'A great guy': Friends, customers remember Jensen Beach barber John Gentile Sr. and his legacy
JENSEN BEACH — A statue of a pirate holding an American flag stands atop Johnny G’s Barber Shop. Statues of the Blues Brothers peer out the window. Peer through the window, and you’ll see John Gentile Sr.'s empty barber’s station.
John Gentile was a fixture of the community. He moved into the 1950s-era Jensen Beach Barber Shop building, on Jensen Beach Boulevard, six years ago, bringing with him customers whose hair he'd been cutting in Martin County for four decades.
Gentile, 62, died April 18 from a heart attack. The Villa Park, Illinois, native moved to Martin County in the 1980s with his longtime partner Janet Hayden, where they had their son, John Jr. John Gentile Sr. began his career as a hairdresser, inspired by his mother, before becoming a barber, Hayden said.
During a memorial service last month outside the barbershop, family, friends and customers gathered to remember his legacy as a mariachi band, playing his favorite music, sang Spanish songs such as "Guantanamera" and "Alta y Delgadita."
Gentile's eclectic personality was evident in the barbershop. It was filled with collectibles such as steel model train sets, vintage barber's gear, taxidermied animals and a clown head hanging from the ceiling. Sometimes, people could find him grilling Italian sausage and peppers outside the shop.
Stepping inside was an experience that could take the customer anywhere, recalled John Gentile Jr., now 35.
If Frank Sinatra or The Moody Blues wasn't blaring from the Amazon Alexa inside the shop, customers often would grab a guitar off the wall and begin playing or singing themselves.
"You go in there and it's just like a TV show," his son remembered. "You'd go in, they'd be having crazy conversations and the whole vibe in there was just perfect."
John Gentile Jr. plans to continue his father's legacy, eventually getting his barber license and opening a shop in his father's name.
Giving to the community
Customers and family members who came to the memorial recalled his kindness, including doing home visits for customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He kept his promises to customers, too.
“My husband died in 2012, and John said he’d cut my hair for the rest of my life for nothing,” said Jacqueline Snow. She's now 97,and got free haircuts from Gentile for 12 years.
'A great guy'
“A great guy. He’s the type of person you can tell within 3 seconds he’s a people person,” said Joseph Persichini, who knew Gentile for about seven years. “He loved the community and loved to get involved.”
Throughout his career, John Gentile Sr. worked at various hair salons and barbershops throughout Martin County.
"He knew so many people, he was like the mayor," Hayden said. "He would tell me about the background of each person, tell me what they've done in their life. He took me around the area so I could know where to go and he guided me. He was my mentor, he was my companion, my best friend."
"I'm going to miss him terribly," she said tearfully. "It's going to put a hole in a lot of people's lives where he was. We're all going to miss him."
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jensen Beach Barber Shop barber remembered by family, customers at memorial
