The relationships between tattooing and the authorities in the US have not always been a a long and quiet stream. In 1961, it is even banned in New-York for sanitary reasons. A ban that will last for the next 30 years. Before being a renowned scholar for his work in the tattoo field –he published numerous books about the tattoo culture in Thailand, Japan and in the US, that inspires him some researches- Mike Mc Cabe tattooed in New York when it was still illegal like a few others. He recounts how it was in the 80’s, for him and other rebellious characters, to ink against the law.
When tattooing has been banned in New York in 1961, how did the tattooers reacted?
There were only a dozen or so people tattooing in tattoo shops in NYC in 1961. They all had to strategize about how to deal with this situation. Tony D’Annessa and Tony “The Pirate Cambria, and Dominic Chance tattooed on West 48th Street. D’Annessa closed his shop and relocated to the back of a cabinet makers shop a few doors away. He painted his tattoo designs on window shades that could be easily rolled up if the police were around. Tony “The Pirate” Cambria moved to New Jersey and so did other tattooers in different directions. Coney Island Freddie worked in Staten Island; Brooklyn Blackie who tattooed in Coney Island, Brooklyn, closed his shop and moved to upstate New York; Stanley and Walter Moskowitz used to tattoo with their father Willie in a shop on the Bowery, moved to Copiague, Long Island.
How did the ban shape the New York tattoo scene ?
It became an “Underground” art form in New York City. The tattoo ban forced the identity of tattooing to adopt an “Underground” identity. The illegalization reinforced many negative cultural stereotypes about tattooing. The whole ambiance of “You are doing something wrong and bad” attached itself to tattooing in New York City. It added a sense of danger. A sense of outlaw. It made the process more outlaw, until the re-legalization of tattooing in 1997.
In the 80’s, what was it like to tattoo during the ban?
I realized the tattooing was called illegal but as an artist I didn’t care. Tattoo is an artform and I am an artist. I started my apprenticeship with Richard Tyler in 1980. But tattooing was difficult. It was impossible to buy equipment. You had to make your own needles and mix up your own ink. Still, I tattooed 100% sterile procedure. But very few people got involved. Tattoo artists existed only by word of mouth. They had business cards with their phone numbers, no addresses. A customer would call and make an appointment. If a tattooer did good tattoos his or her reputation would grow. Very similar to what happens today. But in the 1970s and 80s and 90s there was very little information about tattooing. Therefore, customers were not educated about good and bad. However, people could see the good graphics of a good tattoo. It looked better.
Have tattooers been arrested?
I don’t think so. Not during my period of time. I had a few NYC police officers and firemen as clients. My customers were fire marshals and detectives. They carried guns. They would come to my studio, take off their guns and then get tattooed. Several times I had customers in my studio and when these detectives would come and take off their guns the customers would get very nervous. It was funny and everyone would laugh.
The end of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s were also a very creative period with a new generation of people with an art background getting involved in tattooing. Did artists became tattoo artists?
Art critic Marcia Tucker and writer wrote an unprecedented ARTFORUM Magazine article in May 1981 titled TATTOO about the art form of tattooing. The article featured Ruth Marten, Jamie Summers and Mike Bakaty. This encouraged art people to explore tattooing and get tattooed. Ruth tattooed out of her artist loft in downtown Manhattan during the 1970s. Her clientele were mostly downtown artist people, as Jamie whose style was based on abstract spiritual power images. Mike, who had an art background, tattooed from his artist loft located at Bowery and Houston streets. His clientele was a mixture of downtown art, music, motorcycle, creative people. Legendary folk artist Thom deVita tattooed a rough clientele from his shop located between Avenue C and D on E. 4th Street. At the same time in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Tony Polito tattooed a more traditional tattoo clientele. There were probably other people tattooing illegally in New York City at the time but they never established reputations.
Who were also getting tattooed in the 80's?
The downtown New York City Punk Rock and Rock and Roll music scene got tattooed. Bob Roberts (now working in Los Angeles) developed a very good reputation as the leading tattooer of downtown musicians. He tattooed illegally above a pizza shop located at 23rd Street and 3rd Avenue. Mike Perfetto tattooed many Hard Core Punk musicians from his tattoo shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Besides, gangs have always used tattooing as a mark of identity and loyalty. Pete Giaquinto tattooed a traditional tattoo clientele in Ozone Park, Queens; Angelo Scotto tattooed traditional tattoo images and customers in the Bronx. I, Mike McCabe tattooed from my studio located on East 5th Street and the Bowery. I tattooed an artist clientele, like Cat, the woman from France I shared my studio with. She was doing abstract tribal type designs.
Even though tattooing was still illegal the tattoo community would bound through regular meetings organized by the Tattoo Society, can you tell us about that?
Clayton Patterson is an artist and documentarian. During the 1980s he organized a small event every month he called the Tattoo Society. The meeting was held at the Sixth Sense Gallery located on E. 6th Street and Avenue A. This informal meeting created a safe space for people who liked tattoos and tattooing. Every month 15 to 20 people would meet, talk, show off their tattoos, drink wine and beer. It was a very encouraging atmosphere. People would bring their art and everyone would discuss looking at the art.
In 1997, the city lifts the ban, what was the motivation?
The city realized it was the responsible thing to do. There was a year long process of the city contacting illegal tattooers and inviting them to take part in the process. The city asked the tattooers opinions about how to legalize tattooing. There were open meeting at city hall with the health department and the tattoo community. The city developed a class about proper sterilization. Tattoo artists had to take the class and pass the test to get their tattoo license. This made tattooing more professional.
Some people tend to romanticize this ban period, what do you think about it?
I guess people did romanticize the ban era. It made the tattoo process more vital for people. People were defying western cultural norms by getting tattooed and in NYC they were actually breaking the law. This accentuated the challenging of cultural norms.
