It’s a case of full circle for one of the island’s leading salon bosses Marco Leonetti.
Marco, aged 53, has officially opened a new, second Utopia salon in Walpole Avenue, Douglas.
And it’s right opposite where his father, Cesare ran a popular traditional barber’s shop in the 1960s.
Father of two Marco, aged 53, told Business News: ‘We’ve done the full circle and returned to Walpole Avenue.
‘We are in what was the old Automobile Association shop. There’s a car park now where my father’s shop was. I know that my dad, if he was still around, he’d be chuckling now.
Marco was three when he came to live in the island in 1963 with his mum and dad and sister from Caserta, the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy.
‘I did all my schooling here and I spent much of my childhood with my father, Cesare.
‘In those days there was a fleet of ships and the seamen and engineers used to pile in and get their short back and sides. That was my first introduction to men’s hardressing as such.’
It’s clear Marco got the hairdressing bug and he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps. After finishing school he went on a two year training course at college.
He soon made a name for himself and indeed ran his first salon just before his 19th birthday.
He went on to be the boss of several more places which were later sold.
The focus of his business, and his pride and joy, is Utopia based in Castle mona Collonade, Central Promenade, Douglas.
Speaking from the flagship salon, which last year underwent an £80,000 refurbishment, Marco said he employs more than 40 people when you include Saturday staff and the trainee team.
‘We would like to think that we strive for excellence. That always been our motto: excellence at affordable prices.’
He lives in Onchan with his wife Colette who works at the salon several days a week.
His nephew Giulio is running the Walpole Avenue enterprise which had its official opening last Friday.
He has a son Dario, 23, who works for Greenlight TV and a daughter Daniella, 20, who is now following in her father’s footsteps. She is involved in the beauty section called Purite.
Marco has had some famous customers in his time including the girl band Atomic Kitten and entertainer Des O’Connor.
Marco said he was delighted to be an ‘adopted Manxman’ and is full of praise for the island way of life and the way it has helped him progress his career.
He said: ‘In the 1960s there was no work in Italy. Like the Irish the Italians were global immigrants. Everywhere you’d go you would meet an italian or an Irishman because there was no work in their home countries.
‘I am ferociously protective of this beautiful place [Isle of Man] and I have travelled with my work all over the world and I would not swap the Isle of Man with anywhere.
‘You have to have somewhere you call home and this is home definitely.
‘The island is a very special place with many special people.
‘Once you have made a Manxman your friend you have a true friend for life and that could be said for most islanders.’
Marco works six days a week at Utopia and is full of praise for his staff who he says are like a family.
Outside of work he has seven huskies who he adores. One has just had extensive treatment on a front paw.
He loves nothing better than taking them on long runs at weekends.