South River barber glad to lend a hand — and scissors

Staff Writer

By jennifer dome


Edward’s Barber Shop opened at 76 Main St. in South River almost 20 years ago and still maintains the air of simplicity for which many male-only barbershops are known.

Owner Edward Mack, who goes by "Ed," was born in New Brunswick, but grew up in South River and remembers when a soda fountain, complete with a jukebox and a counter with stools, was located where his barbershop now operates.

Mack began cutting hair in South River in 1963 in a barbershop that was located next to the old movie theater, he said. After the shop’s owner sold the store, he moved into his current premises, which was a second-hand clothing store by that time. To this day, he still cuts the hair of the former store’s owner, Victor Adamca.

According to Mack, many of his customers remember events that took place in his shop years ago. One patron of Edward’s, for example, was the guinea pig for a lesson on how to shave with a straight blade, Mack said. Much to the horror and anxiety of his customer, Mack taught the customer’s son how to shave his father’s face. Mack remembers him saying, "You better know what you’re doing, Ed."


VERONICA YANKOWSKI  Ed Mack, the owner of Edward’s Barber Shop, South River, drove to Newark International Airport to help the Port Authority police officers look their best.VERONICA YANKOWSKI Ed Mack, the owner of Edward’s Barber Shop, South River, drove to Newark International Airport to help the Port Authority police officers look their best.

But like many people in the metropolitan area, Mack found himself with some new stories to tell after Sept. 11.

Following the terrorist attacks, Mack said he received a phone call from a regular customer, Tommy Toth, who works as a Port Authority police officer at Newark Airport. Toth needed some assistance he knew Mack would be willing to give. The officers were scheduled to attend a memorial service for officers lost in the World Trade Center attack, Mack said, and because their long shifts and unpredictable hours left them no time for things such as haircuts, Toth asked if Mack could help.

The next day, Sept. 18, Mack arrived at the gates of Newark Inter-national Airport in search of a security checkpoint. Soon, two armed guards came to his car, and after informing them he was a barber, they immediately told him where to go.

"They said, ‘Tommy’s expecting you,’ " Mack recalled.

He was brought into a storage garage where officers formed a line to have their hair trimmed. After finishing a few heads, one officer asked if he could sweep up the trimmings. The officer placed the hairs in a plastic bag and wrote a note on it. Mack said he was confused until he saw the note, which read: "Donations for Frank Gato." Apparently, one of the officers was quite bald, and they decided to play a prank on him.

Since the mood had been rather somber when he arrived, the joke had broken the ice, and Mack said that was when he decided to play a joke of his own.

While cutting Toth’s hair, he left a strip down the back of his close, flat-top cut, making him look like a skunk. The joke went over big, and Mack said he was pleased to bring smiles to the officers’ faces.

Before he was finished cutting, an officer announced that acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco was arriving at the garage to speak with the Port Authority police officers. Mack said that DiFrancesco inquired about him, when he saw Mack standing there, looking a bit out of place in his barber’s shirt, and he shook Mack’s hand and thanked him for the service he was providing.

The expressions of gratitude weren’t necessary, as Mack said he was more than pleased with the experience and with being able to help.