Hidden deep inside New York’s famed Belmont racetrack, below the grandstand and past rows of betting windows, is a plain sign tucked almost out of sight, which reads, “Barbershop.” There, inside a cavernous cinder-block room with three old-fashioned barbershop chairs, you’ll find the incomparable barbers of Belmont: Sal, Tony, and Uri.

Recorded in Elmont, NY. Premiered October 25, 2004, on Morning Edition.

This documentary comes from Sound Portraits Productions, a mission-driven independent production company that was created by Dave Isay in 1994. Sound Portraits was the predecessor to StoryCorps and was dedicated to telling stories that brought neglected American voices to a national audience.