Doc’s Pizza Oak St. Lawrence MA
Does anybody remember Doc’s Pizza on Oak Street in Lawrence MA ? It was in the old Italian Neighborhood between Lawrence and Jackson Streets. Man that place was good ! When my friends and I were teenagers and got our drivers licenses we would head down to Lawrence from Salem, NH every chance we had. Of course they had pizza and it was great, but they also made Italian spinach pie, meat pies and lamb pies. The spinach pies where made on a large tray and cut into squares. They where fantastic.
The lamb pies where also incredible, little triangles stuffed with lamb, pine nuts, spices and who knows what else. So good ! You had to be careful with the lambs however because sometimes you would take a bite and a big drop of oil would come squirting out. I ruined a couple of shirts at Doc’s but it was worth it.
Not exactly sure when Doc’s went out of business but it was sometime in the mid 70’s. I think the family running it just decided to close instead of moving when the neighborhood started going down hill. My friends and I were totally bummed. One guy I know bought a tray of spinach pie to freeze only to lose them when his freezer broke.
I took these photos on some of our last trips to Lawrence for spinach pies. As a young kid I lived right down the street on Erving Avenue in a tenement my Grandfather owned, but the neighborhood was much nicer way back then. Eventually the whole neighborhood was leveled as part of urban renewal. But I will always remember Doc’s Pizza, Pettoruto’s Market, Frasca Variety, The Union of Italy Grand Club and of course my old tenement on Erving Avenue where I grew up.
Doc’s Pizza, Frasca Variety on Oak Street in Lawrence MA
Doc’s Pizza Storefront Lawrence, MA
My friend Al leaving Docs with a plate full
My old tenement on Erving Avenue in Lawrence MA
Pettoruto’s Market on Oak Street Lawrence MA
Toilers Club on Oak St Lawrence MA
Union of Italy Grand Club on Short Street in Lawrence, MA
What memories, kinda brings a tear to my eyes. Although I did not hang out there, I knew the area very well, as a matter of fact the tenament on erving ave, when i was 12 (just turned 71 the other day) i took piano lessons , on the second floor, Mr Balsamo. Our hangout was the lemonade store corner of haverhill and union sts. In those days couldnt wait for fri nite to go to central’s record hop. The Music, how i miss the music, today most of the music (i call noise) just sucks. We use to go to Steves pizza on Gardin st.
Growing up as a teen were problably the best years of our lives and we didnt know
Love to all
I remember the area well, It was my old hang out as a teenager. Those were the days.
hi chris
I remember the Mrs. and Me. diner across from the lightship. i sometimes went there to eat. in the 80s i rented an apartment on bailey st. next door to tommy branco and his wife mary who owned and ran the diner… sadly mr branci passed away a few yrs ago.. he was a real nice man.
1965 Graduate of LHS. Doc’s was on Elm St at one time with Frascas across the street. I lived on Elm St and remember it very well. I believe that Doc’s was bought out by Vinnie Bencivenga (Bengy) who also owned a gym (Bengy’s Gym) on Elm St. Pettoruto’s was also on Elm St (originally) not Oak, the son Joe works at Butcher Boy now. I remember all those places and it was such a wonderful place to grow up. Everyone knew everyone else and we didn’t have to lock doors or cars. Sitting out on the stoop til 2 o’clock in the morning. Going for ice cream at Findeisens (sp?) was a treat.
Thanks for the memories.
As Doc & Ida’s granddaugther, their son Willie’s daughter, I can tell you that my sister Christina and I had very fond memories of growing up at the pizza store. Although both Willie, Doc and Ida are gone now, those memories live on.
Thanks for the gracious mention of the store. It does our hearts good.
Keith,
Would you be able to send me the actual photo of DOC’S Pizza? Christina and I own our own cake shop and would love to blow it up and put it on the wall. I don’t know how to get in touch with you!!
Please email me at andie@siciliansistas.com!!
thank you!
Wow! Doc’s Pizza was the best. I’ll never forget it. My sister’s boyfriend, Paul, would come over to our house every Thursday night with Doc’s Pizza and I have loved him for it ever since. I’ve never had pizza like it since.
A great, great memory. Thanks.
(How about Savastano’s Restaurant?)
WOW, I am just so glad that this site is still going strong….I grew up on Jackson St….Holy Rosary 64/LHS68…………ate at Docs, Savastanos, Jackson Pizza, penny candy from PePe’s, Eddie’s, Petralia’s, Frasca’s…….brothers had haircuts at Lippolds on Jackson Street, bought doughnuts from Jackson Bakery, K & H Bakery, went to St. Laurence O’Toole Church, Holy Trinity Church, swam in Kennedy pool. Ice skated at Hayden Schofield, bought Tripoli’s bread and had Pappy’s delivered to our house…….went Trick or Treating around Avon, Chestnut, ELm, Oak, SHort, IRving, Belmont, Wilmot, Jackson sts…..I can go on and on and on……lets keep these memories going……..Andrea, and Christina, I worked with your Dad WIllie he was a fine gentelman………..May I ask where your pastry shop is?
AL says, Sept. 6, 2009
The area being discussed by all is that bounded in the north by Hampshire St in the South by Jackson St and the West by Oak and the East by Maple. From Hampshire to Jackson we had White, Lawrence and Short. In addition we have outreached to the Leahy School area(Doc’s family lived across from the Leahy School and Ida came from 314 Elm). Doc was originally a barber whose first enttry to the food business was a doughnut shop on Hampshire street, The first pizza shop was on White Street between Oak and Elm and was part of a four decker—moved to Short street and closed the business on Short for the Same reason as White Street–urban redevelopment–Willie was the first to visit the Big Pizza shop in the sky at a very young age of 49.
Tanno is the name of the person who worked with Doc and Ida for many years as a top notch baker and keeper of the secret recipe.
In the area by the original pizza shop(as much has been stated about the Short Street area) you had the Syrain and Lebonesse people from Oak to Chestnut between White and Hampshire and the Italian section with ties to the Naples Area of Italy and from Lawrence St to Jackson St you had Italins with ties to Sicily. Of course you had a mixture in each section.
Those familes with Italian ties, such as Ida who was a Falco, you had family names such as Misserville, DiTommasso, Tomissino, Iovino, Gueli, DeSimone, Fillipon, Vitale and many more that I cant think of just now–sorry for any mispelling–this all goes back 75 years–my age.
So many good memories it would take pages and pages to detail.
How i wish those days never ended. we had the best yrs of our lives growing up. docs pizza. nahills pharmacy. bishops restaurant. georges bakery. not to name a few great places. i used to live on 58 oak st when i was 14. after school id walk down to the protectory of mary immaculate to work from 4 to 7 serving supper to the patients and then washing dishes. does anyone remember the protectory of mary immaculate run by the grey nuns? i wish they never tore that building down. i can close my eyes and still remember the way it looked outside and inside.
FROM WHAT WAS TO WHAT IS–
they call it progress—none of the old neighborhood is in existence–all apartment complexes–lived at 270 elm and then 214 oak(back side of lawrence high, howvever, i went to central catholic class of ‘51– went to st. mary’s grammar, class of ‘47).
delivered the tribune on oak, elm and chestnut from lawrence to white sts–the four deckers killled me. so i remember the old, old neighborhood.
kids of today don’t know how well we had it–no locking of doors and every kid had at least 10 mothers–houses were always clean(good old javelle water).
does anyone remember teddy ” the cop”?
education was another thing that the early mothers and fathers insisted on–many fine doctors, dentists and attorneys came from that section of town thanks to families working to insure the smartest from the family and if enough money could be found additonal members went to advanced schooling..
great subasrban living–you don’t even know your next door neighbor.
YEAH— THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!!!!!!!!
Hello,
OMG! I have to tell you all that every Sunday night was Doc’s pizza night at our house. We lived in the valley (which my parents are still there) and how I miss that pizza. We ate there and Savastanos all the time. That was the best pizza I have ever had and will carry all those wonderful memories with me for ever. I was a teenager then and now in my 50’s and was just sitting working and thought of that pizza and decided to google it and found this site! The picture is awesome. I would like to know where the bakery is as well.
Thanks for the memories!
I was finally able to download these pictures that I had heard so much about. It has always been my opinion that these streets and this neighborhood were the BEST places to have spent my growing up years. My family lived on Maple Street in my grandfather’s 3 tenement. We had a great backyard in which we never played because my grandfather had the greatest and most prolific garden. He grew just about everything most successfully. It seems to me when I think back that I spent most of my time buying penny candy and/or thinking up different ways of earning money so that I could afford that candy. I have searched my entire adulthood for 2 things. One, a glass of wine that tastes like my grandfather’s home made and two, pizza that tastes like Doc’s. I have not been very successful, sad to say. My memories of my old neighborhood are always happy even when remembering the trying and challenging times. There should be a reunion of all the oldies but goodies! Thanks for the memories and the great pictures. I think I have a “Mary Jane” in my fridge that cost me a dime. I need to eat that now.
I’m sorry I never got a chance to taste the spinach pies at Doc’s. When I lived on the corner of Bradford and Franklin in 1979 I could barely afford a can of Spagettios. I do remember that the Cedar Crest Restaurant on Broadway was very good on those rare occasions when I could afford it. A friend has recently told me that it is still there. The UNION OF ITALY CLUB reminds me of the FRENCH SOCIAL CLUB on the corner of Broadway and Lowell. Three floors above it there was a theatre where the GARRET PLAYERS used to put on shows. That building is now gone and there is a Walgreens there now.
wow – steve was my cousin and made such great pizza. do you remember the meat pies? i forget what they were called. there was a place on haverhill st near union that made the best almondade. i’ve not lived in lawrence for decades but wherever i go i look for it. man, that was so good. the cchs dances were the best. you can still hear that old time music on http://www.doowopcafe.net. great oldies station with friendly people
Rich
Remember when the Spicket River flooded ? Heard today that Cedar Crest closed !!!
Swimming at the Kennedy Pool, now that is such a distant memory! Anybody remember the fastpitch softball games at the playstead!
I think the best penny candy was at Tom’s Variety on Lawrence St across from the playstead!