STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — From the time he was a boy, Jetmir Jani, 37, knew he wanted to be a barber. It was in his blood. He’s a third-generation barber who got his start at age 12 cleaning his grandfather’s barbershop in Albania, where he grew up. By age 14, he was cutting hair.
“In high school, during the summertime, I worked full-time as a barber,” he said. “Then when I finished high school, I made it my career.”
Jani emigrated to Staten Island in 2014. In 2021, he and his business partner, Gerti Kercishta, 33, opened their first barber shop, Retro Barbershop, in Great Kills on 3937 Amboy Road. It was at the height of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the establishment struggled at first. “It was very slow, a tough situation,” Jani said. “Everyone was scared to get a haircut.”
The shop eventually found its footing, and Jani and Kercishta were able to open a second location in Westerleigh, at 1898 Victory Boulevard. The shop officially opened on April 7…