**UPDATE April 30, 2013**
We’ve just been tipped off by a staffer that Mario will be hired back. Long live the barber shop. Read the story of Mario and how the Senate Barber Shop almost closed for good:
After four decades spent in the Russell Senate Office Building’s basement, cutting hair and shaving necks for senators, congressmen, presidential hopefuls, sleep-deprived staff, lobbyists, and lost tourists, beloved Mario and his trusty friend Tony are said to have been kicked to the curb. Come this Monday, April 29, anyone calling Senate Hair Care for the $20 services of Mario and Tony will go wanting.
The Senate barbershop has long been a staple of both sides of the Capitol, but has reportedly been muddling in the red for quite some time. It’s unclear where the red derives from as the well-worn chairs of Mario and Tony, as well as Dave and Cindy, are packed solid from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., five days a week whether Congress is in session or not. Try calling Mario the day of for a cut and he’ll either have to squeeze you in between two existing appointments, or stay after hours. We’ve all been the recipients of both as Mario is usually the last man standing in the dark Russell basement at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evenings (during recess!).
The fate of our not-so-cool-but-we-think-it-is Washington hair lies in the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms, whose job description apparently includes both protecting senators and cutting their hair. So, here’s a simple message to the Senate SAA: where go Mario and Tony, so go their loyal patrons. Good luck turning a profit!
Even Jay Leno recognizes the value of the Senate Barber Shop (skip to 1:25):