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Meeting the Maestro

by Cate Murway

"Character is what you do when no one else is looking."

maes•tro

/ˈmīstrō/

noun: maestro; plural noun: maestri; plural noun: maestros

a distinguished musician, especially a conductor of classical music.

a great or distinguished figure in any sphere.

“Maestro’s Classic ® is more than a Beard Care Products Brand. It is a movement in masculinity, with a nod to love, hard work, strength and creativity.”

Maestro’s Classic ® is a Made in USA brand truly ROOTED in a secure moral foundation; so crucial because integrity is taking a beating today. The leaders need to step up!

The Maestro team values what is honest, true, noble, trustworthy, kind and right, way ahead of personal gain. Integrated into their foundational operating system, integrity ceases to be optional or "add on", but instead is a way of life. This sets them apart. Integrity and bravery is contagious.

Maestro provides a panoramic picture of thriving leadership and reliability, branding and applying authentic guidance frameworks, tools and strategies intertwined and coordinated for success.

“The world is changed by examples, not by opinions.” Paulo Coelho de Souza

Maestro is an honorific title of respect [meaning master or teacher] and the name accurately represents their masculine space business.

Unfortunately, we live in a quite judgmental world, quick to make assumptions and to categorize individuals based on what is seen. It may seem superficial, but the harsh reality is that a young man is judged by others within seconds of being noticed.

Maestro’s Classic ® aspires to be undeniably good at crafting a better you © in beard care. A powerful factor in their cutting edge business is at a crux in the development of stellar, responsible male influences, examples of what is correct, right and forward thinking, exhibiting these behaviors with respect and courtesy. The Barber Maestros are leaders in their industry and they educate others to respect their craft, family, and respect the past. They identify with the Maestro’s Classic ® Beard Movement that is the mindset that they represent while creating, innovating, and working hard.

Owner Anthony P. Spadafora, BE ’86/Temple University, grew up on Wood Street. He comes from a long lineage of Bristolians. His father, Salvatore “Sam” Spadafora grew up on Franklin Street. His mother Rosemary [Gatti] still resides in the Borough. His grandmother Angelina [Pappaterra] Gatti worked at “Brownie’s Coffee Break” on Mill Street. She was famous for sharing her homemade tomato pies with family and friends. Anthony’s older sister Kim is a master yoga instructor.

As a youth, he has fond memories of treks to Mazzanti’s Market for his sandwich from Mario and his late mother, Isolina [Mazzanti] Marozzi after swimming at the Italian Mutual Aid-Fifth Ward pool. He always worked hard to earn money to buy snacks.

He cleaned up paint chips for sign painter, Anthony Napoli, Sr. and he swept up hair off the floors for local barbers. As a late teen, he waited tables garbed in a vest and tuxedo shirt at the Bristol House [later Stock's Waterfront Café] at the corner of Mill Street. Anthony graduated from Temple with a degree in finance and business administration and worked in financial planning and charitable trust planning for a company in Newtown Square for about 15 years.

Anthony expressed that there was a dearth of positive male role models for him and his friends when they were growing up. He does recall watching his father wash his father’s hair. This, one of a few of isolated instances, was an image, a gesture of masculinity that was inspiring to him.

He searched for role models in others. He looked up to teacher Bill Pezza, artist and craftsman, Joe Sagolla and businessman, Frank Palumbo and tapped into their strengths. They are three of those whom he admires who chose hard work, love, and creativity, and pursued their crafts.

His faith gives him respect for others.

"As a young man, Anthony always impressed me as a person with an obvious desire to succeed, and a strong work ethic. Clearly he had a vision for his company and has brought it to fruition. Both the aesthetics of the building he re-purposed and the business plan he implemented are a model for other entrepreneurs to follow. I know our entire Raising the Bar team wishes him the very best as he expands his operation." Author / President, Raising the Bar, William M. “Bill” Pezza

Anthony purchased the authors/ historians Harold and Carol Mitchener’s home on Palmer Avenue across from the late artist, Joseph Edward and Phyllis Pavone’s home. “I looked up to him and considered him a role model and called him a “Maestro”. I was Joe’s last best friend. He was truly a renaissance man and Phyllis was the first Maestra!”

The admiration was mutual.

Phyllis shared, “Anthony had a lot of energy, a lot of ambition. He was very inventive, creative and had a good sense of design. He was fast to figure out how things should be and he added his own personality.”

Anthony also bought property on Franklin Street near Joe’s Art Gallery from the Pavone family.

“Whatever he put his hands on, he did a good job. I wish him continued success”, Phyllis added.

Their daughter Michele confirmed, “He did a beautiful job fixing the house and he was a good friend of our family. Anthony had a lot of respect for my dad and my mom and he did call my dad “Maestro” because of all of his talents. My father smoked a pipe and always wore hats. So many people asked for a pipe or a hat. Anthony got a hat.” One of Joe Pavone’s tables is now a very classy desk at MCHQ in Anthony’s office along with one of his paintings.

Anthony’s Maestro’s Classic ® is located on Mill Street, previously Cameo Kitchens and then, most recently a photography studio. He and his crew stripped back layers of time and eliminated dead space in the building that was built in the 1880’s and renovated in the 1920’s.

It was purchased from a WWII veteran, Navy Seaman First Class Joseph N. D’Emidio.

“I recognized a great space that was critical to the street, the heart of Mill Street; the doors, the shutters, the woodwork, the trim, the history. Shining a light here would make a great difference.”

This was accomplished through love and hard work. “We wanted a space with an undeniably good © design. It’s not just a business, but a destination.”

Anthony has never been concerned about not having experience determining his success.

“The risk factor is not trying. That is the bigger risk.”

Maestro’s Classic ® is proof that men can be masculine and yet intelligent; sensitive, thoughtful and most of all, respectful of themselves, others and of their position in the world. One of the charitable arms of the Maestro’s Classic ® team that they love to support, works with the homeless, going out to cut their hair, a great way to help people.

“We would rather serve them than just give them something. Maestro's Classic ® also helps veterans with PTSD and recruits some veteran barbers. “This is just the beginning of the Brand side supporting mental health concerns and raising awareness for it.”

The Spadaforas are reaching out to all the different states and to other countries with social media, implementing team building and marketing to build healthy relationships.

“We’re still not done; we’re just getting started!”

Anthony and his son, Anthony Marcellus, CEC ’11/Franciscan University of Steubenville with degrees in history, education and German who had the opportunity to study in a satellite campus in Austria, dubbed a “Brand Pillar” are quite a team.

“My son is a most trusted advisor and more than an ambassador of the brand. As a ‘brand pillar’, he pays attention to all the facets of the brand. He’s never had a mistake. It’s an easy partnership and easy parent/ child status. There’s a balance with the two of us working together. He is very analytical and academic.”

They are partnering up with the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, many of the superstars of the WWE, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace of NASCAR, and have developed retail partnerships with Target; Bed, Bath and Beyond, and T.J. Maxx.

“I am very proud of my dad. Love and respect is mutual.”

Anthony confirmed, “Love is critical.”

Maestro’s Classic ® retail products will clean, condition and style the beard. The Barber Maestros help sculpt hair shapes for body type, face shapes and activities.

A visit to Italy where Anthony saw artwork depicting strong men with facial hair with their loved ones and a child was an inspiration behind the movement and he named the beard the Maestro.

“Beards had become absent from society, but when they started reappearing, they presented an image why the beard wasn’t around.” Some were unruly and unkempt.

Anthony brings in ambassadors and is training them to shape, use tools and master style techniques for everyone, so different personalities can feel at home. “Many young gentlemen want to be barbers.” Maesto’s Classic ® products take away the itchiness, some of the unruliness of facial hair, and have quite revolutionized beard care and they are light weight, non greasy and sulfate free.

The work rooms are full of “conversations regarding overcoming challenges with love, hard work and creativity, the underlying works that inspire mental and physical health and entrepreneurship; clearly the opposite of sex, drugs and laziness.” There are many obstacles for those trying to succeed but conversations help shape a new form of masculinity.

These are the conversations they’re having, exemplifying that fathers love their kids through embrace and support. They are not just a product, but a lifestyle. Young men are the future fathers, husbands and leaders. They have big shoes to fill!

So, don't get upset with the mirror; it’s just like a snapshot in time. Come in and experience the talents who can fix the reflection, somewhat of an editing room. One really can adjust or even change the script, but one should not just look high status and ignore the internal aspect.

Don't like the outside? Then change the inside.

Classic holds firm over time; there are no ebbs and flows of classic. Classic radiates an image of self respect and worth, exponentially boosting confidence.

Maestro’s Classic ® Headquarters [MCHQ] has occupied the Mill Street building for 4 years and they have outgrown space for some of their operations on the first floor. They worked diligently along with Operations Manager/ Fulfillment Director, Michelle Grisolia and the business infrastructure is strong. They are prepared to bring more jobs to Bristol and continue to make Bristol the best it can be. Their operations, e-commerce and eventually shipping will be located in the spacious Grundy Commons, starting in August. “Hopefully this will have an impact on creating jobs, an industry, and a life style.”

“It’s all encompassing. We’re always growing, moving forward. We’re classy, refined but bad____! Maestro’s Classic ® is still defining itself, what the movement is and what it stands for.”

The Maestro Speakeasy upscale space, where one can decompress, is a Grooming Speakeasy, but no alcohol.

Maestro’s Classic ® will awaken the Maestro in you!

Maestro's Classic ®, LLC

246 Mill Street

Bristol, PA 19007-4809

www.maestrosclassic.com

267.812.5770

Recommend a “Spotlight”. E-mail vjmrun@yahoo.com