Shopping TATTOOS 3. Big Fish Tattoo 89-52 165th Street Jamaica (718) 298-5320 Big Fish Tattoo has experienced workers to match their funky style. Artists include Fish, who has done the job for 17 years, and Yanni (no, not the New Age singer), who has done it for 12. The piercing pros are Jen and Deon. They warn that you must be 18 no matter what, and that no parents can sign their kids up for perma-ink.
4. R&D Tattooing 62-01 Myrtle Avenue Ridgewood (718) 386-0610 Besides taking the prize for coolest business card with a “Born Free, Live Free and Die Free” emblem signified by an eagle, heart, and skull and crossbones, R & D Tattooing prides itself on being an old-school type of tattoo parlor. What you’ll find at R & D is a black leather couch in the center of the room surrounded by walls of variously priced tattoos, and what
you won’t find is piercing, bongs, or funny business. Five artists currently work at R & D Tattooing. Richard Fie, who has worked in the place for six years, says, “It’s old school, hardcore, and a real tattoo shop.” R & D Tattooing came on the Queens scene in 1997, and Rob Freund and David Mowers are the guys behind the shop - and behind the name. Mowers has worked as a tattoo artist for 18 years. “We have custom work,” he said. “Very old school based in the New York City style of tattoos.”
5. Studio Enigma Tattooing & Piercing 158-36 Cross Bay Boulevard Howard Beach (718) 323-9986 Howard Beach has cultivated an infamous stigma. John Gotti used to reside in the area. Enough said. Studio Enigma has been in Howard Beach for years as well, but has no mob affiliations that It’s Queens knows of. If anything, the place is filled with the opposite sort of people. When we paid a visit, it was full of civil folk both on the giving and the receiving end of the ink. Dineen Digirolamy has run the place for 11 years, originally starting out in Brooklyn. She feels
Howard Beach is growing more receptive to tattoos. “All ages, a lot of career people and a lot of professional people have all been getting tattoos lately,” she said. “The stereotype is not what it was, and people are now a little more open to it.” Regardless of where you go, make sure to make sure. Tattoos are either forever or result in a lot of expensive laser treatments. Think before you ink! www.itsqueens.com summer 2008 41