A Long Island cook is fighting for his right to head-bang.

The heavy-metal-loving chef is suing a posh eatery in Long Beach for firing him because he refused to cut his long hair, according to a federal lawsuit.

Richard Viscecchio complains that managers at the Allegria Hotel demanded he chop his rocker locks — while letting female kitchen workers sport long hair, according to the suit.

Viscecchio, 44, said he first grew his blond hair to shoulder length at age 16, after becoming a fan of heavy-metal bands such as Judas Priest and Megadeth.

Since then, his flowing coif has become a central part of his identity.

“It’s like my son told me,” Viscecchio told The Post. “I wouldn’t be the same person without my hair long. I just wasn’t willing to change it.”

The veteran cook said that when he was first hired by the high-end hotel in 2009, he made sure his metal mane was OK.

“They told me it wasn’t an issue,” he said.

He said he kept his locks out of the food by tying it in a ponytail and putting it up under a hat.

Viscecchio’s highway to hair hell began last year, when new managers assumed power and told him his rocker ’do wasn’t in tune with the hotel’s chic image.



It’s like my son told me … I wouldn’t be the same person without my hair long. I just wasn’t willing to change it. - Richard Viscecchio

Viscecchio — who worked the luncheon shift — was given two weeks to grab some clippers or take a hike, according to the suit.

The Long Beach resident noted that there were several other kitchen staffers — all female — who were able to keep their lock length with no hassles.

When he refused to trim, Viscecchio was canned last October.

“It’s discrimination,” said his attorney, Derek Smith. “There is no effect on his ability in the kitchen.”

“There were female employees on the line and working in the kitchen with the same job duties and long hair just like the plaintiff,” the suit said.

Allegria reps did not return a call for comment.

Viscecchio, who has since found kitchen work elsewhere, is suing for unspecified damages.

He said he feels that his hair has assumed near-mystical potency after three decades on top.

“I almost feel like I would lose my powers of cooking if I cut my hair,” he said. “The hair is just part of who I am.”