Barber pretends to cut off kid's ear during haircut as revenge for prank — did he go too far?

Elise Solé

A barber shocked the internet by pulling a bloody prank on a 10-year-old boy — but he says people should reserve judgment.

Barber Jude Sannicandro pranked a kid customer by pretending to accidentally cut off his ear. (Photo: YouTube/Jude Sannicandro)
Barber Jude Sannicandro pranked a kid customer by pretending to accidentally cut off his ear. (Photo: YouTube/Jude Sannicandro)

Jude Sannicandro, the owner of Hair Medics in Naples, Fla., has been serving the DiPalma family for decades, and that includes 10-year-old Vito, who visits the shop frequently. The boy and his barber enjoy exchanging practical jokes. However, about eight weeks ago, when Vito planted a fake cockroach in the shop, Sannicandro was upset.

“It scared the crap out of me, especially because earlier that day, there was a real cockroach in our bathroom,” Sannicandro, 43, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I told Vito that he opened a can of worms, but he said that he wasn’t scared and was too old to cry.”

The barber planned the ultimate revenge: to pretend that he accidentally cut off Vito’s ear during his next appointment. Last Friday, when Vito arrived at the shop, Sannicandro was ready, having purchased a fake rubber ear and vampire blood online, with the blessing of Vito’s parents.

Sannicandro filmed the prank and posted it on YouTube, where it received 205K views and a bit of controversy. “Idiotic,” remarked one viewer. Other people called it “brilliant” and Sannicandro “amazing.” On Facebook, someone wrote that the prank was “cruel,” and a redditor called the boy a “good sport.”

In the video, Sannicandro pretends to have nicked the boy while shaving the back of his head. “Oh s***, don’t move,” he says, to which Vito asks, “Am I bleeding?”

Sannicandro had already filled a plastic bag with the “blood,” leaving it partially unzipped. He presses paper towels that conceal the bag to the boy’s head and allows the red liquid to saturate the towels. “Mommy!” screams Vito.

“I don’t think it’s bad,” assures Sannicandro, before adding, “I think we need to call an ambulance.” To which Vito says, “Please call mommy.”

Having grabbed the fake ear while Vito’s eyes were closed, Sannicandro lets it drop to the floor. “Is that my ear?!” exclaims the boy. “No, no, no!” He screams for his mom, who rushes over.

Sannicandro tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he told Vito at this point, laughing, “Hey, remember that roach prank when you said I couldn’t make you cry? … You’re fine.”

Vito appeared to recover pretty well, and Sannicandro insists that the joke was tailor-made for his client. “I wouldn’t have pulled this on anyone else but Vito — he’s a unique old soul, and I’ve been cutting his hair since he was a baby.”

However, the barber also understands that revenge is due. “I’m not worried,” he says. “I will always outdo Vito.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.