Visiting Renato’s Barbershop in Rotterdam, you would think you were back in 1955. The barbers still use hot lather and straight razors and still sharpen those razors on leather straps attached to 1950s-style chairs.
The Viscusi family owns this barbershop, and have owned a barbershop in the Schenectady area since they arrived in the United States. On April 18, Bernardino Bernie Viscusi celebrated his 50th anniversary in the United States and more 50 years of barbering.
Viscusi began his career as a barber while he was living in Squille, Italy. He was only 13 when he learned the trade, and he opened his own shop at 16. In a village of 1,500 people, there was only one barbershop, and it belonged to him.
`After World War II, children in Italy had the opportunity to learn a trade. I chose to be a barber,` Viscusi said.
Viscusi’s father came to the United States in 1954 and eventually brought over his entire family of five boys and two girls.
Upon his arrival, Viscusi was introduced to one of his father’s barbers and began working in that shop, The Three Blind Mice Barbershop, in Schenectady.
`My first haircut, I only charged 75 cents, now I charge $12,` Viscusi said.
In 1959, Viscusi established his own barbershop, Bernie’s Barbershop, on lower Broadway in Schenectady.
Stan Ostergren from Niskayuna has been getting his hair cut at Bernie’s since 1970.
`I was working at GE; I said, ‘I need a haircut,’ and they told me to take the subway to this place, and I’ve been coming here ever since,` Ostergren said.
In 1969, Viscusi took a position with General Electric. The long hairstyles of the day had taken a toll on the barbering business. He still operated Bernie’s Barbershop with his younger brother Renato Viscusi, whom he had taught.
After retiring from General Electric and Bernie’s Barbershop in 1994, Viscusi went on to operate Fusco Barbershop in Rotterdam for nine years and then joined his brother Renato at Renato’s Barbershop in Rotterdam.
At 67, Bernie Viscusi has no plans of retiring. Renato’s Barbershop is one of the few shops that open at 6:30 a.m., and both Viscusi brothers are there.
Customers come from all over the Capital District to visit the Viscusis including some from Glenmont, Hudson and Cohoes. Bernie Viscusi even has a few clients who have followed him from his very first shop.
`We made our living out of barbering, we raised our family out of it. Now we have so many old friends that come here and we talk. We still love our customers, and we love to serve them,` Viscusi said.
Now, the next generation of Viscusi is taking over the shop — Renato’s son Ziggy Viscusi.
`We have old-fashioned charms, but we aren’t old fashion,` Ziggy Viscusi said.
In contrast to the hot lather and straight razors, the shop has high-tech, flat-screen televisions mounted on the walls.
But, charm is what is so attractive about Renato’s Barbershop. Both Viscusi brothers still speak with Italian accents, are quick to offer an espresso, and love showing off their family photographs displayed on every inch of wall space, including a poster-size photo of their hometown village in Italy.
Renato’s Barbershop is located at 315 Mariaville Road in Rotterdam. “
