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Black Rock Barber Prizes Neighborhood Feel

"Want a sandwich?" Ralph Quintiliano's words to people who stop by one winter afternoon aren't the greeting you expect when walking into a business with the sign "Ralph's Black Rock Barber Shop." He gets no takers, but to Ralph, the important thing is that you feel welcome.

Everything else in the space on Fairfield Avenue, however, reveals the telltale signs of the classic neighborhood barbershop: the map of Italy on the wall, the lone swiveling chair in the center of the room and, of course, the classic decoration outside.

"I think one of my happiest moments was when my electrician was able to put my pole up outside," Ralph says. "Then I knew I made it."

Until the first of two heart attacks forced him to retire, Ralph had worked as a Bridgeport firefighter for 22 years. But the "three days off, three days on" schedule of Bridgeport's Bravest gave him the opportunity to pursue a long list of side jobs: truck driver, bus dispatcher, carpenter and caterer, to name a few. But he most enjoyed following in his grandfather's footsteps and becoming a barber.

While with the department, Ralph bounced around local shops in Fairfield and Bridgeport. But in April, he decided to become his own boss. Owning his own shop allows him the simple joy of shuttering up once in a while to take a stroll around Black Rock's coast. But it also lets him make his shop exactly what he wants it to be — a place where a guy can stop by for a cut and a chat.

"All my friends in the business tell me it's a mistake to not take appointments," Ralph says. "But I like it that way. I want people to just stop in when they can."

For now, the no-appointment system works perfectly for Ralph. Though he admits he wouldn't mind a few more customers, he doesn't want a constant four-man-deep line, either. Too much business, he says, would take away from the traditional barber's role: friend and confidant.

"I don't want to have to rush people out the door," Ralph says. "I'd hate to not be able to sit and talk with you for a while after I cut your hair."

Do you know of any local characters like Ralph? Send suggestions to gcanuel@mainstreetconnect.us.

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