DIRT TO CONCRETE

The Castro's family house on Cherry Street had, like most homes at that time, a dirt basement. When third oldest son Mike was in his teens he used to go down town and spend hours looking through the window of the one barbershop in town. Many times the owner would chase him away, but Mike was back. With so many brothers, Mike had heads to learn on.

He was doing such a good job on the family males, that pretty soon friends of the family started to come by and get Mike to cut their hair. Abuela soon tired of all the people in and out of her house.

She told the boys to finish off a section of the basement in cement. And that is how dirt turned to concrete and became Mike's first barbershop. He became busier and busier as the word spread about a barbershop in the neighborhood. PROBLEM........the County Board of Health and the State licensing department paid Mike a visit. (It was suspected that the one barbershop in town did not appreciate the competion.) In any case they closed the shop and told Mike he had to go to barber school before being allowed to give haircuts.

Mike went to barber school in the neighboring town of Oakland and graduated an apprentice barber. He served his apprentice in the only barbershop in town. Following his apprenticeship Mike opened his first barber shop on Washington Avenue, across from the Plaza in San Leandro. The town was now big enough for two barbershops.

At one time in his life, Mike was known as the "King of the Barbers." His brotherinlaw Angelo Trujillo, (sister Margaret's husband)became a barber and worked in Mike's shop Through the years his brothers Salvador and George and his nephew Tony, (2nd. oldest brother Tony's son)became barbers and worked in Mike's Barber Shop.


That's proud Mike you see in front of his barber shop.....MIKE'S BARBER SHOP.