Sal's Barber Shop In Brookline Up For Historic Designation

BROOKLINE, PA — Businesses come and go along Brookline Boulevard all the time, but Sal's Barber Shop has maintained a rock-solid presence there since shortly after World War II.

The steadiness of the unassuming family business soon could get it a historic designation from Pittsburgh officials. Neighborhood leaders and a Pittsburgh preservation organization are backing a plan to get 712 Brookline Boulevard formally recognized as one of the city's historic buildings.

"That would mean a lot to me," Sal Bondi, 71, the shop's owner, told Patch. "I'm really happy about the effort that's being made."

The Pittsburgh planning commission is reviewing a nomination submitted by Preservation Pittsburgh on Bondi's behalf to obtain the designation. If the commission approves it, the nomination would go before city council for a vote.

Bondi said he started the quest to get the designation before COVID-19, but the effort stalled during the pandemic. With the support he has received since from Preservation Pittsburgh, Brookline Together and friends and neighbors, "I hope we can get this done soon now."

What's so special about the building?

According to the nomination, "The overwhelming support from the neighbors and patrons, the strong support of community organizations, and the prominence of Sal's over the years are excellent indicators of the special place that Sal’s Barber Shop occupies in Brookline."

According to Bondi, John Holden built the building in 1928, running his roofing business out of a first-floor storefront while living with his family in an upstairs apartment. The property was sold at a sheriff's sale in 1940, and purchaser Joseph Garofalo operated a fruit stand and shoe repair shop in the storefront.

When Garofalo's daughter, Josephine, married Sal Bondi - the current owner's father - in 1947, the fruit stand was replaced by the barber shop. His son, affectionately known as "Little Sal," moved to California but he and his family returned to Pittsburgh in 2005 so father and son could work together.

That lasted until Sal Sr.'s death in 2014. The shop has been a one-man operation since. How long it will last is anyone's guess; Bondi now cuts hair by appointment only and there is no clear-cut successor to take over the shop when he retires.

That adds a sense of urgency to the historic designation application, something Caitlin McNulty of Brookline Together hopes happens in the near future.

"Sal's Barber Shop has become an iconic symbol of Brookline," she said. "There are few businesses that have been in the community for so long. In their many years, they have collected so much history that holds great meaning and value to the community."