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'Cutting Hair Is My Life:' Squirrel Hill Barber Shop Forced To Shut Doors Due To Pandemic

SQUIRREL HILL (KDKA) - Businesses continue to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and more are being forced to close their doors.

A Squirrel Hill staple is shutting its doors after welcoming customers for more than three decades.

"Cutting hair is my life, I enjoy cutting hair," Gino's Hair Styling Salon owner Gina Scamardi said.

For 32 years he has been cutting hair at his Murray Avenue shop.

"If you take me out of this chair, I don't know what to do," he said inside his shop.

He has been cutting hair since he was 14 in Sicily.

After moving to Belgium, he came to America in his 20s without speaking any English. He's been cutting hair in Pittsburgh for almost six decades.

"Not only do you give a service but you create a friendship," Scamardi said.

"We love this store. We love Gino," customer Alex said.

Saturday was the last time Scamardi's shop heard the sound of clippers or the conversations shared during a haircut.

"Today is my last day," he said after giving a haircut and shave to a customer.

"If this wouldn't have hit, I would have kept ongoing. I would have no doubt or no time to quit," Scamardi said about the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was forced to close for almost three months. After reopening in June some customers who are at risk for the virus were not able to come back.

Bills started adding up, and Scamardi made the tough decision to close his doors for good.

"I'm going to pass it by, but I won't have the key anymore. That's going to be very difficult," he said while holding back tears.

"We'll miss him so much," Alex said after helping his friend get to the shop for a haircut.

Signs thank the community for their support and say everything must go.

"Somebody wants to buy my clippers and I said oh no," Scamardi said with a laugh.

He will still need those because at 84-years-young he's doesn't want to stop. He plans to still be available to cut hair when needed.

"I can make a house call. If you want me, I'll be over," he said smiling.

Several customers stopped by whether they had a hair cut or not so they could say goodbye.

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