Immigrants: They get the job done. Nowhere more so than at the St. George. Is there anything you can’t get done at the St. George? You can get your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And get your hair cut, your shoes shined, your pants cuffed, and yours nails did. And who does all that work for you? Here are some of those people, who immigrated from three different continents, and work to make our lives better, all in one building.
Henry (Han-Suk) Cho
Henry Custom Tailor & Dry Cleaners
Meet Henry (Han-Suk) Cho, the always nattily-dressed tailor, who turns out immaculately hemmed and altered garments in his tiny, friendly shop.
Q. Where were you born?
A. Seoul, South Korea.
Q. When did you come to New York?
A. 15 years ago.
Q. What is your native language?
A. Korean.
Q. How did you get started in this business?
A. I was a tailor in Korea for 40 years.
Q. How long have you owned this business?
A. Since 2007.
Q. Tell us about your family?
A. My wife, Hee-Ja, works with me and I have two daughters, one son, and one grand-son.
Q. Where do you commute from?
A. Flushing, Queens.
Q. What is your favorite thing about this neighborhood?
A. The delicious sushi and nice owners at Sushi Gallery.
Katya Mirzokandov
Studio Diva Nail Salon
Meet Katya Mirzokandov, nail technician extraordinaire. One look at her perfectly-maintained brows and sweet smile, and you know she’ll ace your mani-pedi.
Q. Where were you born?
A. Tel Aviv, Israel
Q. When did you come to New York?
A. 4 years ago.
Q. What is your native language?
A. Russian and Hebrew.
Q. How did you get started in this business?
A. I came to the U.S. and went to school for a nail technician license, and have been working since.
Q. How long have you worked at this salon?
A. For 3 1/2 years.
Q. Tell us about your family?
A. I have a husband named Patr, and a 7 year old son.
Q. Where do you commute from?
A. Forest Hills, Queens.
Q. What is your favorite thing about this neighborhood?
A. The beautiful river views.
Fernando Castano
Brooklyn Heights Shoe Master
Meet Fernando Castano – Brooklyn Heights Shoe Master (the shop’s name, but could also be his moniker). Has the concrete jungle destroyed your soles? Bring them to Fernando for quick and reasonably-priced, expert repair.
Q. Where were you born?
A. Cali, Colombia.
Q. When did you come to New York?
A. In 1982.
Q. What is your native language?
A. Spanish.
Q. How did you get started in this business?
A. My cousin taught me shoe repair.
Q. How long have you worked at this shop?
A. For 17 years.
Q. Tell us about your family?
A. My wife is Paola, and I have 3 kids – a 32 year old son, a 9 year old daughter, and a 5 year old son.
Q. Where do you commute from?
A. Jackson Heights, Queens.
Q. What is your favorite thing about this neighborhood?
A. The promenade, it’s beautiful.
Rocco (Rocky) Scali
The Cutting Den
And last, but not least. The man. The legend. Rocco Scali, better known to his customers as Rocky. What is there to say about Rocky that the New York Times hasn’t already covered? How about that nothing can hold this man down. Triple bypass in his 70’s? Back to work in 2 months. Working on his feet 40+ hours a week for 57 years? Nessun problema! And no one, and we mean no one, knows this neighborhood better than Rocky. He’s seen St. George in all its iterations since 1958. He’s had thousands of locals sit in his chair and spill the beans. He knows exactly where all the bodies are buried, but he’s not telling anyone.
Q. Where were you born?
A. Calabria, Italy.
Q. When did you come to New York?
A. In 1958.
Q. What is your native language?
A. Italian.
Q. How did you get started in this business?
A. I was a barber apprentice since age 12 in Italy.
Q. How long have you worked at the Cutting Den?
A. For 59 years.
Q. Tell us about your family?
A. My father was in the Italian Navy for many years and my mother was a housewife. My wife Mary was born in Palermo, and we met in Brooklyn. We have two daughters and six grand-children.
Q. Where do you commute from?
A. Staten Island.
Q. What is your favorite thing about this neighborhood?
A. Everything, this is a great place!
Q. Well, you could write a whole book about this place, right?
A. Yeah, but you want me to get in big trouble?
