Detroit barber celebrates 70 years in business
(CBS DETROIT) - Celebrating success after being in business as a barber for 70 years, 92-year-old Korean War Vet Sam Zeolla went from the battlefield to the barbershop in 1954 and hasn't left his post since.
"To be honest, [my customers] feel very relaxed. They just love to come here," Sam Zeolla said. "I didn't think I was going to last this long because the city was going down and down."
Zeolla is referring to Detroit's mass exodus following the 1967 race riots. While people flocked to the suburbs, he stayed put at 719 Griswold, formerly known as Chrysler House and the Dime Building.
"I never had any reason to move," Zeolla said.
The only move he's made after all these years is moving a few floors down.
"I was there for 47 years on the 11th floor," he said.
Zeolla landed the gig in 1954 when returning home from the Korean War. The shop is on the second floor now, but inside, you'll find Zeolla working just as diligently as the day he was hired.
"The only way you're going to do good work is if you take your time," he said. "70 years, [it feels] very good, to be honest with you, I'm ready for another 70 years."
And you can guarantee everyone who sits in his chair is ready for that, too.
"These are all customers," Zeolla said. "But through the years, we've become friends, and they love to come here."