’s no mother who wouldn’t want her children to read it. It teaches charity and good will. You don’t have to have superpowers to be a superhero. ”

Maria the Ice Cream Girl, which is currently self-published, is available for purchase on both www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. For more information on the book and future book signings, search The Ice Cream Girl Maria on Facebook.

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