Barbering Ain’t What It Used To Be-September 22, 1975

Fifty Years of Barbering in South Norwood: Silverio “Sal” Antonico Reflects on Changing Times

For half a century, Silverio (Sal) Antonico has wielded his clippers in the very same South Norwood barbershop on Washington Street near the Ponderosa Lounge. At 73 years old, Sal has watched the rhythms of the town transform completely, noting that the bustling pre-school rushes of children getting haircuts have long since faded.

A Lifetime of Barbering and Faithful Friends

In the golden days of the 1920s and 1930s, Sal’s shop was packed with boys before the school year started, and teachers would actively send unkempt students to get a trim. Today, with younger generations wearing longer hair, visiting styled salons, or receiving home cuts as an economy measure, Sal sees only a trickle of kids.

Though occasional walk-ins stop by, the backbone of his business consists of old friends and loyal patrons who have frequented the shop for decades. Among them is Joseph Davis of Norwood, a regular customer who has sat in Sal’s chair continuously since the shop opened 50 years ago. While Sal once learned women’s styling at the Wilfred Academy in Boston during an era when cutting women’s hair and giving cold permanent pads was a flourishing part of the trade, beauty salons eventually absorbed that market—though one devoted customer has still had Sal cut her hair regularly since 1927.

From Bonefro, Italy, to South Norwood

Born Silverio Antonico in Bonefro, Italy, near Rome, Sal was one of eight children. He emigrated to the United States in 1919—becoming a U.S. citizen in 1937—and learned the trade from his oldest brother, initially working shops in Mystic, Connecticut, New York, New London, and Providence before his brother advised him to settle down and purchase the Norwood shop.

Reflecting on how the town has evolved, Sal recalled, “When I came to Norwood, it was a small town. After I had been here two weeks I could say hello to everybody. It’s different today.”

A Passion for Music: Violinist and Pianist

Never married—remarking with a chuckle that he never wanted the responsibility of a wife, though he was once engaged—Sal poured his remaining passions into music.

• Orchestral Career: A serious violinist, Sal played with the Boston Civic Orchestra from 1932 to 1942. In 1944, he joined the 62-piece Norwood Orchestra and chorus, performing regionally until 1962, when shoulder arthritis forced him to put down the violin. Upon request, he was known to play his favorite piece, Lalo’s Symphony Espagnol, in the shop.
• Piano Studies: In 1947, Sal took up the piano, studying for three years at the New England Conservatory.
• Opera Devotee: An avid opera lover whose favorite is Verdi’s Aida, Sal fondly remembered attending every performance possible at the old Boston Opera House.

Though his shop is now a quieter, one-man operation where his piano’s carved fretwork sits beneath covered keys and a television set has replaced musical gatherings, Sal treasures his memories and his long associations with the people of Norwood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger