Our Founder

The story of Gino Morena and Gino Morena Enterprises is the quintessential American success story. Born in the province of Palermo, Sicily in 1921, Gino Morena arrived in the United States in 1938 through Ellis Island and settled in Monterey, California. At that time Monterey had a large Italian colony. Gino went to work as a barber at the Fort Ord military base. By working hard as a barber and polishing his English skills, he eventually became the General Manager of all of the barber shops on base. Some years later he was able to realize one of his early dreams and returned to Fort Ord as the concessionaire of the barber shops.

Gino moved to San Francisco after he met and married his wife Meryl, and together they raised four children. Living in San Francisco during World War II he worked as a barber on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay and later at Hamilton AFB in Marin County, California as the Manager/Concessionaire.

During the Korean War he was the concessionaire at Parks AFB cutting hair for Air Force recruits. In 1954 he became the first barber/beauty concessionaire at Castle AFB in California.

Gino started Gino Morena Enterprises LLC in 1951 and was joined by his son Rex in 1971. As a family business providing hair care services to military personnel and their families, Gino Morena Enterprises went to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm as the sole provider to the US Military there at the time. During Operation Just Cause, GME was in Panama.

Gino Morena Enterprises LLC has been associated with the United States Military Exchange system for over 57 years and has been the major provider of hair care services to the US Military for the past four decades. The Morena family is proud of their long-term association and commitment to the United States Military and pleased to be able to provide hair care service in hundreds of locations including the US House of Representatives.