Saugus barbershop, at 110 years, claims to be oldest in the country

SAUGUS – In 1902, Thomas George Moriello opened a small barbershop in Saugus’ Cliftondale Square. Four generations later, George Moriello and his son Mike are keeping the shears clipping as George’s Barber Shop celebrates its 110th year in business.More than a dozen people packed the small shop on Jackson Street Friday afternoon, as the four 1950s-style barber chairs were filled while another eight people waited.George Moriello, who is also a Town Meeting member, said he first started working for his father, George Thomas Moriello, in 1962.”We were very busy in the 1960s and there were a lot of haircuts, but then we ran into trouble with the hippies,” said George Moriello, 69. “In the hippie era they weren’t getting haircuts.”George Moriello’s father opened the current location in 1959 after moving it across the rotary from its original location, also in Cliftondale Square.Fourth generation owner Mike Moriello, 38, has been working with his dad since 1992 and said he was reluctant to go into the family business at first.”Growing up this was something I didn’t want to do,” said Mike Moriello. “I was tired of hearing about it and growing up around it. But as I got older I began to think maybe I should. Even when I went to barber school I still wasn’t sure ? then I began to like it. Now I like working with my dad and I’m proud of the history of the shop. I’ll see if I can make it last a few more years.”Mike Moriello said the barbershop has been able to survive for so long because they haven’t changed much over the years.”We have a good mix of an old school barbershop with the new styles and custom designs,” he said. “We have the old fashioned chairs, yet we have the flat screen TVs.”All four chairs are the originals from 1959, plus one in the waiting area dates back to the early 1900s.For George Moriello, the key to success is to “keep the prices low and keep the place full.””We charge $12 for a haircut and that’s about six years old,” he said.So far that adage has paid off, as both George and Mike Moriello have staked their claim as the oldest barbershop in the country.”Each state has its own licensing board and the Massachusetts State Board, they’ve confirmed it and there’s a national museum in Ohio, no one can find anyone older than us,” said Mike Moriello. “But it’s not like a national licensing board that you can check.””They only had licensing since 1935,” added George Moriello. “So from 1935 to now is the only thing you can write down on paper. But we’ve challenged everybody.”Tom Stanley has been coming to George’s for 45 years and used to have his hair cut by George Moriello’s father. On Friday, Stanley said he trusts “only George” with his hair.Jordan Rodriguez, 8, was getting his “good luck football haircut” on Friday: a Mohawk with flames shaved on the side of his head, a specialty design by Mike Moriello.Jordan’s mother, Renee Rodriguez, said she’s been coming to George’s from Malden for two years.”We live in Malden and we travel here to see Mr. Mike,” she said. “One of Jordan’s football players on his team gets the Malden Cyclone symbol and we were like, ‘Where did you get that?’ They do a great job here. Mike’s great with the kids too.”But George’s Barber Shop isn’t just a tradition for the Moriellos. For Saugus resident Kristen Scott, who was waiting with her 5-year-old son Kaden, George’s has been a fixture for her family as well.”My dad has known George for about 35 years, since they were young kids,” said Scott. “My dad comes here, I used to get my bangs cut here when I was little and now my son comes.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].