Rino’s Unisex salon owner Rino Minniti retires due to COVID restrictions
Rino Minniti has been a much-loved part of the Lalor community for more than half a century, but he has been forced to close the doors to his hairdressing salon sooner than he would have liked. Here’s why.
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After 51 years of working as a barber in Lalor, Rino Minniti is finally hanging up his scissors.
After working six days a week for more than half a century at Rino’s Unisex Salon, the 73-year-old grandfather decided to retire when Stage 4 coronavirus restrictions were introduced last month.
Mr Minniti had hoped to work for a couple more years, but fears about his own health and uncertainty about the future, due to COVID, forced him make the tough decision to retire sooner.
Because he was forced to make the decision so quickly, his only regret is he didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to his customers properly.
Over the decades he has tended to the tresses of generations of families, from grandparents to grandchildren, with some people travelling more than an hour for an appointment.
“I was really upset I couldn’t say goodbye to my customers after 51 years,” Mr Minniti said.
“I started (working) at 23, hardly speaking English, and here I am now nearly 74.
“I was aiming to work until I was 75, but I had to make the decision when Stage 4 restrictions were introduced to cut it short.”
Mr Minniti said the key to being a good barber was listening and avoiding certain controversial subjects.
“I tried to listen to the customer; don’t ask personal questions, no politics and no religion, just ask about the hair, talk about sport, talk about life but never ask any personal questions to the customers.”
With his wife Josie, Mr Minniti has helped run many fundraising events for the Northern Hospital over the years, raising $700,000.
Mrs Minniti, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2016 in recognition of her fundraising efforts, said she had many fond memories from spending time at the salon.
“We have just got an amazing clientele, they stuck by us,” she said.
“We used to just be a barber shop, that was in Station St, then we moved to May Rd.
“When we moved to May Rd, rather than just being a barber shop, I wanted to introduce ladies cuts as well.
“That was not seen greatly by the males who were used to having Rino to themselves.”
The couple have four daughters – Angela, Kathy, Julie and Belinda – who grew up spending a lot of time in the salon, sneaking lollies and chewing gum, and watching as their dad transformed scruffy customers into fresh clean-shaven men.
“We’re all so proud of our dad,” they said.
Customers have taken to Facebook to share their memories of visiting Mr Minniti’s salon over the years.
“Congratulations Rino, you are the true barber of the bygone era where service was with a smile and the smell of that Linetti (hair oil) infuses the shop,” one customer wrote.
“You cut my father’s hair when he was alive 41 years ago and spoke of him when I didn’t remember him which made my time there even more special.”
In retirement, Mr Minniti plans to spend more time with his grandchildren, working in his garden, fundraising and hopefully travelling once COVID restrictions are eased.
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