Featured in Monroe County Edition
Helping Others Feel Beautiful Inide and Out - A Tribute to Mom and Dad
Sharon started in the wig business at her mother's beauty shop way before she received her own business. As a little girl, she had hands on hair and knew at a early age that she wanted to do to work with hair. Her mom's shop was Lu Rue's on 496 1/2 Lyell Avenue back in the late 50's & 60's, when Lyell was so beautiful. In the 50's, Sharon decided to follow in her mother's footsteps in the trade of Hairdressing. She attended the Continental Beauty School and got her degree in 1963. After that, she went for more advanced training at the Chadwick of England Styling School and completed her courses there.
Sharon was no stranger to this field, as she was trained by the best. During all those years, she had extra training in Alternative Hair, which is wigs. Also, she travelled to Toronto, Weehawken, New Jersey, & also Boston for wig training, which she received beautiful degrees, which are shown all over her Studio. Sharon remembered once when her mother told her to hold her hand out, and Luo, Sharon's mother, laid a razor, shears, comb, blow dryer, & a wig in her hand. Luo, her mother, asked her, “How heavy is that?” Sharon answered, “not heavy at all mom.” And her mother said, “Sharon, these will be the heaviest tools that you will have to hold in the trade that you are choosing for life of your business.” Sharon also remembered being in her Mother's shop as a child, playing with dolls, talking, taking down their hair, and watching her mom do her client's hair. Sometimes Sharon would ask if she could comb the client's hair while they would be waiting for their appointment with her mother, Luo. They said yes. She was only about 5 years old, but it made her so happy. The clients loved it, and when she was done they would reach in their wallets and hand her twenty five cents. She knew she was not a stranger in this field and truly born Hairdresser.
In later years, Sharon married Samuel R. Grasta, & that's where Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio had started. Sharon mother business name was named Lu Rue's Beauty Shop. It was on 496 1/2 Lyell Avenue. Sharon husband wanted to break away from the old Lyell Avenue neighborhood and start a homestead on Flower City Park. So that's where the first Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio started in 1973, in a three room basement with a complete studio. The address was 104 Flower City Park. Now both mother & daughter had their own business. Sharon started in a neighborhood knowing no one, but passing fliers from door to door, walking from door to door, 3 to 10 blocks long, in the summer to winter. She was not going to give up. She made so many phone calls to reach out to people, and that one on one was what made it happen. There was no advertisement mailed thru the mail, but I did it the best way to meet the people face to face. By talking to them personally she won their hearts over!
Sharon's big heart and loving way brought her to do even more with her talents. She also worked in area hospitals, nursing homes, and senior, to care for them with hair and wigs. Her studio was always open by appointment only, as to not take away from the one on one service she would provide. After 13 wonderful years of building her business & meeting such loving sweet people, her husband had to relocate again, and here Sharon started all over again, but she ran both business commuting back and forth from the city to Parma. The new Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio opened in 1984 at 409 Parma Center Rd, Hilton, N.Y., and is here today. She is in business for 59 years this December. She will be in business for 60 years. She has past her 50 years golden!
Sharon lost her Dad in 1999. His name was Dominic J. Russo, but all his friends called him D.J. Sharon then lost her very best friend, partner & mother, the late Lucille K. Russo (Lu), in 2009. “WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR PARENTS YOU HAVE LOST THE WORLD.” They were my mentors,” Sharon said. She was very close to her parents, as she was a only child. “With no siblings it is very lonely without them. But having a loving husband by my side has made this heavy cross a little lighter to carry. I know my Mom & Dad are looking down and are so proud of their daughter. I could feel them watching over me from the heavens above. I am never alone, they’re with me, standing on my own two feet. I was not given a golden spoon in my mouth like other people start a business, and not leaning on anyone, not even my wonderful loving husband Sam,” said Sharon. “Thank you very much Dear Lord for granting me these wonderful parents that brought me in this beautiful world and taught me so much. And my husband, which is a cancer survivor, he is the love of my life. Thank you our Lord.”
Sharon was no stranger to this field, as she was trained by the best. During all those years, she had extra training in Alternative Hair, which is wigs. Also, she travelled to Toronto, Weehawken, New Jersey, & also Boston for wig training, which she received beautiful degrees, which are shown all over her Studio. Sharon remembered once when her mother told her to hold her hand out, and Luo, Sharon's mother, laid a razor, shears, comb, blow dryer, & a wig in her hand. Luo, her mother, asked her, “How heavy is that?” Sharon answered, “not heavy at all mom.” And her mother said, “Sharon, these will be the heaviest tools that you will have to hold in the trade that you are choosing for life of your business.” Sharon also remembered being in her Mother's shop as a child, playing with dolls, talking, taking down their hair, and watching her mom do her client's hair. Sometimes Sharon would ask if she could comb the client's hair while they would be waiting for their appointment with her mother, Luo. They said yes. She was only about 5 years old, but it made her so happy. The clients loved it, and when she was done they would reach in their wallets and hand her twenty five cents. She knew she was not a stranger in this field and truly born Hairdresser.
In later years, Sharon married Samuel R. Grasta, & that's where Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio had started. Sharon mother business name was named Lu Rue's Beauty Shop. It was on 496 1/2 Lyell Avenue. Sharon husband wanted to break away from the old Lyell Avenue neighborhood and start a homestead on Flower City Park. So that's where the first Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio started in 1973, in a three room basement with a complete studio. The address was 104 Flower City Park. Now both mother & daughter had their own business. Sharon started in a neighborhood knowing no one, but passing fliers from door to door, walking from door to door, 3 to 10 blocks long, in the summer to winter. She was not going to give up. She made so many phone calls to reach out to people, and that one on one was what made it happen. There was no advertisement mailed thru the mail, but I did it the best way to meet the people face to face. By talking to them personally she won their hearts over!
Sharon's big heart and loving way brought her to do even more with her talents. She also worked in area hospitals, nursing homes, and senior, to care for them with hair and wigs. Her studio was always open by appointment only, as to not take away from the one on one service she would provide. After 13 wonderful years of building her business & meeting such loving sweet people, her husband had to relocate again, and here Sharon started all over again, but she ran both business commuting back and forth from the city to Parma. The new Grasta's Beauty And Wig Studio opened in 1984 at 409 Parma Center Rd, Hilton, N.Y., and is here today. She is in business for 59 years this December. She will be in business for 60 years. She has past her 50 years golden!
Sharon lost her Dad in 1999. His name was Dominic J. Russo, but all his friends called him D.J. Sharon then lost her very best friend, partner & mother, the late Lucille K. Russo (Lu), in 2009. “WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR PARENTS YOU HAVE LOST THE WORLD.” They were my mentors,” Sharon said. She was very close to her parents, as she was a only child. “With no siblings it is very lonely without them. But having a loving husband by my side has made this heavy cross a little lighter to carry. I know my Mom & Dad are looking down and are so proud of their daughter. I could feel them watching over me from the heavens above. I am never alone, they’re with me, standing on my own two feet. I was not given a golden spoon in my mouth like other people start a business, and not leaning on anyone, not even my wonderful loving husband Sam,” said Sharon. “Thank you very much Dear Lord for granting me these wonderful parents that brought me in this beautiful world and taught me so much. And my husband, which is a cancer survivor, he is the love of my life. Thank you our Lord.”