Traditional Springfield barber to close-up shop forever

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - With just one chair, an old fashioned cash register, and a lot of charm, Angelo's Barber Shop has made it nearly 50 years in Springfield, but now, it’s closing up forever.

For 47 years Richard Polidoro has been cutting hair in Springfield's Hungry Hill neighborhood. Over that time, not much inside the shop has changed.

"If it ain't broke, don't change it,” Polidoro says.

And that consistency is just the way many of his customers like it.

"I love the old school barbers, and he's definitely old school,” customer Tony Arrighi said.

Old school, however, just isn't cutting it anymore, and after nearly five decades, Polidoro is closing up shop. Indeed, while the look of his business hasn’t changed, people’s behaviors have.

"People got haircuts more often and a shave; now things have just changed,” he said.

It’s not just hairstyles and frequency of haircuts that have changed drastically over the past 47 years, the neighborhood. The Hungry Hill section of Springfield has transformed drastically since the 1960’s.

"The neighborhood has changed, a lot of the elderly have died off and moved out, so things have changed,” Polidoro said.

With his doors closing, Richard is not sure if this is just another step toward the end of the road for the traditional barber shop.

"I hope it comes back. I don't know anyone who's going into it now, but hopefully it will get going again,” he said.

"It's been a great ride."