Guiseppe "Hollywood Joe" Giordano

Born in Piedimonte Matese, Campania, Italy in 1935, Joe first learned the tricks of his trade from his father in his own salon at the young age of 10. By 15, he enrolled in a formal hairstyling school and received his diploma from the L'Oréal Academy in Naples, Italy. Joe joined the Italian military in 1955 and after completing his service, he married Sistina and immigrated to Canada. Joe was a proud father but also known professionally as the formidable entrepreneur of many businesses within the Sault Ste. Marie community. As an Italian immigrant, Joe settled in the Soo in 1958 and quickly made a name for himself as a premiere salon owner and barber. His career spanned many different entrepreneurial endeavors and many salon names too, before he landed on 'Hollywood Salon.' Joe became synonymous with the Hollywood Beauty Salon name, with many referring to him as 'Hollywood Joe' wherever he went. He carried the Hollywood name into a new venture in the late 90's to include a limousine service and partnership with the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan. His legacy lives on in the business he created and through his three sons who have continued with the 'Hollywood' name. Joe is survived by his partner and friend, Sistina Giordano, his three sons Geraldo (Flora), Joseph (Janet) and Marcel (Kathy). Cherished Nonno of Jeramy Bell (Denise), Sistina (Robert), Jessica, Nicholas (Dana), Jordan (Meghan), Jacob (Cassandra), Gabriella, Grayson, and Luciana. Great Nonno to Coulson, Isabelle, Rayce, Harper, Eddie, Joseph and Lorenzo. Dear brother of Carlo (Silvana), Raffaele (Rosaria), and the late Anna Maria.

Family and friends may visit Arthur Funeral Home-Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E. 705-759-2522) on Thursday, March 24 from 6 pm to 9 pm. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on Friday, March 25 at 11 am, Fr. Paul Conway officiating. Contributions in memory of Joe Giordano can be made to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation. Please share memories and condolences as a keepsake for the family at www.arthurfuneralhome.com

Sault Ste. Marie has lost a business legend.

Joe Giordano, a barber who established several local businesses - including many family-owned hair salons and a limousine company - died at his home surrounded by his family Tuesday.

He had been battling a lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

He was 86.

Apart from his devotion to his family, work was Giordano’s life.

“When COVID first came his store closed down and he decided not to reopen. As soon as he closed it affected him. He was used to working every day. He worked all his life. For him work was his pastime and enjoyment. He liked to be around people,” said son Gerry Giordano.

“He was a good dad. He helped all his kids. All of us learned from him and we've been successful because of him. He taught us to work hard. He told us ‘if you want something you’ve got to work for it’ and from him we’ve learned to work hard too.”

Giordano’s three sons - Gerry, Marcel and Joey - have each prospered in several business ventures, Gerry and Marcel best known as Hollywood Beauty Salon owners in Cambrian Mall and Station Mall respectively, Joey as owner of Hollywood Airport Shuttle & Limousines.

Gerry’s son Nick works as a barber locally, making him a fourth generation Giordano barber.

Joe Giordano was born in 1935 in Alife, in the Italian province of Caserta, his father a hairstylist.

He started learning the barbershop business at the age of 10.

At 15, he enrolled in a formal hairstyling school in Naples, soon obtaining his diploma.

Giordano joined the Italian military in 1955 for mandatory military service.

Son Joey Giordano told SooToday he had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with his father in his final months, learning much about his life.

“He served for a period of time in Rome with the Italian army as a trumpeteer. The army sent him for schooling to learn to play the trumpet. He had a key role there. He was the person who woke everybody up in the morning,” Joey chuckled.

Giordano met and married his wife Sistina during his army days.

The couple moved to Canada in 1958, settling in Sault Ste. Marie.

Giordano worked briefly at Natt’s Salon before he and Sistina opened their own business - the Star Salon - on James Street.

“They opened it without speaking one word of English. After one week of working at Natt’s Salon, the customers loved him so much that he opened up his first business. He built a clientele in one week,” Joey said.

Subsequent hair salon ventures Giordano launched include First Lady Beauty Salon, Algoma Beauty Salon, a wig shop, Capri Beauty Salon - which he operated with his brother Carlo - and the Hollywood Beauty Salon locations.

Apart from hair salons, Giordano owned Monte Carlo Billiards in the 1960s and later Mama Mia Pizzeria on Great Northern Road.

Giordano employed his sons at the pizzeria to get them accustomed to working in a family-owned business environment.

He also launched a limousine business in the 1990s, taking passengers to Kewadin Casinos.

Giordano first retired from the hair salon industry in 2005, but returned to work to open Hollywood Joe’s in 2012.

“I missed working, so I started the business again,” Giordano told us in 2018.

Hollywood Joe’s was a spacious and bright shop, well stocked with hair care products for men and women.

The shop also had many interesting photographs behind the front counter, including one of Giordano during his military service, another taken shortly after his arrival in Canada in 1958, others of his sons Gerry, Marcel and Joey, and another of his granddaughter, Sistina Giordano - an actress and New York-based TV talk show host - with Sopranos actor James Gandolfini.

“He was quite an entrepreneur right from the very beginning. He gave all his wisdom and success in business to his three boys,” Joey said.

“He was very giving to his employees. He assisted many other people in establishing their own businesses in town. He also contributed to the Alzheimer Society, ARCH, a lot of community organizations in town. He never wanted credit for contributing but he gave to events, sports groups and non-profit groups.”

Giordano inspired other Sault residents to establish their own thriving businesses, Joey said.

“It’s been told to me by many of his friends that they thought of my dad as a legend. They saw my dad as a very enterprising individual in the community, known for driving his sports cars, Cadillacs. The younger men looked up to him.”

Known for his cars, even in his latter years, Giordano’s Rolls Royce with a personalized licence plate could be clearly seen parked outside Hollywood Joe’s salon.

Though the Giordano family is grieving, Joey said “we’re celebrating a fellow who had such a successful career, a successful life. He did what he wanted to do, he did it his own way. He went very peacefully. He went happy and surrounded by his loving family.”

“My mom Sistina was at my dad’s side. The last kiss he received was from Sistina.”

An obituary has yet to be released, but family members said a wake will be held for Giordano at Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel on March 24, a mass to be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church on March 25.

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GIORDANO, Giuseppe ‘Hollywood Joe’- died peacefully surrounded by his family at his home on Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at the age of 87.

Born in Piedimonte Matese, Campania, Italy in 1935, Joe first learned the tricks of his trade from his father in his own salon at the young age of 10. By 15, he enrolled in a formal hairstyling school and received his diploma from the L'Oréal Academy in Naples, Italy. Joe joined the Italian military in 1955 and after completing his service, he married Sistina and immigrated to Canada. Joe was a proud father but also known professionally as the formidable entrepreneur of many businesses within the Sault Ste. Marie community. As an Italian immigrant, Joe settled in the Soo in 1958 and quickly made a name for himself as a premiere salon owner and barber. His career spanned many different entrepreneurial endeavors and many salon names too, before he landed on 'Hollywood Salon.' Joe became synonymous with the Hollywood Beauty Salon name, with many referring to him as 'Hollywood Joe' wherever he went. He carried the Hollywood name into a new venture in the late 90's to include a limousine service and partnership with the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan. His legacy lives on in the business he created and through his three sons who have continued with the 'Hollywood' name. Joe is survived by his partner and friend, Sistina Giordano, his three sons Geraldo (Flora), Joseph (Janet) and Marcel (Kathy). Cherished Nonno of Jeramy Bell (Denise), Sistina (Robert), Jessica, Nicholas (Dana), Jordan (Meghan), Jacob (Cassandra), Gabriella, Grayson, and Luciana. Great Nonno to Coulson, Isabelle, Rayce, Harper, Eddie, Joseph and Lorenzo. Dear brother of Carlo (Silvana), Raffaele (Rosaria), and the late Anna Maria.

Family and friends may visit Arthur Funeral Home-Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E. 705-759-2522) on Thursday, March 24 from 6 pm to 9 pm. Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on Friday, March 25 at 11 am, Fr. Paul Conway officiating. Contributions in memory of Joe Giordano can be made to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation. Please share memories and condolences as a keepsake for the family at www.arthurfuneralhome.com