SALvation
A Barbering Legacy FROM THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA… TO 7 BARBER SHOPS BY REX A.C. SILVER SALVATORE GIANNONE & LILLY GIANNONE SAL’S BARBER SHOPS, 7 LOCATIONS IN PHILADELPHIA PA This is an amazing story of resilience and triumph, passion and love. This story encapsulates what this trade, in essence can do for you, your spirit and your soul. It can enable you to realise yourself and your dreams and enable you to afford those dreams. This is a story about how Barbering saved a man and brought him back from the edge of the abyss, from where he not only then found himself, but he also found the ability within himself to reconnect with his family and learn this age-old trade of from his Grandfather and pass it on again. Barbering brought him back from off the streets, and out of jail. He now owns seven award winning shops and has the next generation of Giannone’s hot on his heals to learn the trade, his daughter Lilly, who is just 8 years old.
WORDS BY SAL: So, I didn’t always want to be a barber, I wanted to be an artist. I had it pretty rough growing up with domestic violence and drug and physical abuse. I hid in my drawing pad; it was the only place I felt safe. I just knew I wanted to get away from where I grew up and start a fresh life. So, I studied hard to become a graphic designer and I got a full scholarship to one of the top art schools in the USA. When I got to college, I got into drugs, drinking and partying and eventually got expelled. I felt defeated and deflated, hopeless with no future. For three years I ate from trash cans abused drugs and slept outside in the elements. I was sick of being sick and tired. I knew I had more to offer the world than being a drug addict. After 13 trips to county gaol with three felonies. I made a promise to myself that I would get sober, change my life and finally live up to my potential. My Grandfather was a Barber from Italy who came to America with $1 and a dream. When I was on my last hope, I turned to him to teach me the art of barbering. I became his apprentice sweeping floors and learning the ways of the barbershop. After about a year I was licenced and worked alongside of him. I had finally found my niche. 28 Barber Shop Year 10 Issue 4
My father was 49 when he died of a sudden massive heart attack. I spoke with my Grandfather about death and regrets, and he said his only regret was not opening his own barbershop. I didn’t know that would be our final conversation because the next day my Grandfather died two weeks after my father, of a broken heart. I was alone again just like when I was homeless cold and helpless. God took everything from me in those two weeks. Everything but my determination. Two years later I opened my first barbershop with my last dollar to my name and it was an instant success. After you opened your first shop, how did you get to the 2nd and 3rd up to the 7th? I started to scout out new territories out of need because I was training barbers quickly and needed to expand my business to other local towns that were in need of barbers. I was also lucky to have TYRIK JACKSON’S Premier Barber institute in my town, and I was able to hire these young talented barbers from his school. Not only was I building a family at home, but I was building a family of barbers as well! Before I could blink, I had seven shops in six years with a team of award-winning barbers. Barbering is in your blood you are part of three generations of barbers in your family let’s introduce generation 3, Lilly. Tell us about how Lilly started barbering and her story in your eyes. During the beginning of the pandemic the state of Pennsylvania shut down all Barber shops. I almost lost it all, I was faced with still paying the cost of a home and business with zero income. I was beyond stressed out worrying about the future of my franchise. I was also in desperate need of a haircut. The day before Lily’s 7th birthday I asked her to buzz off all my hair. She gladly did so, she took to it like a natural and did a great job. She had always been artistic like me. Growing up around the shops she knew the lingo and tools and we began to experiment.
