A Sweet Celebration Filled with Memories for Aigner Chocolates’ 90th Anniversary

By Michael Perlman

It is proven that what is homemade and from the heart is a recipe for success. Aigner Chocolates at 103-02 Metropolitan Avenue has achieved a milestone, which tells a story of a mom and pop shop that is a rare survivor, thanks to the long hours of dedication under past and current owners, creativity, personalization, and a humanitarian spirit where patrons and the community become an extended family. To celebrate 90 years in Forest Hills, a socially distanced ceremony was held in front of the shop on September 13, with speeches from generations of owners and nearly ten elected officials; some of whom presented proclamations. Gift bags with a commemorative “90” chocolate pop were distributed, and harpist Erin Hill performed standards. 

 

Guest speakers were Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, Councilman Donovan Richards, NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo, NYS Senator John Liu, Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, and representatives of Queens BP Sharon Lee and Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi. It even included a Certificate of Recognition from Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

Congresswoman Grace Meng, who presented a proclamation said, “Representing the Sixth Congressional District, I hold up Aigner Chocolates for great recognition and honor on the 90th anniversary of its founding, and declare today to be ‘Aigner Chocolates Day!’” President and CEO Thomas Grech of the Queens Chamber of Commerce said, “If you work to support your family, such as a meat guy, bagel guy, or the chocolatier, you are an essential worker. Aigner employs 8 people, which is 8 rents and 8 kids to put through school. At the end of the day, we should value every single job, since the person that has it, is essential to their family.” 

Owners Mark Libertini and Rachel Kellner acquired the business in October 2015 and added a new chapter to the Aigner story. Back in 1930, Germany native and confectioner Alfred Krause opened Krause’s Candy Kitchen in a predominantly German community. Since 1960, three generations of the Aigner family satisfied the sweet tooth of patrons. It consisted of John Aigner, who began working at Krause’s in the 1950s after training in Austria and Germany, his son Peter and wife Pia, and then their son Chris. In 2009, the business was renamed Aigner Chocolates. Then in 2015, master confectioner Peter Aigner trained Kellner and Libertini, who continue to produce chocolates on museum-quality equipment from the 1940s and 1950s. 

Kellner explained that it was love at first sight for the shop’s history and felt honored to preserve a tradition. She said, “What we didn’t realize at that time was that we were being adopted by a community, so caring and involved. The friendships we’ve developed with our fellow business owners, neighbors, and customers were completely unexpected, and now we can’t imagine our lives without all of these amazing people.” She then explained, “My husband loves making chocolate and I love running a chocolate shop, but the passion and love wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for all of you. This day is a celebration about community, because without this incredible community, we wouldn’t be here. To Mark, my partner in life and in business, you had a vision, and it allowed my vision of ‘food as therapy’ to become a realty in this beautiful business. You said our life would be an adventure. Babe, you were right!” Libertini said, “We are devoted to the art of creating beautiful and delicious chocolates using traditional family recipes and techniques. Our vision is to share our passion for the art of chocolate while making the world a better place.” 

Vintage photo of past owner Peter Aigner

Peter Aigner’s earliest memories date to his childhood. “We lived above the chocolate shop, when I was about 9 in 1960. When my parents were in bed, I would sneak downstairs into the store to help myself to half a dozen milk chocolate marshmallows and take it up to my room. As I grew up, my tastes mellowed to a little less sweet.” Chris Aigner continued, “I would sneak down early Saturday morning, before the store was open, and get a chocolate pop, and then go upstairs to my grandparents and watch cartoons with a glass of orange juice and chocolate pop.” Pia Aigner said, “I was so impressed how Americans loved chocolates, coming from a country where chocolate was so expensive, that people would buy one to two pieces. I came to America and they would buy it by the pound.” 

Pia Aigner, Chris Aigner, Mark Libertini, Rachel Kellner, Peter Aigner, Thomas Grech 

The Aigner family feels they made the perfect choice after interviewing Mark and Rachel. Peter said, “Very few businesses in New York manage to survive that long. Our customers were very loyal. We always maintained a high quality product, and Mark and Rachel are excellent heirs. They took it seriously and learned it from the ground up and continuing the tradition with the same recipes and manner that we ran it, but with a little more artistic flair, and we are very happy for them. Customers continue to have the high quality they’re accustomed to.” Chris continued, “Ninety years is three full generations of families that probably touched five generations of families that had chocolate in their homes on holidays and centered around it on their most intimate family moments. It is wonderful to be part of a business that touched so many lives.” Pia continued, “We are very happy that Mark and Rachel are continuing making chocolates at that location, and they’re doing it very well.” 

Peter, Mary, John & Grandpa Aigner

One must wonder if there are any life lessons from running a chocolate shop. Chris said, “Being in service, you’re in a very special position in the world. You can change people’s experiences. Being kind and treating them with respect and dignity regardless of how short your interaction is an important life lesson.” Peter agreed and said, “We have been taught by my parents and passed that on.” 

When seeing Mark and Rachel operating the business in 2020, it reminds Peter and Pia of their younger selves. He said, “We had a lot of people who wanted to buy the business, but their heart wasn’t really in it. When we came across Mark and Rachel, there was this enthusiasm, which we felt was very important. Mark loves making chocolates, and Rachel has excellent people skills! Those are two important ingredients, and it’s similar to the talents that my wife and I had.”

Chris Aigner served as the broker in the sale. “The first year was the tricky year, since my parents and Mark and Rachel worked together nearly every day. They wanted to learn the recipes well and make sure that the transition was seamless. Then they re-branded slightly and added artistic value to the products. It has been a great experience to see them grow and take the business to the next level.” Peter continued, “When you sell a family business that has been with you for three generations, it’s a bittersweet experience. On one hand, sad, but yet it’s very happy.”

His father is one of his largest inspirations. “I would go in with my dad since I was 5 years old. I first learned how to lay out cups for nutcrackers. I would spend almost every Saturday making chocolate. Since I was a very young boy, I wanted to be a chocolatier.” Peter continued, “My dad was an Austrian confectioner who taught me the trade from a very early age. No one will teach you like your own father! My parents worked for another confectioner, since it wasn’t easy to get your own business in Europe.”

Chocolate production has evolved tremendously, according to Peter. “It helped the small manufacturers like us a lot. When I was a kid, basically all of the machinery was developed for big factories, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Over the years, machinery was developed, geared towards smaller manufacturers. When I was a kid, every single piece had to be rolled, cut, and dipped by hand. Over the years, we invested in machinery that automatically cut and formed chocolate.” 

Peter & John Aigner

Chris shared a story that his parents would tell him. “My great-grandfather would help out. They had professional dippers who dipped piece by piece, all day long, and set the pieces onto wax paper, fill up the tray, and put it on a rack. They would produce a whole rack in a day’s work, whereas today we can do it in a few hours. After a day’s work, he squeezed into the cooling room to get a piece of chocolate, but knocked over an entire rack. As the dipper started to scream ‘My work, my work,’ the first thing out of his mouth was ‘It wasn’t me!’ You can really picture what it was like back then.” 

The Aigner family and Kellner and Libertini are humanitarians. The tradition of raffling off an over 3-foot chocolate Easter bunny named Harvey originated in the 1980s. Most recently, it was donated to Elmhurst Hospital, the “epicenter of the epicenter” during the pandemic. Chris recalled, “My maternal grandma passed away from Alzheimer’s, and when she was sick, we started a raffle with Harvey The Bunny and gave all the proceeds to a research foundation.”

Many notables once entered Aigner’s showroom. Peter said, “I remember my father used to enjoy seeing celebrities such as Ralph Bunche, Dale Carnegie, Geraldine Ferraro, and Louis Armstrong, as well as his sister. He wouldn’t eat any other chocolates, so she would later buy it for him and send it out to Hollywood.”

The Aigner family has much to be grateful for. Since much revolves around chocolates, Chris explained, “We were able to experience the holidays in a very special way. We were surrounded by Christmas the whole month of December, and the same with Easter and Thanksgiving.” Pia added, “I will always be thankful to our customer’s loyalty.” 

Owners Rachel Kellner & Mark Libertini with the NYPD, Photo by Michael Perlman

Patriotism Forest Hills Style, July 5, 1920

By Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Gardens town crier

Back in 1914, the annual Independence Day festival was launched in the Forest Hills Gardens. This set off a tradition where committees, residents, and friends participated in a day-long program for all generations and interests in an exquisitely decorated and uniquely illuminated Station Square, as well as the Forest Hills Inn and Tea Garden, Olivia Park, and along Greenway Terrace. A most historical Forest Hills event was on July 4, 1917, when Colonel Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “One Hundred Percent American” unification speech at the LIRR Station to address WWI. Today, patriotism and tradition continue to echo in a modified form through Children’s Day at Flagpole Green in June. Let’s turn back the clock to July 5, 1920, which marked the 144th anniversary of America’s independence.

The ceremony on Village Green now Flagpole Green

Keeping in mind that the 1919 celebration cost $3,057.90, Dr. Thompson Tyler Sweeny, who served as the Chair of the 1920 celebration, requested that every Gardens family contribute an average of $10. It was anticipated as the greatest of Independence Day celebrations yet! The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin published, “Not only were the birds singing cheerily to arouse the villagers from morning slumbers, but through the streets early on July 5 came the Town Crier calling lustily to all to come to the Green for the Flag-raising at 9:30.” The ceremony featured members of American Legion Post 630 and Boy Scouts Troop 2 under the direction of Harvey Warren, who served as Post president and scoutmaster. Uniformed servicemen and Boy Scouts assembled in Station Square and began marching to Village Green. After Warren played the part of a Colonial Town Crier, he changed into military garb. The flag was raised and a patriotic prayer was made. A chorus sang patriotic tunes under guidance of the famed Glee Clubs leader Bruno Huhn, with piano accompaniment by Mrs. Charles H. Scammell, who was considered “the foster mother of all good singing of Forest Hills Gardens.”

Children were ready to play games in Station Square at 10 AM, thanks to the direction of Dr. W. F. Seybolt.. The publication read, “There are between fifty and sixty very happy boys and girls who are wearing bronze and silver badges, won at the children’s games in canvas-covered Station Square between 10 and 12 o’clock.” It continued, “With kiddie car races, pillow fights, sack and relay races, a whole program of fun, speed, and skill was carried out.” The lineup also included games for adults such as a baby carriage race, football kicking and ball tossing, tilting matches, tug-of-war between easterners and westerners.

 

At 2 PM, Hawthorn Park became a baseball field where the “Inn Warriors” (the Inns) clashed with the “Station Square Cohorts” (the Outs). An umpire appeared in armor, while a batter wore petticoats. The Daily Star reported, “There will be no tennis this year, the committee having decided that tennis is so integral a part of the life of the community as to make a baseball game a greater diversion.” The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin stated, “The Outs came nobly from the rear and put the winning run over the plate to the accompaniment of the deafening plaudits of the assembled throng.” It later read, “It was a dashing game, and the narrow margin of one run by which the Outs won their victory shows how closely it was played.” The Inns’ captain was Ray Bell whereas Edmund O’Shea led the Outs. 

By 4 PM, attendees were in tune for opera at Olivia Park, a natural amphitheatre. Milton Aborn directed a company which performed “Pagliacci” by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1892) and “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni (1889). The Metropolitan chorus featured 24 vocalists and the Metropolitan orchestra featured 17 members. Scenery was minimal to maximize on the park’s charming ambiance.

Between 5 and 7 PM, festivities included a home-cooked supper by the Women’s Guild of the Church-in-the-Gardens social room for $1, where the proceeds would benefit the Community House fund.

At 7:30 PM, they made their way back to Station Square for a band concert and the community Choral Club that performed several patriotic airs comprised of nearly 75 vocalists. Another highlight was music at twilight by the Regiment Band of the 22nd Corps of Engineers, a 40-piece band under Master George Briegel. The evening continued with dancing in Station Square at 9 PM, lasting until midnight. The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin read, “The dance on Station Square, lighted by myriads of red, white, and blue incandescents, will fittingly close a happy family and community patriotic day – the Independence Day of 1920, long to be remembered”… “The decorations will consist of myriads of American flags interspersed with those of the Allies, all placed to produce the best effect.” It also stated, “All the lads and lassies, maids and matrons and escorts danced on the canvas covering until – well, why tell the hour – for the music was the best and the night balmy.” Over 3,000 people were in the audience and among the dancers, and Chairman Henry W. Hirschberg was commended for this final feature.

The festival offered a humanitarian aspect. Proceeds from the refreshment booth, which served ice cream cones, lemonade, iced tea, sandwiches, and cake, benefited the Big Sisters of Queens Borough. Based on the prior year’s partnership, the Big Sisters received over $200 and assisted seven children who would have traditionally ended up in institutions, and ultimately helped them find suitable homes. 

Reflecting on the festival’s success, the publication stated, “Our friends and relatives were here in such numbers that it was apparent that our village is growing, and that everyone likes ‘our party,’ as Dr. Sweeny, the chairman, called it.” It continued, “The most impressive and appropriate part of the program, in the humble opinion of the editor, was in the Flag raising and the singing of the newly christened Choral Club.”

A similar version was featured in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: http://foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27760129/article-1920s-patriotism--Forest-Hills-style

Behind The Lens with Photographer Joe Raskin

By Michael Perlman

Joe Raskin & his father Jack in Rochdale Village, 1980s

One of the most active urban explorers and gifted citywide photographers of our generation is Joe Raskin, a native of Queens. When asked to estimate how many street scenes he has captured citywide over the years, he said, “I've posted over 48,000 photographs on Wandering New York (his photoblog) over the last seven years, but that's just a drop in the bucket, considering how long I've been taking pictures. It’s easily well over triple that number.” The city becomes his canvas, as he largely documents buildings of varying architectural styles that are most classical, followed by subways and commuter rail lines. Every so often, his eye will turn to nature. 

Joe Raskin & Creative Musings on Mass Transit at the NY Transit Museum, 2016 photo by Marc A Herman

“Ideally, I am out every day of the week in one part of the city or another, and I spend two to three hours each day, not including travel time,” said Raskin. Even in the rain and snow he can be found with a camera in hand. He said, “Creative expression is a wonderful thing, and it always feels great to be out and about taking photographs.” His achievements continue with his subway history book, “The Routes Not Taken, A Trip Through New York City's Unbuilt Subway System.” 

A charming Forest Hills Gardens home

Brownstones in Park Slope

Raskin uploads photos in at least 10 Facebook groups, where some are posted nightly, drawing quite a fan base. Besides Wandering New York, his work can be viewed on Instagram under @rochdalian and on ThisistheBronx.info. It can also be spotted on NY1 and channels 2, 7, and 11. Raskin made appearances on In Transit on NY1, BronxTalk on the Bronxnet network, and on the Single Shot show on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

One may speculate how his passion originated. First off, he looks up to his father Jack, who passed away six years ago. He recalled, “My dad was always taking a lot of family pictures, so he's the one to credit. I began using his 35mm cameras in the late 1970s.” Secondly, Raskin embodies the spirit of some of the past generation’s most highly regarded photographers. He said, “Berenice Abbott, Arnold Eagle and Todd Webb's work has an immense effect on me, with Abbott's in particular. They made it easier to focus on subjects and appreciate the everyday scenes of life in the city.” 

Ridgewood Rooftops,  Mathews Model Flats

For 33 years, Raskin resided in Rochdale Village, Sunnyside, and Astoria, and now calls Chelsea home. Prior to retirement, he served as Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at the MTA. Now he considers his hobby as his “current job.” Raskin is a graduate of York College, where he majored in Political Science, and achieved a Masters in Urban Studies from Queens College. “I took a photography class at York, which certainly enriched my interest, but I would describe myself as being self-taught,” he said.

Some of Raskin’s most memorable experiences transpire when he encounters people in a diverse range of neighborhoods. He said, “I get into conversations about their communities, and for the most part, they are curious about my work and enjoy that I'm taking pictures there. I'll point out that it is what people usually do in the touristy areas of town, and explain that I’m not a real estate agent or working for one. Generally, they appreciate that, and even suggest other places for me to look at.” He continued, “I also value it most when someone sees a photo that triggers a pleasant memory.” 

Fall foliage along the Franklin Shuttle

A No 7 train approaches the 52nd Street, Lincoln Avenue station in Woodside

“My original camera was a Kodak Brownie, followed by a Kodak Instamatic,” said Raskin. Today his cameras of choice are a Panasonic Lumix and Casio Exilim, and even his Samsung Galaxy phone. Then the question becomes safeguarding a massive photo inventory. He said, “I store them on a lot of flash drives. It's much better to be redundant when it comes to storage. I don't trust the Cloud as the only place.”

Raskin’s explorations take him through the Rego Park Crescents, a most enjoyable enclave. “It’s hard not to get a little bit lost there,” he chuckled. He can also be found wandering through the Forest Hills Gardens, as well as photographing houses north and south of Metropolitan Avenue. Raskin said, “Both communities are consistently beautiful. Although there are some new buildings, much hasn't changed in decades, and hopefully it remains that way.” 

Rego Park rowhouses

 

Rego Park houses

Among his favorite photos are ones captured along and from elevated subway lines. “It's a great way to get a real slice of life look at the city,” he said. Also in high ranks are houses in Glendale, Ridgewood, Astoria, and Woodside.

Being a history buff, he explained, “What's most meaningful is knowing how these buildings and streets tell the story of how the city grew and expanded from just the downtown areas in each borough. That's also what is most meaningful about the subway photos.” The architectural styles that he finds most intriguing relate to photographing classic city housing, such as Art Deco Bronx apartment houses, row houses such as Mathews Model Flats, brownstones, and townhouses. “All of them definitely add to the spirit of city life, especially when they are well maintained,” he said. 

Townhouses on the Upper West Side

One must wonder if there are there any neighborhoods that Raskin has not documented. He explained, “There has to be some that I've missed. I'd like to think that at some point I've walked on every city block. If there's a to-do list, I'd like to go inside buildings such as the Flatiron Building and take pictures from them.” 

Alleyway from Pelham Parkway

Grand Concourse Historic District

Over the years, Raskin has learned how each community varies and how each section of a neighborhood can offer a spirit of its own. He said, “For the most part, the stereotype images of each community are wrong. I've learned not to take any neighborhood for granted. If it wasn't for my photographic trips, I may never know much about areas like Stuyvesant Heights and Longwood.”

In the long-term, Raskin would like to publish his photos in several books. Sharing his wisdom with younger generations, he says, “Be curious and follow your vision of what you want to do.” 

A similar version of this feature appears in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column:  http://foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27633557/article-Behind-the-lens-with-photographer-Joe-Raskin