▁establish ▁a ▁Brook lyn - based ▁disc ount ▁be er ▁and ▁s oda ▁delivery ▁company , ▁starting ▁with ▁a ▁used ▁Volks wagen ▁bus ▁and ▁adding ▁tr uck s ▁as ▁the ▁business ▁grew . ▁The ▁company ▁vent ured ▁into ▁flav ored ▁s elt zer ▁and ▁its ▁own ▁brand ▁of ▁m alt ▁liqu or ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁years . ▁Ari Z ona ▁I ced ▁Te a , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁flags hip ▁product , ▁was ▁first ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁falling - out ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁found ing ▁partners , ▁V ult aggio ▁pre va iled ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁suit ▁against ▁Fer ol ito . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁App ell ate ▁Division ▁r uling ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁could ▁buy ▁out ▁Fer ol ito ' s ▁half - inter est , ▁which ▁Fer ol ito ▁had ▁sought ▁to ▁sell ▁to ▁major ▁international ▁be verage ▁companies . ▁While ▁V ult aggio ' s ▁att or ne ys ▁pointed ▁to ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁estimated ▁value ▁of ▁$ 4 3 0 ▁million ▁for ▁the ▁company , ▁Fer ol ito ▁estimated ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁that ▁had ▁become ▁B ever age ▁Mark eting ▁USA ▁Inc . ▁was ▁worth ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁$ 6 ▁billion . ▁ ▁Fer ol ito , ▁a ▁resident ▁of ▁the ▁Short ▁Hills ▁section ▁of ▁Mill burn , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁was ▁the ▁target ▁of ▁a ▁law suit ▁that ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁neg lig ent ▁when ▁taking