Great HAIR om Barbershop Quartet sc They Wear Even politicians and bureaucrats are serious about their hair: Nearly a dozen It Well federal entities have on-site barbers. Here’s a look at four. Sure, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt

By Kate Parham N ew T ripplaar/Sipa/ toffer sported distinguished facial hair, but modern Washington men seem more comfortable with a y K ri s close shave—though there are exceptions. House of Central We asked Mike Gilman, cofounder of the

om; H older b Grooming Lounge, and Aaron Perlut, chairman of ➻ Representatives ➻ Intelligence sc the American Mustache Institute, to tell us who Agency around town has winning facial hair. Barber: Joe Quattrone, formerly u llan/ N ew a farmer in Italy, heads the House’s Barber: Daivon Davis is not only m By Christine Ianzito privatized barbershop. His is one of the first African-American to own the best jobs, he says, “because you the CIA’s barbershop but the first to c k M atri come in contact every day with the cut hair in the shop, which opened people who control the world.” Ted Leonsis Jayson Werth in 1955. Now 24, he got the gig at age u lding/ P 18, then bought the shop in 2010. Entrepreneur Nationals outfielder Inside look: He has trimmed ev- eryone from Prime Minister Giulio Inside look: Davis’s chair has seen y Clint Spa Andreotti of Italy—who insisted on the likes of General Michael Hayden z er b having his picture taken with Quat- and former CIA director Leon trone—to Dick Cheney, Al Gore, and Panetta. “You know they’re bigwigs Gerald Ford. He cut Ford’s hair two

when you see bodyguards standing y L en R i zz i; Blit days before he became President. outside the door,” Davis says. “A lot

of them are adrenaline junkies, so we an c e b “Ford didn’t come “His goatee is pretty iconic “While it’s not the most Top secret: talk about cars and skydiving.” om; V once without asking about my wife,” sc at this point—it’s part of who he well groomed of beards, he is, and he wears it effortlessly,” pulls it off well,” says Gilman. says Quattrone, who eventually Top secret: Davis knows some- brought his wife to meet the then– says Gilman. “Hard to imagine “It seems to match his thing big is happening when regu- him without it.” offbeat personality.” Vice President. “He shook her hand, lars aren’t coming in: “Last year oll Call/ N ew and they talked. Things like that during the Egypt situation, when you don’t forget. Every day I get out the president finally stepped down, of bed and kiss the ground that I live about 30 minutes later I had a big Henry Waxman Jim Vance the American dream.” flock of people come in.” Congressman Channel 4 anchor addaloni/CQ R y Chri s M addaloni/CQ

Department Federal axman b

➻ of Energy ➻ Reserve om; W sc Barber: David Besenyei has been Barber: Lenny Gilleo, self-pro- cutting hair in the Forrestal Build- claimed Hairman of the Board, has on S MI / N ew P hotograph s of Q u ing since the 1970s, after being hon- been cutting hair for half a century, / Ic “His mustache is certainly “DC’s news king has had

orably discharged from the Army. including the past five Fed chair- s avi unique,” says Gilman. “You a goatee for so long, I bet (He spent 18 months in Korea.) men. His business cards say: “My don’t see too many like that most wouldn’t even note that

monetary policy is greatly affected D y A dam nowadays.” he has facial hair if asked,” Inside look: Although Besenyei by your growth rate.” Gilman says. considers “every person who en- attrone, Be s enyei,G illeo and b

ters the shop to be a very impor- Inside look: Gilleo, who may b om; W erth sc tant person” and has snipped and cut “the hair of the chairman one shaved several Energy Secretaries, minute, the guy sweeping floors the Wolf Blitzer Eric Holder CNN anchor US attorney general

cutting the hair of singer James next,” says he knows something’s up u llan/ N ew Brown when Besenyei worked at when people carry yellow notepads: m a barbershop at Reagan National “Just a guess, but that tells you c k M atri

Airport was a big moment. y Jeff E lkin s ; D they’re not doing anything on e-mail, so they don’t want anybody to know.” Top secret: Besenyei says that P c h H yman/ nowadays most of his clients ask “I haven’t seen any- avi s c Top secret: y Za for short, razor-style cuts, a trend one who doesn’t come back look- o u rte s that seemed to pick up after Sep- ing better,” Gilleo says of chairmen “Nobody has sported a more “He’s the first mustached tember 11, 2001. who have retired and returned for y of C IA consistently well-taken-care-of attorney general since Francis a cut. “They look more relaxed.” beard,” says Gilman. “He gets Biddle in 1945,” says Perlut.

extra points for not coloring

Other federal institutions with on-site barbers include the US Senate, the Pentagon, the Agriculture Department, the Interior Department, and the Federal Aviation Administration. s i b of L eon P hotograph either his hair or his beard.”

100 Washingtonian ★ september 2012 september 2012 ★ Washingtonian 101