Popular Oak Lawn Barber Carl M. Trotto Sr. Dies at 87

OAK LAWN, IL — For more than 60 years, Carl M. Trotto Sr. and his talented crew of barbers and beauticians kept local residents looking sharp at his Clip Artists Barber Shop in Oak Lawn. Carl passed away on Jan. 18 with his loving family at his side. He was 87.

A U.S. Army veteran, Carl opened his barber shop under the name of Black Oak (the original name of Oak Lawn) in 1957, but soon changed it to Clip Artists Barber Shop at 9706 S. Cicero Ave. His business resided there for 25 years, until he moved the shop to 102nd Street and Cicero. If you lived in Oak Lawn, you probably got your hair cut by Carl or one of his staff, and if you were a kid and sat still during your haircut, you were rewarded with a pretzel rod.

Next to his family, one of Carl’s proudest accomplishments in life was being an Oak Lawn business owner. It wasn’t unusual to see Carl mopping floors, cleaning the bathrooms, or laundering towels, often going without lunch to tend to his customers and business. Long-time employee Alberta Kadlec, who acquired Clip Artists from Carl when he retired in 2018, said she and Kadlec connected over their shared Italian heritage and would frequently converse in Italian with each other.

“Carl was a great boss. We connected from day one,” Kadlec said. “He taught me a lot about the business, work ethics, and how to deal with all types of people and personalities. Carl always wanted to know about your family and gave good advice and words of encouragement.”

His family said Carl loved taking care of everyone who came to his shop, from parents and their kids, to parish priests and nuns, as well as other prominent Oak Lawn business owners. When Carl wasn’t cutting hair, there was nothing that he enjoyed more than sharing conversation and swapping stories at his shop.

Carl was the beloved husband of the late Barbara (Steinbach); loving father of three sons, Carl Jr. (Maureen) Trotto, Paul Sr. (Michele) Trotto and Stephen Sr. (Brenda) Trotto; cherished grandfather of 10, Stacy, Christine, Rose, Paul Jr., Vanessa, Jonathan, Stephen Jr., Jordan, Carissa and Dylan; and six great-grandchildren. He was the fond uncle and friend of many.

The family will be accepting friends and family from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at Thompson and Kuenster Funeral Home, 5570 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, where services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Interment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL.