In 1948, there were 34 dry cleaning establishments operating in Holyoke. With business suits, dresses, other garments, draperies, and curtains in demand, residents needed a place to have their fabrics dry-cleaned or laundered.
Some of the larger, established concerns of this era included General Cleaners & Dyers on South Street and Hampden Street, Hegy's on Main Street, and Hermann Bosbach's on Brown Ave. Many others were carving out a niche in the industry, including the story now to be told, Holiday Cleaners.
Nicholas H. Netto and Dominick L. DiCarolis were Northampton residents who both worked as garment pressers at Twin Cleaners on North Street in that city. Excluding time spent in the military during World War II, they worked at this dry-cleaning establishment during the 1930s and 1940s. They also both resided with their respective families on North Street.
Messrs. Netto and DiCarolis decided to go into business for themselves. They found a suitable location in Holyoke at 1198 Dwight Street, formerly a neighborhood grocery store, located a short distance from Pleasant Street. On June 16, 1951, the partners opened their business, naming it Holiday Cleaners.
In April 1953, George Ditomossi petitioned for a zone change from residential to commercial for a parcel of land located on the east side of Forestdale Ave. The purpose of the requested change was to accommodate a new building and location for Holiday Cleaners. It was on April 8, 1953, that the Holyoke Water Power Co. transferred the land on Forestdale Ave to Messrs. Netto and DiCarolis.
In January 1954, the business reopened at 20 Forestdale Avenue. In addition to dry cleaning and pressing, the business offered mothballing, box storage in cold storage vaults, and free pickup and delivery. The Woods Real Estate Agency moved into the former 1198 Dwight Street location.
On January 3, 1978, Dominick DiCarolis transferred his interest in the dry-cleaners and real estate to Nicholas Netto. Mr. DiCarolis was 68 years old at the time; Mr. Netto, 59.
The real estate and business were sold to Stephen N. & Linda M Morneau on September 6, 1983. The couple continued to operate at 20 Forestdale Ave. and went on to expand the business.
On November 15, 1985, a second location was opened at 330 High Street at the northeast corner of Division Street. The business name there was changed from Stephen Thomas Cleaners and Launderers to Holiday Cleaners II. The location was also the long-time home to One Hour Martinizing Cleaners. In October 1986, the business moved across the street to 333 High Street.
A third location was opened on May 6, 1988, at 250 Westfield Road. This was the site of a former bank building. The drive-up window was made available for customers to drop off or pick up their cleaning.
Effective September 26, 1991, the business was leased for 10 years with an option to purchase to Wooil Kim and Seong Hee Kim. The new owner had a second location at 401 Hillside Ave.
I could not determine exactly when Holiday Cleaners II on High Street or Holiday Cleaners on Westfield Rd. closed. However, advertisements no longer showed the High Street location after 1990. After the business was sold in September 1991, the Westfield Road outlet was no longer shown in ads.
On September 28, 1999, Wooil Kim purchased the real estate and continued to operate the business as Kim's Holiday Cleaners.
Wooil Kim sold the real estate at 20 Forestdale Ave. to Iglesia Creciendo En El Camino on September 15, 2023, ending Holiday Cleaners' 72 years of service to its customers and the community.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1949
MapGeo, Assessors' Office, City of Holyoke, 2026
