by Michaela A. Falls

In Alibrandi’s Barber Shop at 194 Holland St., one hears echoes of the same lighthearted banter over and between the scissors snips from when the family first started cutting hair in the city in 1938.

First and foremost, Alibrandi’s has more the feel of a gathering spot disguised as a business with the spotlight on the customer as opposed to the haircut, a tradition that was passed down by Tony J. Alibrandi’s father and one he said he is determined to keep.

“I work and talk and get my customers out of here fast. I love coming to work everyday. No one thought I’d be a barber—I was very quiet as a kid growing up. Now they can’t shut me up,” he said.
It is not an accident that the readers of The Somerville News voted the shop the best haircut and shave in the city.

Alibrandi is a master.

In his hands the snipping of the scissors is an effortless act of speed and precision that he said he has been performed more times than he can recall for more than 46 years in the business.

Youth athletics is the other passion in his life, he said. Throughout his working life he has sponsored and coached youth sport teams and leagues in the city.

It is a challenge to find a section on his walls not covered with sports memorabilia, pictures of his teams and items that have been given to him by his customers and his kids. Some of whom are no longer kids anymore, but parents of the kids that Alibrani sponsors today, he said.

Throughout the years he has sponsored softball, basketball, baseball, flag football and hockey teams, Alibrandi said. He doesn’t miss a game, hates to see his teams lose, and truly believes that his baseball players are so good that they could hold their own against the Red Sox.

“When I’m leaving the house, my wife will say to me, ‘Now if you win, it’s good, but if you don’t, don’t feel bad, it’s going to cost you money.’ I always buy the kids T-shirts. I hate to lose–I’m a big poor sport, I guess.”

His contributions were recognized 20 years ago when the West Somerville Neighborhood School dedicated their gym to Alibrandi.

Born and raised in Somerville, Alibrandi, once sponsored as many as 26 teams, the rising cost have forced him to cut back to 17. “I started in 1976 when I was asked by two of the kids to sponsor their teams. It cost $6 at that time.”

Rising costs have made it difficult for Alibrandi to keep his location, a short walk from Davis and Teele Square, he said.

“We’ve moved to three places because the rent got so high and I only charge $10.00 a haircut,” he said.
It has also forced many of his customers to move out, some to the elderly center, some to the Sisters of the Poor, and some to other neighborhoods, but they still come back to him to get their haircut, he said.

Harold Campbell said he has been a customer at Alibrandi’s for more than 50 years and he used to get his haircut from Alibrandi’s father.

His brother, father-in-law, three sons and grandkids come to Alibrandi’s for haircuts, Campbell said.

Still Alibrandi said he knew times have changed. “I don’t even know many of the neighbors now. When anyone wanted anything done here, they would come to me. I was the leader of the old neighbors but that isn’t the way it is anymore.

“There are all new kids moving in and they come in for their haircuts but you don’t get to know them the way we did. Harold’s boy still comes here and he doesn’t even live here,” he said.

“He works all kind of crazy hours and he still finds the time. We appreciate that because those are the ones that keep you going,” he said.

“I have a guy from New Hampshire who comes to see his mother and always stops by. One customer was stationed in Germany and would come in to get a haircut when he would come back,” he said.

Business has had its up and downs for Alibrandi, especially in 1958 when he first started in the business and long hair was the fashion, he said.

“Back when I first started I was cutting hair for Sisters of the Poor for $3,” he said.

“I’ve been cutting hair at the rest home for 25 years. One of the nuns once told me that when I would leave they would have to put some of the people to bed because I would get their blood pressure so high. Like here, we would talk about sports for as long as we could.”

“I used to go to people’s home and cut hair because no one would come here. I was like the Maytag guy,” he said.

“That’s how I got involved in the sports. I would be hanging around and the kids used to come in, not to get haircuts, but just to hang around and we’d read Sports Illustrated and they would ask questions and we had a lot of fun. I was the poorest guy in town, I think, and then the haircuts came back and business got better.”

Alibrandi was appointed to the election committee by former Mayor Michael E. Capuano eight years ago, he said. His main responsibility is handing out absentee ballots, one of his stops being the Sisters of the Poor.

“I used to go to all the fundraisers for the politicians. When you get on the election committee you can’t go anymore so it saves me from all the fried raviolis,” he said.

“I kind of miss it because the way I used to be with the politicians was the way I was with the referees—a pain in the neck,” he said.

Alibrandi said he admits he has cooled down at the games and now takes it a little easier on the refs.
He has also modernized his barber shop with the addition of his two young employees, Chris Nadeau and Paul McGlashing, and his manager and female hairdresser, Stacy Taddia, although Alibrandi said he does not always adapt easily to the current styles.

“We try to teach him the new styles but he’s kind of stubborn,” said Nadeau.

“People say what’s the sense of telling you how to cut my hair when you’re going to do it your way anyway,” Alibrandi said.

“That’s what I’ve been known for doing. If you don’t like it after, I’ll change it,” he said.

The customers who sit in Alibrandi’s chair vary in age and include politicians, school superintendents, bank presidents, and high school students.

Sol Gittleman, a Tufts University professor and former provost at the school, said he has been getting his haircut from Alibrandi for 20 years.

Not only because Alibrandi gives good haircuts but it’s a good place to get an opinion on things, especially baseball players, he said.

“Barber shops have always been sort of a social and intellectual cultural center in America,” he said.

“Barbers are a lot like dentists—they keep talking. Dentists do it because they got their hands in your mouth and you can’t say anything,” he said.

“Barbers often have a razor at your throat so you don’t want to say anything,” said Gittleman.

“You treat your customers like a personality and that’s the gist of it. They say do it their way and we do it their way. I think that’s why we’ve lasted and customers keep coming back,” Alibrandi said.

“Where else can you insult a guy who gives you money at the end? No, it isn’t like that, but I do have a lot of fun,” he said.

Although Alibrandi said he will retire in four years when he turns 70, most customers will bet that he’ll be around a little longer than that, especially when a few minutes later he contradicts himself.

“I would love to stay as long as I can—as long as I’m healthy and can work a day or two. This is my job. I like cutting hair. I like the sports part. I have a real good life—I think I’ve already gone to heaven,” he said.