‘Our business is our life’

Anthony and Donna Campisi are the owners of New Pearl Cleaners. Their story begins in Brooklyn, N.Y. So you’re saying it’s gonna just focus going to abide by these orders but it doesn’t people

You can say Anthony essentially was born into the dry-cleaning business.

“My father started this business right after World War II in [Bensonhurst] Brooklyn,” he said.

After high school, Anthony initially wanted to become a gym teacher. He was in his first year of college when his dad got ill.

“Basically me and my brother in law took over the business at the time,” Anthony relayed. “I loved the business, loved dealing with people, loved talking to people and that’s what I did.”

The family added another location in Tribeca in Manhattan. With the clientele like John F. Kennedy Jr. (President John F. Kennedy’s son) and (Actor) Robert De Niro, the business was thriving.

Anthony met Donna when she was 17 and he was 21. After they got married, they were looking to buy a home. They were initially looking in Staten Island, when one day, Anthony was on a delivery to one of his friends, who owned a dental lab.

“He was from Brooklyn, but he lived in Metuchen,” Anthony recalled. “We started talking and he said, ‘Forget about Staten Island, you gotta move to Metuchen … and the rest is history. We came here, fell in love with it and have been here ever since.”

That was over 40 years ago.

“I was commuting three days a week to Brooklyn and three days to Manhattan,” Anthony said, adding at the same time, their family started to grow with “a 3 year old and a 6 month old – two boys.”

With the daily grind of the job and “not seeing” his wife and kids, it was taking a toll. So, he worked out a deal with his family “to buy me out of [the] businesses [in New York].”

And as that process was happening, the owner of New Pearl Cleaners at 24 New St. was deciding to sell his business. Six months before, Anthony was with Donna as she was shopping at the former Morris Stores.

Anthony introduced himself to the cleaners’ owner, “I said to him, if you need any help, I live in town, call my number.”

“About six months later, he decided to sell his business, so we worked out a deal,” Anthony said. “This business had been here for over 50 years as a dry cleaner. So I got bought out of both [family] businesses and bought this business.”

That was 33 and a half years ago and they are one of the longest running businesses in Downtown Metuchen.

“We kept the name, New Pearl Cleaners,” Anthony said. “It’s been a business that had been here for 50 years … he had a very good reputation, so we just slid in basically.”

For 33-plus years, the Campisi’s have been able to raise their growing family – two sons and a daughter – and see generations of families flow in and out through their storefront.

Pearl Street Cleaners has become a fabric of the community. Anthony served on the Parking Authority and coached Little League baseball and softball over the years.

Over 10 years ago, the Campisi’s started a Dante Zeller Tuxedo by Sarno business in existing space at their dry-cleaning business.

“This actual location was in Menlo Park Mall [in Edison] on the lower level by Nordstrom’s,” Anthony explained. “They were going to close it because rent was too high in the mall and I knew somebody who hooked me up with the owner of the company.”

And that was that. Pearl Street Cleaners and Dante Zeller Tuxedo “sort of cross pollinate each other.”

“We love dealing with the prom kids, the grooms, the families,” Anthony said, adding they have an expert tailor on hand. “She’s here three days a week. She does prom gown alterations, wedding gown alterations.”

After an expected slower winter season, both businesses are currently gearing up for the prom and wedding season.

“Our business is our life,” Anthony added. “A lot of our customers, we’ve seen their kids grow up and actually get married using our tuxedos, which is kind of neat. Now we see the grand kids start to come in … I don’t know where the years went, they just go.”

The Campisi’s three children are graduates of Metuchen High School and they have five grandchildren.

“Our oldest grandchild, he’s four and he loves the store and the machines,” Anthony said.

As business owners and residents, the couple has seen a lot of change at their corner of New and Pearl streets.

“It’s good change,” Donna said. “Development is good … good for business.”

Once what was a commuter parking lot across the way, is a bustling downtown plaza with businesses and restaurants and an apartment complex.

“The town is moving in the right direction,” Anthony added. “We don’t have many empty stores. The local government is very involved in keeping a thriving and fruitful economy in our town.

“We may be one of the longest running businesses in Metuchen with the same ownership. There may be one or two others, but we’re up there as far as same ownership and longevity in Metuchen.”

For the Campisi’s, their love will span 41 years in June as they celebrate their wedding anniversary. And there’s no signs of slowing down.

“We just did a Metuchen prom show,” Anthony said. “We donated 20 tuxedos … 20 boys got fitted and they did a fashion show [at Metuchen High School] … we’ve done that for years.

“You got to give back to the community, it’s always good.”

New Pearl Cleaners has two full-time employees – one part time employee.

“We usually hire a couple of high school/college students for spring and summer,” Anthony said.

Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8-6 p.m. and one late night on Wednesday, open until 7:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In April, Dante Zeller Tuxedo will open on Sundays to accommodate the busier prom and wedding season.