Ralph Lanzano, a gregarious Baltimore barber who carefully cut and trimmed the hair of mayors, officials, judges, lawyers, clergymen and stockbrokers for more than 40 years, died Monday of liver failure at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care in Towson. He was 77 and lived in Randallstown.
"He was the favorite barber of city, state and federal officials, newspaper editors and ballplayers. You name them, and he had them," said Richard A. Lidinsky, former deputy city comptroller and a customer.
He opened his first shop in 1962 at 210 E. Lexington St., where he remained until 1987. From then, until retiring a month ago because of failing health, Mr. Lanzano maintained a shop in the Keyser Building in the 200 block of E. Redwood St., whose walls were covered with photographs of his celebrated clientele and postcards from customers.
After seating customers in an old-fashioned cream-colored porcelain barber's chair, he quickly went about his work entertaining them with a running lively patois or singing from an Italian opera.
"His shop was one of the last true barbershops in downtown Baltimore. He was an institution. His shop always smelled of Wintergreen and Bay Rum, and in the background, he had the radio tuned to an easy-listening station," said attorney Rob Ross Hendrickson, a longtime customer.
Mr. Lanzano counted among his customers the late Cardinal Lawrence J. Sheehan and other members of the Baltimore clergy. "Out of deference to the clergy and the dignity of the cloth, he would hide the Playboys when he knew they were going to show up," said Mr. Hendrickson.
"I called him a tonsorial impresario or `the Great Ralph,'" said the Rev. Bernard A. Suppe, S.J., Mercy Hospital chaplain and a customer.
"He'd be talking and wielding his scissors like a symphony conductor waves a baton. When you went to get your hair cut, Ralph entertained you. He was a real gentleman," he said.
Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr., a customer of many years, said Mr. Lanzano often scrutinized and criticized his legendary thick, wavy coif.
"I'm on TV a lot, and if he saw me and my hair wasn't right, he'd call up and say, `I've got to do something about it.' He always wanted me to look good," Mr. Curran said.
Mr. Lanzano cut the hair of two Baltimore mayors, Thomas J. D'Alesandro Jr. and his son, Thomas J. D'Alesandro III.
"Ralph typified that generation that immigrated from Italy. He was so proud to be an American, worked hard and embodied all those virtues. He epitomized a strong work ethic," said the younger D'Alesandro.
Mr. Lanzano was born and reared in Naples and, after graduation from high school, learned barbering. In 1955, he traveled to Baltimore, where he settled in Little Italy with relatives. He began barbering at the Tower (Building) Barber Shop at 224 E. Baltimore St., before striking out on his own.
Mr. Lanzano enjoyed visiting Naples.
"He couldn't walk the streets without someone coming up and stopping to talk to him. Even though he was so sick, he didn't want to stop working," said his wife of 45 years, the former Connie Bosa.
He was a communicant of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Randallstown. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. today at St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church, Stiles and Exeter streets, Little Italy.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four daughters, Lena Snyder of Sykesville, Rosemary Olsen and Pia Moore, both of Potomac Falls, Va., and Eleanor Gerber of Charlotte, N.C.; a sister, Vincenzina Galiano of Bel Air; and four grandchildren.
