MYSTIC IMAGES IS MORE THAN JUST A HAIR RAISING EXPERIENCE
That Gina Bertolino chose to name her business Mystic Images seems only fitting. One synonym for mystic is visionary and it's clear that Bertolino's plan for the long-time salon nestled in the heart of Suffern has been nothing but visionary.
That Gina Bertolino chose to name her business Mystic Images seems only fitting. One synonym for mystic is visionary and it's clear that Bertolino's plan for the long-time salon nestled in the heart of Suffern has been nothing but visionary.
Bertolino's idea of what her business can be has been a driving force as she continues to make her salon on Lafayette Avenue a unique, affordable, customer friendly experience. It's the primary reason why Mystic Images has been a staple in the Village for nearly two decades.
Mystic Images will celebrate its 19th anniversary in the Village in 2009 and what began as a hair salon all those years ago continues to grow and be so much more. Bertolino has expanded her operation in recent years, adding a new retail area in which she sells hair care products, cosmetics, clothing and jewelry.
In the area of beauty supplies, she has prioritized a customer's needs for convenience and affordability. Clients and non-clients alike can save a trip to the mall or Route 59. Not only will they find all the latest beauty products, Mystic Images will match competitor pricing. They also have a loyalty discount program on all their products. A website is in development to further offer customers the ease of shopping from home.
She's come a long way since the early days. Now Bertolino's business is so much more. It's a meeting place for friends and family. There's always a warm smile waiting for customers new and old. Stories are shared, lives intertwine and it would be difficult to imagine what that little corner on Lafayette Avenue would be like without Mystic Images.
"When I opened it was one nail person and me in a 900 square-foot office," she said. "Then this place opened up in 1995. My accountant and my husband [Joseph] said I was crazy. I didn't think about not making it, though. I just thought about doing it. Sometimes you just have to go for it."
Bertolino's proud to have a local business and does her best to support the other businesses in the Village. She also works with charitable organizations and continues to welcome strategic partnerships, primarily in the areas of women's health.
"I live here, I go to the movie theater here, I prefer to be here," Bertolino said. "We have a beautiful theater here and I frequent the other stores in town. I never want to move away."
The Queens native moved to Suffern when she was 11 and, save for a few years when she migrated to Orange County, has spent most of her life in the cozy Village on the New York State line. Bertolino is eclectic and energetic. She enjoys riding a motorcycle, drawing and being part of a community.
As she sits in the middle of her salon, her legs tucked up underneath her on this gray, December afternoon; she opens up about herself and the business she opened in 1991.
"I come off with a tough exterior sometimes but I care about the people that work for me and I care about making this business work for everyone," Bertolino, 43, said. "It makes for a happier place to work. It's truly unusual. We're a family here.
"My mother [Arlene Dejesus] is my receptionist and my sister [Kim Profita] works here, too. We have 13 people, including myself, working here. I always wanted to open a salon in Suffern. I always wanted to be in this town."
Bertolino opened her business in that small 900 square-foot space in 1991 before moving to her current location in the old Woolworth building four years later. Even then the vision she had was obvious.
Free two-hour parking is available on the street in the Village while the Parking Authority's lots are free for three hours. The lots adjacent to and behind the Lafayette Theater are the closest to Mystic Images.