Sam Matsavich

Question

I'm looking for more information about Sam Matsavich born 1898 in Pennsylvania? Or maybe he immigrated here?

He died in 1981. Last known city was Highland Park, California.

He owned Sam's barber shop on Melrose Ave in Hollywood, California. My late dad worked for him 1960's.

Thank you.

Comments

Hi Vicky,

If you edit this post and add location tags you may get the attention of members with experience in those areas.

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Thank you.

Answer 1

Sam is possibly the same person as Samuel Matusavage/Matsavage/Matusewicz.

He was born on 13 June 1898 in Pennsylvania and passed away on 15 April 1981 in Los Angeles, California.

Sam's parents were from Lithuania. His father was a miner. Sam also had a brother Anthony who passed away in 1935.

Sam's FamilySearch profile (with sources attached):

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/ML2Q-F69

Comments

Wow, good find! I struggled with that last name variation!

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Sam lived in the back of the barber shop and drove a yellow VW bug.  My dad walked to work and Sam drove him home.

Answer 2

In addition to what Julie found for you … I have something to look at, but no answers there yet…. I checked a few of these LA city directories for his name and his business. Didn’t find his name as a resident in Central LA - he could have been elsewhere in LA. For Sam’s Barber Shop, I found a couple with that name, but none on Melrose. All the directories I looked at are linked here- I just chose a few in the 1960s and didn’t look at all 60s available. https://theancestorhunt.com/blog/free-online-california-city-directories/#google_vignette 

Also, looks like he was a barber in Seattle in the 50s. I’ll attach that source on FS. Update us if you make his profile :-) 

Comments

Thank you. Are you related to him?

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I will make his profile.

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Great, thanks for making the profile. Nope, not related, my ears just perk up when I hear what could be a Jewish surname :-) I'm a project coordinator for the Jewish Roots Project. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Jewish_Roots

About your comment above, so cool to have little details like the VW bug! It really brings people to life. Do you know where your dad lived at that time? That might help find the shop, since it was walking distance.

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My late mom wrote some memories.

1961 They lived across the street from Sam's barber shop. 5244 Melrose Ave. Apt 10. The only one bedroom apt in the bldg. We three kids stayed with relatives when our parents sold their house.and barber shop in Whittier and moved to Hollywood, then we went back to live with our parents summer of 1962 after dad rented a larger apt on Bronson just above Franklin Ave.  The bldg was torn down. We moved to a  duplex two story house  1826 N.Van Ness Ave. We lived in the bottom half. She also wrote 5242 Melrose Ave. $15 a month rent and $17.00 a month TV rental. Mr. Desmond bought the bldg. and they repainted the apt. In summer 1962 we lived at 1925 N. Bronson. We shopped at the two markets on Franklin Ave. Victor's was on the corner and Haig's market in that same block. I believe they were Jewish owned markets.  Later Mayfair market was built on Franklin Ave across Bronson and I heard it's a Gelson's.  I heard the old apt bldg on Melrose was torn down. My aunt and uncle lived there too with their son. My uncle got his haircut at Sam's so did his son.