Bob's Spa, was a small, family owned store in the Boston area neighborhood Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

Bob's Spa
LocationJamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
Address128 South Street
Opening date1912
Closing date2001
OwnerBartholomew Robert "Bob" Ristuccia

The store was a longstanding establishment that stood for 90 years, serving generations.

History

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In 1912, twenty-one year old Sicilian immigrant Bartholomew "Bob" Ristuccia joined his cousins Joseph Favaloro and Giuseppe Saltamacchia in the opening of a new fruit store. Ristuccia had moved to the U.S in 1910 with only a fourth-grade education. After finding success, he bought out his cousins and renamed the store, "Bob's Spa."

Despite the many struggles that followed including The Great Depression, the store stayed in business. Ristuccia was almost completely wiped out by a devastating fire that occurred on December 24, 1927. As the family and community worked to repair the damage, the store stayed open, utilizing the vacant business next door.

After World War II, the store expanded, bringing in a new owner, Mike Caliri. Caliri was Ristuccia's son-in-law. By 1950, Ristuccia had turned his ownership over to his son John.




References

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