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Saturday afternoon, on the South steps of Union Square, a crowd gathered amid wreaths of carrot peelings and tiny cups of champagne for a memorial in honor of Joe Ades, the famous peeler salesman who passed away last Sunday.
Among the large group of friends and old customers that came to reminisce, pay their respects and peel away were Greenmarket founder Barry Benepe and Reverend Billy with the choir from The Church of Stop Shopping. “We feel in our bodies the echo of Joe's persuasion,” said The Reverend, amid a background chorus of "Oh what a peeler, Joe-ellujah." “He was a practitioner of a kind of abundance rhetoric, that a resurrection of our souls might take place as a result of the purchase of his peeler. I've seen people come over and buy a peeler because they weren't feeling so good that day.”
Also present were Ades' daughter Ruth and son David, who announced that their father had just received his U.S. Citizenship last Friday, fulfilling a lifelong dream. As an answer to questions of how Joe's legacy of unique salesmanship would be carried on, Ruth answered “My father always told me that my inheritance would be forty cartons of peelers, and it was. He left them all to me. I'm going to go home and practice on some potatoes, and then come out to his old spot on 17th and Union Square West and show all of you.” David, who had flown in this week from his home in Australia, closed the ceremony by saying “Thank you, New York, for falling in love with my dad.”
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“My father always told me that my inheritance would be forty cartons of peelers, and it was. He left them all to me. I'm going to go home and practice on some potatoes, and then come out to his old spot on 17th and Union Square West and show all of you.”
I lost it right there.
To memorialize Joe Ades in this way is very touching and a break from all of our wiseguy comments to Gothamist stories.
Having never had the experience to meet this exuberant gentleman, might I ask the simple question, "Were these peelers designed and manufactured by this man, or are they just normal peelers that one could pick up at a local peeler supply house?"
Apparently he had them shipped over from Switzerland.
To paraphrase Lance Armstrong, 'it isn't about the peeler.' Joe had a way about him, his patter was infectious. He was really into every word he was saying. He was aware of his audience and wanted to invite them in, like an old circus barker. He had class, even sitting on his little stool. He made me feel good just walking by. He was a part of New York. He will be missed.
I think you can find them on swissmade dot com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrWtKNeXC-U
For some videos of the memorial service at Union Square, see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxtN23ZJa-c
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgwjMu23M54
Says Joe
In memory of Joe Ades
Says Joe: “One for five. Five for twenty.”
O how we on foot miss you plenty!
Says Joe: “I know this is not an asparagus.”
O you so made us laugh and peel, Mr. Ades!
Says Joe: “Or slice it like a politician, under-handed.”
But I hope, Mr. Ades, Obama slices it left-handed.
Says Joe: “Julia Roberts on the cover and me in the middle.”
Why Mr. Ades, with your twinkling eye, you made us blush and giggle.
Says Joe: “This is not TV. This is live.”
True, true — and now no one to match your jive.
Says Joe: “You haven’t got any friends? Nor do I.”
O Joe, not so. Raising our carrots, we say bye.
Yet another terrible choice of words from Gothamist. Joe Ades was not "infamous." Infamy denotes evil or disgrace. In today's world when it takes only a few seconds to go to merriam-webster.com instead of having to go find a thick dictionary, this is inexcusably defamatory. He was celebrated, yes. Quirky, eccentric, peculiar, maybe. But not by any stretch of the imagination "infamous."
Spirit,
Perhaps you could consult the dictionary yourself. Look up the word "context". Was the tone of the article in any way defamatory? No, it was not. The article was about a celebration of Joe the Peeler's life upon his passing away. At worst, that would make the use of the word "infamous" what we non-members of the League of Pedantic Asses like to call: a mistake. We all make them, even you.
But I wonder if you even considered the possibility that the author was using the more colloquial ironic form of the word "infamous"? Or are you just too busy scouring the articles of new contributors for mistakes of diction so you can be the first to rain on the parade of their initial publication?
Regardless of whether the word "infamous" ever appeared in the article or not, I don't believe that your worst problem is that someone might think you a blithering idiot. I think they are more likely to think of you as an insufferable boor. Of course, as I'm sure you'll find when you next consult the dictionary, these things are not mutually exclusive.
He's a sweet-looking man and I'm really touched by the gesture which indicates he probably REALLY WAS a sweet man.
what made him "infamous"?
"When you're peeling a potatoe it doesn't matter if you're right handed or left handed or like a politician; underhanded"
Priceless. I'll take TWO Joey.
did anyone besides me remember this guy selling anything except peelers? i remember several years ago, maybe as much as 15 years, him selling childrens pop-up books with characteristic enthusiasm.
Yes! I think I overbought some of his books because of the enthusiasm with which he sold them. This must have been in the mid- to late 90s in the Grand Central area. I probably still have a few of the pop-ups and make-your-own button books squirreled away in a closet somewhere. When I saw him years later in Union Square I bought one of his peelers and always meant to go buy another as a backup. I hope his daughter does decide to sell them. GOODBYE JOE!
Oh, great. Now "Jessica Madison" has quietly changed "infamous" to "famous" with no note that it was ever otherwise, so if anyone Googles for Joe Ades and finds this, they'll think nik13 and I are blithering idiots for mentioning something that's not in the post.
Jen, can't you train your new contributors better?
As promised, Joe's daughter Ruth was out in Union Square this afternoon. What a loving and awesome tribute to dad! Of course, I bought a peeler.