Victor A. Bonomo, who created and marketed Bonomo's Turkish Taffy, the brittle candy bar whose wrapper instructed buyers to smack it and crack it into many edible pieces, died on June 26 at his home in Bal Harbour, Florida.  He was 100.

The candy, which first appeared as a nickel bar after World War II, became a favorite with the economy-minded. Unlike some of its competitors, which melted in your mouth, Turkish Taffy eroded slowly, and it was so chewy that a single bar could last through most of a double feature at the movies

Mr. Bonomo (pronounced BAHN-uh-moh) was born into the candy business and actually had Turkish roots. His father, Albert J., was a Sephardic Jew who had emigrated from Turkey. In 1897, the year before Victor Bonomo was born, his father started making candy in Coney Island to supply concessions at the amusement park. After World War I, Victor joined his father in running the candy factory on Eighth Street in Coney Island, where saltwater taffy and hard candies were produced.

As World War II ended, sugar rationing gave way and the entire country was eager to indulge its sweet tooth. Bonomo's joined the race to satisfy the surging demand, promoting three candy bars, "Thanks," "Hats Off" and "Call Again," which Tico Bonomo, Victor's son, described as "poor man's Milky Ways."

Then the candy cooks at the Coney Island factory came up with a batter of corn syrup and egg whites that was cooked and then baked.

"It was not really a taffy but what is technically known as a short nougat," explained Tico Bonomo. Nor was it Turkish. "It was not a family recipe and the name we chose, 'Turkish Taffy,' just reflected clever marketing," he said.

It cooled into sheets the size of school desks, which were distributed through Woolworth stores around the country. Clerks at the candy counters used ball-peen hammers to whack the sheets, breaking off shards that were sold by the pound.

Apparently this method of distribution merely whetted appetites for the candy, then available only in vanilla. Mr. Bonomo had the slabs cut into panels the size of 1945 nickel Hershey bars, which were larger than 1999 65-cent Hershey bars. The bars were packaged in wrappers that showed smiling men in fezzes pouring batter into a huge vat. Of course, in Turkey, the fez had been outlawed by Kemal Ataturk in the 1920's, but back in the 50's the design drew no complaints.

The candy grew popular, eventually being distributed far beyond the metropolitan region into much of the rest of the country. Before the widespread use of air-conditioning, Turkish Taffy had some problems penetrating Southern markets, where warm temperatures turned the bars from hard to gooey. The problem was eventually overcome with new wrappers.

In the 1950's, Bonomo's Turkish Taffy advertised on children's television programs, among them "The Magic Clown" and "Wonderama." The ads featured puppets named Bo, No and Mo. It also sponsored joint promotions with the Duncan yo-yo company.

In time, three new flavors appeared: chocolate, strawberry and banana. According to Tico Bonomo, the company sold 80 million to 100 million bars a year in the 50's and 60's and employed as many as 350 workers at the Coney Island plant, where it also produced hard candy.

Victor Bonomo retired in 1970 and moved to Florida with his wife, Zephra, who survives, as do Tico Bonomo and nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A Brief Company History

Bonomo's Turkish Taffy changed hands a few times and in 1980 became part of Tootsie Roll Industries of Chicago.  They stopped making the candy in 1989, ending a 40 year run. Ellen Gordon, president of Tootsie Roll Industries, said that the company phased out the product when demand declined as consumer tastes changed.

Update 10/4/06 - We received information that a new company, Bonomo Turkish Taffy, LLC, acquired the Bonomo brand and is working to recreate the recipe.