In the 1960’s, life in the quaint and traditional town of Leone, located in the south of Italy, was humble, modest and limited.

Vince Formato was born and raised in the picturesque town, along side his large family of seven, which consisted of two older brothers and two younger sisters. He possessed big dreams and high aspirations for himself and often fantasied about exploring the different countries of the world.

Vince spent the majority of his childhood working hard and studying to support himself, entering the workforce at the young age of 13.

“I started work early, too not only support myself but my family as well. My very first job in Italy was working as an assistant at a hairdressing salon. I don’t know why I choose to work at a hairdressers, the profession just came to me by chance,” says Vince.

Although times were tough and money was short in Leone, being Italian, the value of family was cherished and celebrated.

At the young age of 19, Vince was given the opportunity to venture free from the constraints of Leone and travel to the other side of the world.
“My cousin was currently living in Melbourne at the time and invited me to come visit, I was only planning on visiting Australia for a short period of time, however I enjoyed the lifestyle and amount of freedom Australia provided, so I stayed and haven’t left since,” Vince says.

With no prior knowledge of Australia, Vince left his close nit family and the only town he has ever known and ventured to Australia to explore why the country was being referred to as “the lucky country”.

“I decided to move to Australia’s in search for a better life, I wanted to expand my horizons and try something new.”

Stepping on to Australian shores, Vince didn’t speak any English. His first home was with his cousin in Springvale , Melbourne. He began to find some familiarity in his new country, through his first job, at a local hairdressers, once again working as an assistant hairdresser.

“Through my first job in Australia, my English developed and my connections with locals strengthened, I eventually developed enough skill and talent in the hairdressing profession.”

With confidence and determination under his belt, Vince began immediate plans to open his own barber shop in the heart of Noble Park.

At the time Noble Park was a prominently dominated by the Italian and Greek community, Vince felt it would be the ideal location to preform his craft, while still remaining within a district that resembled home.
“I opened up my own barber store in 1992. I wanted to work for myself and earn a living based on my own rules,” Vince says.
In 1986 Vince married his wife Katia, an Italian migrant whose family had explored the Australian shores in search for a better life. Vince now has two adult children.

Vince’s story of self empowerment is a true testament to the welcoming Australian culture, and the determination of early Melbourne migrants.

As the times have changed and the culture in Noble Park has altered from Italian to Chinese, Vince’s barber shop still stands tall. Over the years of trading Vince’s shop has accumulated numerous amounts of loyal costumers and is now recognized as one of the best barber shops within the South East district.