The
first thing they tell you in hairdressing school is to never talk politics or
religion with the person sitting in your chair. Paul Indelicato, traveling barber, real estate agent,
political pundit, avid bicyclist and once-upon-a-time would-be priest, must
have skipped that day.
Born
and raised on Buffalo’s West Side, Indelicato has some very strong opinions, as
a result of being intimately in touch with his community. If he were someone who lived an insular
life, didn’t get involved in causes, he might be less inclined to have an
opinion, but he would also be less apt to put it out there. Whether you agree with Indelicato’s
views or not, he’s earned them through involvement. And after all, he won’t damn you if you disagree.
In
the same spot on Elmwood Avenue since 1964, Indelicato calls himself a civic
individual. “If there’s a
will, and there’s a way, we can talk about it here,” he says. “Whether it’s a doctor, policeman,
neighbor–I like to feel them out and see what they think.”
One
of the most interesting things Indelicato was involved with was a Buffalo State
College program known as the Citizen’s Residential Advisory Committee
(CRAC). One can tell from the
acronym alone that it is a long-gone program, but a worthy one that could stand
a reemergence.
“We
were 33 business people,” Indelicato says, “and we were like quality-of-life
guardians for the off-campus housing students at Buffalo State College and the
community surrounding it. We would
interview landlords, and make agreements and recommendations, on a year-to-year
basis, about their suitability to rent to students.”
The
group worked on community issues to insure that students were safe, sound and
behaving themselves in the neighborhoods they inhabited. According to Indelicato, the dollars
came through the state, and citizen participants were paid a stipend for being
involved. The program ended with
former Governor Mario Cuomo.
Indelicato
was also a promoter of bicycling back in the 70s. “I was the president and founder of the West Side
Bicycle Group, and I’m the one who started Ride for Roswell,” he says,
referring to the yearly ride that raises funds for cancer patients and their
families.
“My
mother was a cancer patient at Roswell, and I wanted to find a way to raise
funds for them,” Indelicato explains. “And though I’ve been in a lot of races, this ride is a
nice scenic cruise.”
Speaking
of hospitals, Indelicato’s certification as a “traveling barber”
comes from his being designated by Erie County to care for hospital patients
throughout the area, as well as homebound people. Indelicato says, “People blossomed when they saw me
coming. They would say, ‘Oh, here
you are.’ It was a nice experience
for everyone, and through the local hospitals I got to meet people from almost
every country in the world.”
He’s
had his share of celebrities also, both local and national. “Rocky Marciano, Mayor Jimmy
Griffin, Buffalo Bill Tom Sestak–and my first traveling barber call was to
Sheriff John Tutuska’s hospital room at Deaconess Hospital, one day before it
closed,” Indelicato says.
“I was nervous.”
He’s
made a lot of house calls, has shorn 5-member families during a single session
and he’s got a few woman regulars, but most of his clients at his Elmwood shop
are males.
At
one point between high school and being drafted into the US Army, Indelicato
also thought of being a doctor.
“All of my cousins in Ohio are doctors,” he says, “one of
them said to me, ‘There were barbers before doctors,’ and my father and uncles
worked as meat-cutters,” he muses.
“I guess in some way, all the men in my family have worked with
sharp objects.”
Indelicato
is sure to be around town in this guise or that. Though he’s political, he only ran for office once, a 1990
candidate on the Republican ticket for the 144th District NYS
Assembly. In retrospect, he says
he’s glad he didn’t win. He also
stays active as the president of the Forest District Civic Association (FDCA),
a group he joined in 1990, that is currently seeking new members (call Paul).
You
can always find the man whose last name translates to “indiscreete”
at 57 Elmwood Avenue for a shave, a haircut and his 2 cents. In his opinion, he has nothing to hide.
The
Traveling Barber
57
Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo,
NY 14201
716.885.6351