from Sicily and began working at a barbershop in the Edgewater neighborhood in 1969.
He said his father, Joe, immigrated to the U.S. On a recent weekday, Father and Son co-owner Pete Faraci sat in the back breakroom, which featured a large map of Italy on the wall. He added: “My hair, fade, and beard is always on point.” Before the dog collars and leather daddies While many barbershops and salons utilize Instagram and other social media platforms to draw in customers, Father and Son appears to benefit from a word-of-mouth campaign by a closely knit community attending leather bars and kink events.Īnd while the reputation has been a huge draw, the atmosphere keeps them coming, Dauti said. I also love the fact that I see so many many familiar faces from the leather community and customers from Jackhammer.” “The staff has been very welcoming and friendly. “I’ve been told by coworkers and from customers of mine to get my haircut and beard trimmed here,” he said. At night, he slings drinks as a bartender at the Jackhammer Complex, a leather bar in the Rogers Park neighborhood. … All of a sudden you’re macho and talking about sports.”Īrben Dauti, a 37-year-old Uptown resident, has been coming in the shop for eight months. “What gay man can go to any other barbershop and talk about sports? I almost want to say it kinda takes you out of the norm - out of the gay lifestyle. Everyone literally knows your name,” he said. “It’s traditional Italian, it’s like family. “There’s usually a three-hour wait for a week or two leading up to a big event,” Cernak said.Ĭernak credits the friendly atmosphere for being a draw into the shop, especially for those in the leather and kink community. He and his boyfriend, who also gets his haircut there, plan on attending events for this week’s Mr. A 41-year-old resident of Rogers Park, he said he has been coming to the shop for more than 19 years. Jerry Cernak holds a particular position of reverence in the Chicago kink community. “I’d say it’s about 60 percent gay, 20 percent hipster-straight, 15 percent middle-aged straight men, and 5 percent transgender or gender fluid,” said Mitch Koonce, who has worked at the barbershop for three years and is known for his beard, which goes down to his chest.
It’s the kind of place where older men with heavy Italian accents talk about soccer next to young gay men covered in tattoos. The barbershop, called Father and Son, isn’t just for so-called kinksters it’s cultivated a diverse clientele. But if you look a little higher, you might see a fresh haircut.Īnd where do they go? Word of mouth has made a decades-old mom-and-pop barbershop in Edgewater one of the go-to destinations for men who will soon to be wearing rubber masks and leather outfits. That’s because people from around the world will be sporting their rubber fetish outfits for the Mr. If you’re in Boystown this weekend, you might see some unusual outfits that have nothing to do with Halloween. To stay up to date on the stories that matter. WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information.