Fred Ionta, the Man Behind the Striped Pole

If you’re local, have hair and it isn’t sweeping the ground, you probably know , the bustling haircut haven in Katonah Shopping Center.

Meet the man behind the striped pole.

Fred Ionta of Mahopac has been a familiar fixture in Katonah since opening his successful self-named salon thirty years ago.  But for Italian-born Ionta, who emigrated at age 12, it was far from his first foray into haircutting—in fact, it’s safe to say it’s simply in his DNA.

“I’ve always been around it,” said Ionta, who has been in the business for 42 of his 57 years. “My uncle had a shop in Italy, and when my grandfather brought me [to the U.S.] we had family here who owned shops, so I was still around that environment and liked it.”

He snipped his first locks at age 15, lowering ears at a relative’s shop in the Bronx until quitting high school to open his own. By 17, he had his first shop on 233rd Street, and bought his second in Yonkers the following year.

After a decade in the South County, a longtime friend turned him onto the humble northernmost hamlet of Bedford, where he would open his third in 1981.

“I liked Katonah the minute I saw it,” Ionta remarked. “The people, the mom and pop businesses, the small-town look.”

And so he secured space in the strip mall and started anew, at first hiring only himself and one other employee.  Today, he boasts a staff of about 16—but the man can still be found almost daily with scissors in hand, doing what he does best.

Fred’s favorite part of doing business in Katonah has been building relationships with loyal repeat customers, watching children grow up and in turn bring in their children.

“They’re like an extended family,” he added.  “At Halloween, the kids come in trick or treating. On Mother’s Day, we’ve given out roses. For the holidays, we do a drawing for free haircuts.”

He’s also enjoyed the chance to contribute to the community, both through sponsoring sports teams and worthy causes and simply “keeping the area looking good.”

And with his investment both in the community and a recent remodeling of his salon, Fred Ionta seems ready to serve Katonah for another three great decades.

is located 270 Katonah Avenue, in the Katonah Shopping Center. Walk-ins or by appointment. To request Fred or one of his fine stylists, call 914-232-5201.