About

The Leone family has been baking breads and pastries in Rhode Island for over 50 years. In 1955, Aldo Leone and his wife Maria emigrated from Italy to Providence. Aldo developed his craft at a bakery in East Providence where he learned the classic bread making techniques from an experienced Italian baker. He and his family spent their first summer on Block Island in 1956 when Aldo was invited to be the head baker for the elite Spring House Hotel and Narragansett Inn. It was there that he fell in love with the abandoned fire station that would become Aldo’s Bakery. In 1970 Aldo and Maria opened for business and began a tradition of serving authentic homemade breads and pastries. They have since passed the business onto their sons, Aldo and Bobby, who continue to serve the summer residents and visitors of Block Island in the same spirit.

Inspired by the classic gelato that the Leone family grew up eating in Italy, Aldo and Bobby began creating their own handmade ice cream and gelato in 1983. Aldo’s Ice Cream Shop now serves 24 flavors of homemade gelato in addition to 32 flavors of homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Early every morning, our father, Aldo, would pack his boat with freshly baked goods and cruise around Block Island Harbor, singing his favorite opera arias to pass the time (he had a good singing voice). He would call out, “Andiamo!” (“Let’s go!”) to the passengers and crews on the moored boats to announce that he had breads, muffins, and coffee to sell. We were not blessed with great singing voices like our father was, but you know we’re there when you hear us call out “Andiamoooooooo!”