By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer
REGION – Provincetown resident Donald Thomas literally took Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ 1964 hit single “Dancing in the Street” to heart during his days as a police officer directing traffic at the town’s busiest intersection. The son of a Portuguese fisherman, Thomas began volunteering in the town’s police auxiliary in 1947 after his return from World War II.
A P-Town legend
He became a summer patrolman in the 1970s and soon became a must-see attraction for his spins and moves while directing drivers in Lopes Square. When a stream of cars brought congestion to the corner of Commercial Street, Police Chief James Mead would call upon his maestro, Donald Thomas, to control traffic as only he could by mixing in dance moves while being on his feet more than six hours a day.
In a 1978 Boston Globe article, Mead stated, “It’s the worst corner in town. He’s the only one who can do anything there. I could stand out there all day with a shotgun and no one would pay any attention. He’s such a spectacle people stop to watch and take his picture. He’s interesting.”
Several people on Facebook agreed with the sentiment, including James Cundy Bushway who wrote, “I remember him so well. Wouldn’t cross the street because he was so fun to watch! Brought a smile to everyone’s face!”
Melanie Mastropietro recalled, “First place my daughter wanted to go when she was little to see the “Dancing Policeman and second was the Barbie House.”
Melissa J. Karrer posted, “Love this. We ALL remember him! Boy, could he spin a great 360!”
And Bob Kelleher added, “He was fun to watch!! And he kept the traffic moving.”
According to Police Chief James Golden, Thomas only drew his gun once, when he heard a noise behind him. It was just a cat. However, he did smash together the heads of two Hell’s Angels when they got out of control. Thomas never arrested anyone, never missed a day of work and loved interacting with the kids. He retired in 2011 at the age of 83 after serving over 60 years with the Provincetown police department. When the iconic cop passed away in his sleep at age 92 in 2019, Boston television stations covered his death.
Everyone who knew Donald Thomas knew he loved motorcycles, scuba diving, music and dancing. His granddaughter Carmen Thomas recalled stories of him sometimes getting into trouble when he would flip a girl while doing the jitterbug and her underwear showed. His musical aspirations were so profound that he even got into trouble with his mother when he turned her new wash basin into an upright bass. Aside from adoring big band music, Thomas also enjoyed classic country and 1980s pop music, especially songs by Prince and George Michael.
City of Presidents dancing cop
Further up the coast in Quincy, called the City of Presidents because it’s the birthplace of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, just as many locals might recall their own legendary dancing lawman. Described as someone who loved putting on a show, William P. Draicchio enjoyed using choreography to help schoolchildren cross the street. There are some good stories out there about him as well, like the time he “commandeered” a car in order to chase down a driver who had refused to stop at a crosswalk.
Recently, his granddaughter Cathryn Draicchio was sworn in as the first woman to join the Quincy Fire Department in its 136-year history, continuing the family tradition in public service. She is also a staff officer in the Army Reserves.
Draicchio held down his job on the police force in Quincy for 38 years. Some years after retiring in 1989, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In 2001, the intersection where he worked in the Quincy Point neighborhood was named after him. Draicchio died in 2014 at the age of 89. His online obituary contained many fond memories from Quincy natives who remember not just his stylish dance moves but him helping them cross the street safely as they walked to school as children.
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