90-Year-Old Barber Sees Community Rise, Fall, Rise Again

EAST LIBERTY (KDKA) -- East Liberty is a city neighborhood that's had its ups and downs and is currently experiencing something of a rebirth -- and one man has seen it all.

In its heyday, East Liberty was a thriving commercial district of restaurants, stores and theaters. Then came decades of decline and a failed attempt at urban renewal. But now a new, vibrant neighborhood is rising from those ashes.

And that's just fine with Paul Pirollo.

"It's really coming back in a nice way," he said.

At the age of 90, Pirollo is still cutting hair the old-school way -- hot lather and straight edge razor -- one constant in a neighborhood on a roller coaster ride of up and downs.

He's happy that it's on an upswing once more with an influx of young professionals.

"It's progress in a good way," he said. "They're educated, they're nice all the way around."

Pirollo has seen it all, having come here from Italy after World War II -- not knowing a word of English.

"Not even the bad words," he laughed.

But he was immediately taken by the pace and action of urban America. East Liberty was a city unto itself.

"You didn't have to go to town. Everything was here," he said.

Just as quickly, it seemed, his world emptied out. His Italian neighbors moved to the suburbs, the theaters and furniture stores closed down, and East Liberty became an island of blight.

Until its recent rebirth, typified by employers like the tech giant Google and upscale stores like Whole Foods. The neighborhood has ushered in a new era.

While many complain that gentrification and a luxury apartment boom is pricing out longtime residents and destroying the character of the neighborhood -- Pirollo says old must make way for the new.

"I'm losing a lot of old customers," he said. "If it wasn't for this new change of East Liberty, I would have had to close up for the costumers. Almost every week I got to the funeral homes to see my customers."

Pirollo doesn't want go anywhere but he, himself, might fall victim to the changes around him. The building is for sale and the rent may rise, but he says he'll keep working until someone prices him out.

"Don't tell me I have to quit because it's not in me," he said.

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