Eisenhower was president, and the first baby-boomers had
just started school. Men still wore suits and hats, while
most women wore dresses and stayed home. But change was in
the air. The Cold War sent a nuclear chill around the world.
In the newly sprouting suburbs, supermarkets began to
replace neighborhood grocery stores. Television and
advertising entered their golden ages. Marilyn Monroe
appeared nude in the first issue of Playboy. Teens sporting
duck-tails and poodle cuts would soon be gyrating to the
rebellious beat of rock ‘n’ roll. A truck driver named Elvis
turned 18, Martin Luther King, 24. An average family income
was about $3,000. A modern house went for $14,000. A Philco
TV cost $200. And for 50 cents you could get a jacket
dry-cleaned at a new shop on the corner of Centre and Green
streets called Classic Cleaners.
Icons like Martin, Marilyn and Elvis now belong to the
ages-but Classic Cleaners, started by Al Pavone in October,
1953, survives as the grand dame of Centre Street,
outlasting most of its dozen or more competitors to
celebrate its 50th anniversary this month.
“When I started out, Centre Street was a much more diverse
shopping district,” said Al Pavone, a 1948 graduate of
Wentworth Institute who like many other World War II
veterans was just beginning a family and career. “It was a
very busy street, with clothing stores, baby shops, shoe
stores, jewelers, pharmacies-basically, everything residents
needed. “And of course, there were lots of other cleaners
nearby. When I bought the old Cleaning by Adele business
some people thought I was crazy…”
“And some of us still think that,” joked his son, Mike
Pavone, who took over the shop in the early 1980s after his
dad retired. “Hey, don’t interrupt me. I don’t want to be
late for my tee-off time,” Al said with a wink as they both
laughed. “Now where was I?” “The golf course,” his son
rejoined.
The two laughed again, displaying the personal rapport that
attracts loyal customers with the grace of Hope and Crosby.
“We have a lot of fun here,” Debbie Carmichael, an employee
at Classic Cleaners for 24 years, admitted. “We laugh every
day. Al and Mike are great to work for.”
“They sure are,” replied her sister, Patty, who has worked
there for 20 years. “Mike is like a big brother to us.” As
she walked out the door, Jamaica Plain resident Phyllis
Isberg noted “There’s another cleaner close to my house, but
I use Classic because of the great service and friendly
atmosphere. I can see why they’ve been in business for 50
years. Congratulations.”
But Al Pavone pointed out it took a lot more than a couple
of laughs to stay in business half a century. Long hours and
hard work were, and are, the norm. “When I bought the place
it was like an empty barn inside,” he said. “There were no
clothes on the racks and not many customers. But one day a
salesman walked in and put a mannequin wearing a wedding
dress in the window. When people realized we were good
enough to clean something like that, business picked up. But
it still took a long time to really build up the business.”
The clientele included some real characters, Al Pavone
recalled, like the mobsters who dropped off clothes with
guns in the pockets.
On a more serious note, Mike Pavone, who began working
Saturdays at the store when he was 11, said, “You know, we
still have some customers from the 1950s. We appreciate
their trust for so long.”
Mike Pavone went on to say his business, like most others’,
has dipped since the Sept. 11 attacks two years ago. “But
I’m optimistic. I don’t fault anyone, we just try to do the
best work we can.” That includes investing something
back into the community. In addition to sponsoring Regan
League baseball teams for years, Classic donates 50 cents
from each order to the Jimmy Fund or AIDS Action Committee,
with $1,500 already collected for each.
And as part of their 50th celebration, for 50 weeks they are
having a drawing for $50 worth of dry cleaning. Classic
Cleaners offers a full line of services, including dry
cleaning, shoe repair, tailoring, leather cleaning and
regular laundering. “Our motto is: If you can wear it or
tear it, we can clean it or repair it,” Al Pavone said.
Asked what the best thing has been about 50 years of
business, Al’s countenance transformed from a sidekick to a
father. “Working with Mike. It’s great to see your son take
over the business.” “Dad taught me a lot,” Mike Pavone
replied as he slung an arm over his father’s shoulder. “I
appreciate his confidence in me.”
For more information call Mike, Debbie or Patty at 524-9852.
Just don’t ask for Al, he’s in Florida now, on the golf
course.
Written by John Swan. Reprinted with permission from the October 10, 2003 Jamaica Plain Gazette.
Copyright © Gazette Publications, Inc.