Mario the Ice Cream Man

When a Chicago ice cream man fell on hard times, his community rallied to support him.

Within just a few weeks, Mario Nieto needed to pay for his wife's cancer treatment, his broken-down ice cream truck, and medical care for his own heart attack.

His neighbors in the Logan Square neighborhood raised nearly $20,000 to help cover the costs.

Nieto first opened his ice cream business in 1992 and has been continuously operating for the past 15 years.

"Mario is what makes Logan Square great. He's a true independent business man," said Donn Bichsel, Jr., a 16-year Logan Square resident and CCO of Revolution Brewing. "He's just a genuine part of our community and it's a great thing to try to be able to help him."