The man behind the chair

As he observed the passersby on West Park Avenue from the storefront window of his Majestic Barber shop, Long Beach resident and Italian native Nick Oricchio mused about the longevity of his career as a barber.

“This business here keeps you alive and helps you live a long life because you talk to nice people and it keeps you occupied,” said Oricchio, better known as “Nick the Barber.”

For half a century, Oricchio has strived to make his customers look — and feel — their best once they step into his chair, and as a result, has developed a devoted customer base over the years.

“Nick is a great guy, he gives great advice,” said employee Joe Panzarella, who has worked alongside his father, Benny, and Oricchio at Majestic Barber for three years. “I think that’s why everyone comes here — to hear the great Italian philosophies that Nick bestows upon them.”

“It’s pretty self-explanatory — if he didn’t do a good job then I wouldn’t have come back,” said John Cliggett, a regular customer at Majestic for 28 years.

Recently, the City of Long Beach honored Oricchio with a certificate of recognition to commemorate his 50 years of service in the community. Oricchio said that it’s the unconditional support of his customers that has fueled his success.

“I love [my job] because you meet the nicest people. I have the nicest customers in the world — politicians, judges, doctors, lawyers, everybody. I like to treat them the way I would like to be treated. They treat me well and I treat them well,” Oricchio said.

In the rear of the barbershop hangs a large world map tracking Oricchio’s journey from Italy to the United States on the SS Cristoforo Colombo 50 years ago. A slew of framed newspaper articles and awards on the wall give testament to his success over the years.

Before leaving his home in Salerno, where he lived with his aunt and uncle for three years — his sister and parents had already settled in America — Oricchio studied at a trade school and worked as a barber’s appren- tice until he earned his license at age 17.

When he arrived in New York on June 4, 1962, Oricchio reunited with his family in Long Beach and moved into the home that his late parents purchased on the December Walk, where he still resides with his girlfriend, Lucy.