Meet The Tri-Parkway Family, Celebrating 50 Years On Fort Hamilton
Michele Dolce trained, under the tutelage of his father, as a tailor in Sicily, Italy. He eventually moved to Brooklyn and founded Tri-Parkway Cleaners at 3115 Fort Hamilton Parkway. Tri-Parkway celebrates its 50th anniversary on November 15. This is a story of his journey.
Michele, the aspiring tailor, courted a young dressmaker, Maria. The couple married in Sicily and in 1957 — Michele was 31, his bride was pregnant and 24 — they moved to the New World in search of a better life.
The young couple settled into an apartment above LaRosa Bakery on Howard Avenue, a neighborhood nowadays referred to as Williamsburg. Michele made custom suits while Maria sewed dresses in a factory — a sweatshop, really. Maria would bring fabric home and sew late into the night to earn extra money. She’d apologize to her landlady for the hum of the sewing machine noise. “My landlady was very nice,” Maria said. “She didn’t mind me sewing.”
Early Years In Brooklyn
In 1963, a friend of Michele’s who owned a tailor shop on Fort Hamilton Parkway was offered a job — an American dream — at Eagle Coats. Michele bought his friend’s business and opened what would eventually be called Tri-Parkway Cleaners.
In addition to a new business, the couple was also caring for two of their soon to be three children. Larry was five, Michael three months. Josephine, the youngest and only daughter, came a little later.
One day a customer asked Michele for dry cleaning service. Michele saw an opportunity to expand his business. (Perhaps he also foresaw the decline of interest in custom-made suits.)
For a year, Michele sent the dry cleaning out. They bought a dry cleaning machine in 1964, set it up in the front of the shop, and re-opened as Tri-Star Cleaners. None of Michele’s children learned the tailoring trade, though Michael still runs the store that was eventually renamed Tri-Parkway Cleaners.
Eventually the Dolce’s bought the building their business is located in, changed the name, lengthened the store, and moved the dry cleaning machines to the back of the shop.
The upgrades continue. Michael just updated the store’s electricity and boiler.
Some Things Remain The Same
Maria still works Monday through Friday. She hems. She sews. She welcomes customers. She checks clothes in and out.
People travel to Tri-Parkway just to talk with Maria about Kensington/Windsor Terrace history. On October 18, Immaculate Heart of Mary is honoring Maria Dolce as a figurehead in the community and a valuable parishioner.
The Dolces passed their work ethic on to subsequent generations. Michael currently runs Tri-Parkway with his mother. (Larry, sadly, passed away just over a year ago.) The grandchildren worked, at various times, at the dry cleaners before segueing into their own careers.
Past, Present, And Future Fort Hamilton Parkway
The Dolce family spans Old World immigrant to modern day hipster. Maria and her late husband, Michele, immigrated from Sicily and settled, ultimately, in Kensington. Their children grew up “Brooklyn” on East 2nd Street and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary. Michael’s daughters — the hipsters in the equation — still live in the neighborhood and apply the Dolce work ethic to their thriving careers; Abigail is a licensed real estate agent representing Kensington and Megan transitioned from a career in fashion to a career in health and fitness.
Perhaps this span of old and new is why the Dolces are thrilled with the development of Fort Hamilton Parkway. Michael respects Joe Brancaccio as a fellow small business owner and amazing chef. “He works so hard,” Michael says before describing the succulency of Brancaccio’s steaks.
The Dolces buy Steeplechase coffee and, incidentally, the fourth generation of the Brooklyn Dolce family attends school with the Steeplechase children. “Steeplechase is always packed,” Michael said. He added, “I’m thrilled.”
The success of Fort Hamilton businesses is either a proof or a result of the metamorphosis of our neighborhood, exemplified by the Dolce family. “Before the neighborhood was Italian and Irish,” Michael said. “Now it’s more hipster, I guess.” He implied it was neither bad or good. Or he implied it was both good and bad. Either way, it is change.
Even Hipsters Need Clean Clothes
I’m neither hipster nor Old World. In fact I was labeled “mainstream” by my son’s friends. But I’ve lived in three different Brooklyn neighborhoods and have frequented at least six different dry cleaners. Here is my completely biased, conflict-of-interest opinion of Tri-Parkway Cleaners: I’ll travel to have my clothes altered by Maria. Only Tri-Parkway touches my husband’s shirts. Period.
It’s not because they are nice, which they are. It’s because they are good.