Dominic Dascola (1912? - August 8, 2008), headed an Ann Arbor barbering dynasty, cutting hair in shops he and his family owned in town from 1939 until his retirement in 1995. The son of an Italian immigrant and barber, Antonio Dascola, Dom began barbering in the Upper Peninsula as a teenager, taking up the practice in Ann Arbor to earn money while earning a Master's Degree in Linguistics.
Dom, and brothers Ernie and Patsy, owned a number of barber shops around Ann Arbor, a legacy continued by Dom's son Bob at the current Dascola Barbers shop on State Street.
Dascola attended every UM football game from his college days in the 1930s until 1999, and was a fan of opera singer Cecilia Bartoli, who visited Dascola during her concert trips to Ann Arbor in 1996 and 2004.
Ann Arbor's Dascola-owned barber shops have included:
- U-M Barbers, 615 E. Liberty Street, 1939-2001 (Formerly Groomwells Barber and Beauty)
- A shop at Arborland Mall, 1960s-1983
- A shop at Maple Village
- Dascola's UM Barber Shop, 611 East University Street, 1970s-1983
- Dascola Barbers, 304 1/2 S. State Street, 2002-present
- University Barber Shop, 531`W. Cross Street, Ypsilanti
Sources
- Ann Arbor News, 9 August 08, Well-known barber Dascola dies at 95
- Dascola Barbers website, http://www.dascolabarbers.com/history.html
Dominic Dascola (Dom) went to college in 1932 and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1936 with an LS&A degree. In 1937, he earned a Masters degree in Linguistics while working as a barber at the Michigan Union.
- Dascola's UM Barber Shop, 1970, Ann Arbor Historical Signs, Ann Arbor District Library
