The Old Stand Barber Shop

As early as the 1920 and 1930 census records, my grandfather Thomas Venuti's (a.k.a. Thomas DiVenuti, a.k.a. Antonio DiVenuta) occupation is listed as "barber". There are even rumors that he once cut the hair of Babe Ruth - not sure as to whether this was before or after the curse of the Bambino… We do know that for many years, he worked at the "Old Stand" barber shop, located in the (now long gone) Mercantile Building at the corner of Main Street and Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. Sometime in the 1960's when he retired, operation of the "Old Stand" was passed on to my father, also named "Thomas Venuti" who kept it going for just a short time before finally closing it for good.

A Laundress?

It is not clear how much work my grandmother Laura (Hynes) Venuti did outside the home - no surprise given that she had seven children. I vaguely remember something about the Schrafts Chococlate factory? However, both the 1920 and 1930 census records list her occupation as "none". While, the death certificate has her occupation listed as "laundress".

Underwood Park

I am told that my grandfather grew up in Boston Massachusetts. But by the time he and my grandmother were married, the 1920 census record shows that the family (including my aunts Florence, age 2 and Gertrude-Marie, age 1) had moved to Watertown, Massachusetts.

From there, they moved into the house where my father and his six siblings would grow up. The house is located the next town over in Waltham, Massachusetts on the Waltham-Newton town line on a street named Underwood Park. According to the 1930 census, the family now included Florence M - age 11; Marie G - age 10; Catherine R - age 8; Edward T - age 7, Lorraine H - age 4; and, Thomas A - age 2. Colin would be born a couple years later. After my grandparents died, my aunt Marie and her family continued to live in the house on Underwood Park. But they have since left.

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