Carla Culkin Celebrates Family History, Continues Tradition in the Mancave

Our regular business profile series returns this week with a visit to the Mancave Barber shop where we met with owner Carla Culkin.

When Carla Culkin opened the doors to the Mancave Barber Shop last fall she not only continued the barber shop tradition at the Jefferson and Boulevard location but brought back a longtime family tradition of her own.

The shop is all about her family’s history, Culkin says while looking at a photo of her great-grandfather Biago Cardone displayed in the shop. In fact both her great-grandfathers were barbers.

Stories which her grandmother, Josephine Carillo, wrote in her book “My Life” about her early days in her father’s barber shop, inspired Culkin to get back into the business and continue the family tradition of barbering.

She recalled how touched her grandmother was to see photographs of her father, Culkin’s great-grandfather, in the shop when she attended the grand opening event last October. She told Carla that after 90 years she was bringing the family tradition back, Culkin said. Her grandmother died just one month later at the age of 98.

The barber shop pole proudly displayed in the window is another sign of a longtime tradition. It’s been there for decades. Before it was the ManCave, the location was home to Chez Vincent's Barber Shop, whose owner Vincent Gaccione, purchased the pole from Charlie's Barber Shop —another shop in town — back in 1970. Before he bought it, the pole was likely at Charlie's for about 30 years, Gaccione said.

Retired after 41 years of running Chez Vincent’s, Gaccione still spends time at the Mancave. He comes in a few days a week to visit with Culkin and former customers and friends.

Culkin said she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Gaccione. The two have connected so well, she says.

She has been a hair dresser for 30 years and previously owned a shop in Fairview called Carla’s South West from 1990 to 1995. At that time, she decided to close the shop in order to go on tour as a backup singer.

She always knew she’d open another shop one day and now she is staying true to her own promise with the Mancave.

Born and raised in Ridgefield, Culkin has been living in Hasbrouck Heights with her family for the past 10 years. She really likes the community and has been involved in many events  singing with her band Double Tap. Many may know them well from their performances at Town Day and other events.

Culkin says the band plays everything from Nora Jones to The Carpenters to Led Zepplin. The band performs regularly at local restaurants and clubs like the Crow’s Nest in Hackensack and the Grasshopper in Cedar Grove. They also play weddings and parties Culkin said. In fact, they are gearing up to the play the VFW Hall's Saint Patrick’s Day party next month.

The band mostly does cover songs but throws in some original tunes here and there, she says. Double Tap features Culkin on lead vocals, Al Egizi on guitar, Richard Brunner on bass, Peter Danese on drums and Jerry DeLisio on saxophone. She is also part of a duet with her guitarist Al Egizi which they call "Take Two" performing at local nursing homes and restaurants such as the Session Bistro in Maywood.

She believes in giving back to the community and being part of it. Starting this spring, the Mancave will be sponsoring a Little League team this season.

The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday and caters to men, boys and women.

Mancave Barber Shop
230 Boulevard
Hasbrouck Heights
201-288-1467