Pino

Pino was an Italian teenager when his family moved to Sydney in the 1960s. They immigrated to Leichhardt along with thousands of other Italians, it was the ‘Italian’ suburb. Pino was a musician; guitar and piano. As he learned English and tried to adjust, music allowed him to communicate and work. He was successful to a point, and even describes playing on a stage inside the Opera House 50 years ago.


He also recalls walking down the street in our country and people saying to him “speak English you fucking wog.” He relates the story with an extremely grating nasal accent, I can hear the vitriol and associated pain every time he recreates the episode, which were presumably repeated episodes. Pino loves Italy, he returns to visit every other year. There are postcards all around his barber shop from Firenze, Bari, Venezia, Positano and Roma - it’s his main decor. He smokes, speaks with his hands pulsing in front of his heart, calls me Michele when I arrive for a haircut and offers me a Limoncello which his wife has made from their lemon tree at home. It’s the best I’ve ever had.


Pino also loves Australia. It’s his country, his 3 daughters grew up here and have had excellent starts to life. He knows it’s an amazing place to be and he jealously guards the Australia he knows, even from Australians to think it should change.


Making a living as a musician wasn’t a strong option so Pino became a hairdresser in Leichhardt 35 years ago. For 35 years he cut and styled hair in the neighbourhood. At one stage a longstanding client was the NSW Governors wife. When Queen Elizabeth toured, the Governor, and his wife hosted them around Sydney, including a trip to the Opera house. Pino was invited to go along to help keep Mrs. Governor’s hair on point during the day. On the tour with the Queen.


When Dani and I immigrated to Leichhardt 10 years ago. I needed to get a hair cut, so I walked into Pino’s single-chair barbershop on the main street. He cut my hair and told me about all the things Italians invented. Include the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell ‘stole’ the idea, took credit and the American patent from Antonio Meucci.


Pino has some views on society that I found outdated and belligerent. He is also a fascinating character and a part of Australia’s story. It’s a great story and has deeply shameful elements.


Pino is gone. This month he shut his shop and left. After 35 ears, Leichhardt changed a little bit. A different man, a young man is cutting hair in the same single-chair room now.


Time moves slowly and change comes in increments. Sometimes though stories takes a leap and suddenly things are visibly different. Like the wrinkles around a person’s eyes, or the height of a tree, it can be hard to notice the way everything slowly shifts. Occasionally, the relentless change of time is brought into sharp focus with a major shift.


We’ve got to change, that is how stories go. It’s always happening.

Grazie Mille Pino. Perfezione.