Police: Elderly barber sabotaged competing barbershop

WILTON — A duel between competing barbershops has become cutthroat in Wilton, where police say an 80-year-old barber is facing criminal charges for secretly sabotaging the swanky new shop just up the road.

Agron Komoni, owner of Agron’s Barbershop at 17 Danbury Road, said the mischief began in early August, when one morning while opening up his shop, he found a key intentionally broken off inside the front door’s lock. Komoni didn’t think much of the incident until a few weeks later, when he arrived at work to find his lock jammed yet again, this time with a toothpick.

Four more times the incident repeated itself, at which point Komoni notified police. He then took matters into his own hands and installed a video surveillance system outside the business, which opened in 2013.

Thanks to the new security system, police were able to catch the suspected culprit, Frank DiMarino, in the act after he vandalized the barbershop again on Dec. 4.

DiMarino is the co-owner of Razor’s Edge, a competing barbershop that’s been in business for 25 years at 9 Danbury Road. Police said that DiMarino has been charged only for the most recent incident, and that the previous four incidents have not been linked directly to DiMarino, though the incidents were similar.

DiMarino waived the right to be arrested on an arrest warrant and turned himself in to Wilton police on Dec. 11. He was later released from police headquarters on a promise to appear in court.

DiMarino faces charges for third-degree criminal mischief. He is expected in court on Dec. 20.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; (203) 354-1046; Tomlinson_PE