118-120 PEARL STREET

Excerpted from the project: If This House Could Talk

(Author: Joan M. Squeri)

118-120 Pearl Street has great stories about ‘Angelina’ an African-American man who was apparently single, and moved here from somewhere down South and sold flavored ice cones to children.

Everyone over the age of 50 in Cambridgeport knows my house as “Angelina’s” House, because this man left such an impression on (the then kids) in the neighborhood. 

Angelina would sing and shout and was known for his rhyming calls as he went down the street to announce his arrival with a cart full of a block of ice which he shaved on the spot and added flavored syrup.

Many older people have told me spontaneous stories about him; one common one was that he was known to give flavored cones to children for free who didn’t have the money.