L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 6 ing them haircuts so that they can start gaining their confidence back, then I send them to my den- tist friend (many times battered women get their teeth broken by their husbands punching them straight on the face) and often, through my network of friends and clients I am also able to find them a job". "I am very religious, you know", he says in his mixture of East Coast, Italian, West Coast accent, and he shows his many religious themed tattoos: a cross on every finger, on his neck, on one arm, and then Padre Pio writ- ten in large characters in the palm of his right hand and Saint Michael on the other forearm. Thin, black hair, just-right tan, biker boots, Giuseppe Franco is always active and, while we talk, he checks what is going on at the salon, says hello to the many friends who pass by, smokes a Marlboro and has a drink." I was an altar boy and I still go to Church every Sunday. Religion and family are very important to me. Unfortunately I am divorced but I have a wonderful 18 year old daughter, Tatiana, a model whose photos have come out on Vogue magazine, and we have a great relationship, with me being the crazy Italian dad!". It is fascinating to listen to Giuseppe's river of words and anecdotes: "I love to give motiva- tional talks because I like to share what I have learned through my experience. Once at UCLA Business School, I was pointing out how location is important not only per se but also in connection to nearby stores businesses: never start a salon or a beauty-related store next to a gas station. "There is a great salon opening in Westwood next to a gas station, it's Westwood, that will matter more than the gas station", told me a student. I just looked at him and grimaced. After a few months, that salon went out of business as I expected. Yesterday I was invited to a rough opening in a top notch location. A rough opening, what is it? "We want to give a big party before the salon will be in business, start warming people up to the new business", said the owner, "and we want to have you as our guest". Don't do it, I told him. First impression is most important, never open to the public unless you are 100% ready". While we have our espresso at Caffè Roma, next to his salon, his eyes go dreamy "My father was a shoemaker and my mother was a seamstress, I had a strict Italian upbringing but they always encouraged to follow my dreams and that brought me to L.A. When I got here people were telling me I was crazy, that there were already too many salons and many were going out of business. I was determined so I started by cutting hair for free. I would eat here and in exchange I would cut the hair of the employees. All the rich clients sitting at the Caffè would always see me come and go and asked how I was doing : Fantastic, I always said, because nobody likes a loser. And little by little those clients became my clients, and more came over the years. That is how I got to know Arnold Schwarzenegger: his wife was my client and she invited me to the opening of Conan the Barbarian, I met Arnold, we became friends and still are. You know, the man is a genius. He made his first million before he turned 30, not because of his bodybuilding or the movies, but for his sound real estate invest- ments. If you go to his office, hanging on the wall you will see all his diplomas and certificates, he had a catholic upbringing like mine and he was born not endowed with wealth but with brains, that's how he got to where he is". His shop houses 73 hair- dressers: "People need leaders and to manage so many people you have to be firm so I always say it from the outstart: It is my salon, my game, my rules". I can't help but ask, What are your rules? "First, never be late. Second, be dressed properly, don't be a nun but don't strut your body, be someone people have pleasure looking at. Coming to a salon must be a relaxing and pampering experi- ence, and I take pleasure in doing it so I always walk around and ask clients if they want coffee or a drink; many are my hair- dressers' clients and don't know me personally so it happens that they tell me: we'll tell the boss to reward you for your nice attitude. I am the boss, I answer and they are amazed. We are Beverly Hills but we don't act Beverly Hills, I always try to keep my salon like an Italian living room where everybody is welcome and there is something to eat! I am proud to be an Italian American and we have to keep the Italian heritage alive. I see many young Italians leaving the Paese and coming here in search of a brighter future and I want to tell them: if I made it, you can make it!". "My father was a shoemaker and my mother was a seamstress, I had a strict Italian upbringing, but they always encouraged to follow my dreams and that brought me to L.A. Giuseppe Franco, from Calabria with Passion NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 1 Giuseppe Franco with his clients and friends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone

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