It’s a busy summer weekend on the Jersey shore, and Vince Mistiko?s phone rings off the hook.
Since arriving from Calabria, Italy, he has been cutting hair on Ventnor Avenue for 48 years.
“I never should have taken off yesterday,” he said, shaking his head. “They’re attacking like bees.”
And it’s only 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning.
I made my appointment a week in advance. I’ve been coming to see Vince for 10 years.
Within a glimpse of the Atlantic City skyline, his packed barbershop attracts characters. From croupiers to casino presidents, Vince gives a tight and lasting cut.
“I’ve done celebrities,” he said. “Cardinal O?Connor, Archbishop Foley, Sylvester Stallone, croupiers, Oscar De La Hoya, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.”
I carefully ask whether he has any Mafioso clientele.
“Sure,” he said, “plenty of them.”
His brother-in-law is serving two life sentences.
“The FBI came in to congratulate me the day they arrested him.” Agents had been getting haircuts for years as plumbers, electricians, bartenders and contractors.
“I never say a word to nobody,” he said. “They knew I was clean.”
Not just a legendary stop on the Monopoly board, the town of Ventnor sits between Margate and Atlantic City like a middle child with a cannoli on its shoulder. It will never be as sublime as Margate with its procession of black Mercedes SUVs or as seedy as the casino strip on the A.C. boardwalk.
Ventnor features a string of nail shops and beauty salons, white loafers, and charm nell?abbondanza. There are good restaurants like Johnny’s, Sage and Nostalgia. It’s Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown on the ocean.
You could easily imagine a Joe Piscopo look-a-like contest or a casting call for “The Sopranos” extras taking place here.
The Euro Café sells the best coffee ? a Sumatra blend ? and Italian water ice.
“They are all out of Bada-Bing Cherry,” a man announces sadly, referring to the most popular flavor named after a “Sopranos” strip club.
On the boardwalk, people stroll north toward the slot machines. The newly opened Borgata casino, with its wide-ranging amenities, and Harrah?s begin to approach gambling, Vegas-style. An outlet mall has just opened across from the casinos. The Steel Pier has changed since the Rolling Stones posed for a photo in 1966, but you can still stroll theMidway and take a Rocket Ride.
Vince prefers to stay home and cook Calabrese-style.
“A piece of veal, a piece of roast, and a nice pork chop. Chunks of meat, not finely ground, for flavor.” He’s talking about his meatballs.
His father taught him well. “Fatti i cazzi tuoi,” Vince said, raising his metal comb and “minding his own business.”
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