Evening star., 1963-05-25
GENERAL CUTUP
War College Barber Clips 60th Year
GENERAL CUTUP
BY THADDEUS FOOTE
Star Special Writer


Star Special Writer
If generals were Samson
and Dominic Santaiti were De-
lilah, it is doubtful we'd have
ever won a war.
Mr.. Santaiti, chief barber at
the War College who has
clipped the graying temples of
most of the Army's current
brass at one time or another,
yesterday celebrated so years of
barbering in Washington.
At 1880 am, May "a, 1908,
young Dominic rolled up his
sleeves, grimaced and cleaned a
cuspidor his first official as
signment in a barbershop.
He had arrived in New York
from Italy four days earlier
and the cuspidor was his Sec
ond disappointment in Amer
lea. "The only thing I didn't
enjoy about coming here was
when I saw the Statue of Lib
erty and they put me in JAIL"
he reminisced. 1t wasn't really
jail, but to a boy in short
pants" the teeming compound
on Ellis Isand seemed like it.
Joined His Father
His father, a retired sergeant
major of the Italian Army, had
moved to the District earlier
and sent for Dominic when he
was settled.
II learned to cut hair by CIV
ing l0-cent haircuts to kids"
he recalled. II was paid 81 a
week. A shave was 5 cents in
those days, you know"
In 1905, the young barber
went to Teddy RooSevelt's in
augural parade. Lettering on
his fathers shoulders, he saw
the great man, thrilled to the
marching troops and blurted:
Some day I'm going to cut
a generals hair"
in this country that can
happen, his father replied.
Mr.. Santaiti worked in sew
eral barbershopS in the Dis
trict. For many years he had
his own shops, at 1907 and
1918 Georga avenue NV.
II was the highest-paid bar
ber in Washington in the First
World War" he said proudly.
Mr.. Santaiti was paid S35 a
week. I
He began working at the PIX
barbershop at Fort McNair in
1941 and five years later moved
to the War College down the
street.
IF not satisfied with hair
cut, your hair will be re-
funded" read the sign in his
shop. But everyone was salts
fled. Generals and admirals
and a sprinkling of ambassa-
doris were soon asking for Mr..
Santaiti by name.
The list of his customers
reads like a military Who's
Who - McNair. Lane, Lem
nitzer, Gruenther, Forrestal,
Dodd. He receives mail from
all over the world from his
high-ranking friends.
Il remember when / cut Gen. |
McNair's hair for the first /
time, said Mr.. Santaiti. "I was
so nervous hanging over those
three stars 1 didn't say a word, /
Just cut" For the gregarious
little dynamo. who was a 1885,
pound city wrestling champion
in 1912 and 1918, this was un-
usual. But Gen. McNair was
as impressed by the welcome
silence as he was by the hair
cut and became a regular GUS
toner.
FlattOps hardest
"Flattops are the hardest"
reflected Mr.. Santaiti. Not too
many generals have the m
though. Used to be a lot Of
flattoDs before the war First
World War; We all used hand
clippers then. You had to be
steady in the old days"
Mr.. Santaiti went to electric
clippers some 80 years ago. But
he does not know his exact age.
In so years. at an average of
Is haircuts a day, Mr.. San
taiti has given about $4,000
haircuts or "cut enough hair
TO fill this room" He's seen a
lot of changes in the business.
I'm the old days, we'd get
five customers to a towel" he
recalled, standing in his spot
less shop overlooking the Po-
tomac River.
Since watching Roosevelt's
inaugural parade as a boy, he
has seen every presidential in
auguration He viewed Presi-
dent Kennedy's on television
because he was sick.
But / saw Ike get his" he
said He added that he had not
cut Ike's hair.
BE nothing TO it, though.
He's just another general"