The era was the mid-20th century, and the world of personal electronics and appliances was advancing. In the late 1940s, there were no retail television or television repair shops shown in the Holyoke City Directories, and by 1951, there were only a handful.
Today’s contribution is the story of Nicholas Sansone, an air conditioning and refrigeration engineer turned television and appliance retailer.
Nicholas J. Sansone was born in New York City on October 4, 1905. He was educated at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute for two years and went on to graduate from the School of Industrial Arts of Trenton, New Jersey.
He arrived in Holyoke in 1944 to work for Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation. Soon after, he changed careers and entered the air-conditioning and refrigeration field, where he was employed by the Charles W. White Company at 34 Cabot Street.
In 1949, Mr. Sansone ventured out on his own and operated an air-conditioning business from his home at 101 Hillside Avenue. He was an authorized Carrier Air Conditioner dealer. Outgrowing this space, he opened a store at 1652 Northampton Street, adjacent to the St. Jerome’s Cemetery. He renamed the business, Sansone Engineering Company, Engineers and Contractors.
The range of his work also broadened. With his experience and engineering background, Mr. Sansone added automatic ice cube makers, beverage coolers, milk coolers, florist display cases, walk-in freezers, humidifiers, water coolers, dough retarders, and dehumidifiers to his business.
In 1954, the company moved to 468 High Street in the downtown area. Sensing the growth in home entertainment, he added televisions for sale, along with repairs and service.
His spouse, Josephine, was an integral part of the business. She was a graduate of the Pratt Institute, and sewing machines were added to the inventory. Mrs. Sansone would provide sewing instructions. The retailer promoted sewing machines and demonstrations, and bundled a modern sewing room with the purchase of a Necchi sewing machine.
On Saturday, November 29, 1959, the company relocated to its final Holyoke site at 307 Appleton Street, at the corner of Maple Street. It was a true family business with Nicholas Sansone, his wife, Josephine, and their son, Robert, who was the technician.
In 1963, Mr. Sansone was sworn in as the Holyoke Parks and Recreation Commissioner.
During the 1960s, the business continued to evolve in response to the changing world of electronics. Color televisions, transistor radios, 8-track and cassette tape players, and high-fidelity and stereo systems were available for home entertainment. In the mid-1960s, garage door openers and installations were available, as were television antennas and directional rotators. There was even a window air conditioner available, which was one-half a small refrigerator.
In 1971, Nicholas and Josephine Sansone retired and moved to Florida. The following year, the Holyoke store closed and relocated to 62 Main Street in Amherst. The new store maintained its Holyoke telephone number to continue to serve its local customers.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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