PETER TAT•2 ASSOCIATION

We weren’t just an association, we were a family. Our last name was Tat-2 and  Peter sat at the head of the table.

I am Cheryl Forgione and my journey was just beginning ...

I met Peter in 1977 as I left Long Island heading for Phoenix. A stop in Colorado along the way was where I was introduced to Peter, Dyane, Greg and Peg, Bill and Theresa, Barbara and Kim. Upon meeting Peter my impression was - very handsome and a charismatic man.  He had very cool interests, along with a lot of ambition. With a driven desire to make his aspirations a reality and that he did!!

From Denver I was directed to Jim Watson in Phoenix, where I started an apprenticeship.  I attended my first National Tattoo Convention in 1979 with the Peter Tat-2 Association!!!

It was a Renaissance of tattooing, the beginning of a new era. That convention got the ball rolling. Soon after many more conventions were put on the calendar.

Peter was very conscious of showing tattooing in a favorable light. When photos were being taken he was very guarded of our, the ladies, (over)exposure. We had the cover of Easyrider Magazine the following month! Which spawned, - Tattoo Magazine!

The days in Phoenix turned into years. We opened another studio on 7th Street that I relocated to. At that time we didn’t have Internet. Peter, I and the other artists would exchange ideas by phone calls, photos, and letters. He would stop in occasionally to visit or I would go to Denver for a visit.  To this day, I am so very grateful for the friends in this association who have inspired and helped me on my Journey.  
  
Cheryl’s website is:

www.industructible.com  

I started tattooing in 1978 in New York City and Colorado after being tattooed a couple of times by Richie Montgomery from 1974 to 1978 in NY. I opened my first shop in 1978 in Colorado and soon moved to tattooing on the road for two years. Around 1980, I started working for Peter at American Tattoo in Aurora, Colorado with Cindy Burmeister. Later, I worked with Barbara Chapman and Greg Skibo at the Peter Tat-2 Studio on Broadway in Denver. After Peter's death, I worked with Kim Schaefer in Pete's seat at the Colfax, Denver shop.

My career followed a different course in the late 80's. Other points of interest in my career include 30 years in education. I was a school principal, I also taught in two universities for 15 years. I taught a history and philosophy course at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA and I taught educational leadership courses at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. I have Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees.

I had over 1,500 jumps under my belt when I had a skydiving accident. At that time I was working as a skydiving videographer. I filmed people on their tandem jumps for a living. Unfortunately, my parachute was packed incorrectly by someone else and it opened too quickly. It broke my camera, my helmet and my neck. My hands are partially paralyzed from my neck accident and I have bad tremors from Parkinson's disease.

My wife, Miriam, and I love to travel and scuba dive together. We have five wonderful children and four grandchildren. Family has always been important to me. I’m retired now but, I still tattoo friends and family members because I love tattooing. And may I add…Some of the best times of my life were with Pete and Larry. We made a good team.

My Instagram ID is  @airwaterdiver   

I asked Marguerite what got her into tattooing – she said, “My ASSets!”  - When you read her story you’ll know why I typed it in that way 😂😂 here goes…

Somewhere in the fall of 1978, I was out of a “real job” and freelancing anything and everything to stay afloat. I had been hired to letter the side of a building on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square. It was warm that weekend, hot actually. I was painting Car STEREO on the side of a building 4’ high and 40’ long in shorts. Day 2 I’m up the ladder and notice this tall long haired, tattooed to the knuckles guy looking up at me.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Do you paint on glass?” he replies.

“Are you looking at my ass?” I commented. He smiles. (I knew that…)

“Sure I paint on glass, which shop are you in?” He points to West Hempstead.

I stopped down later that day, found that they needed lettering on the front door and I painted it later that week. While I was there, I brought my portfolio in to see if they needed any art work. Mike Bruno said, “Why don’t you learn how to tattoo?” I never considered it, so I hung around for a bit, and then made the commitment to learn. Here I am 41 years later, still having fun. I have some great customers and made some good friends. I guess I’ll keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.

In the early days we didn’t have to worry about all this political correctness. When someone made a disgusting comment, you would just come back with both barrels and be a bigger “pig."(I got pretty good at it.) Someday I’ll write a book and change the names to protect the guilty. That is, if I can remember anything by then! 

You can find Marguerite at her studio:

Snapdragon Ink Tattoo

116½ Main St. Delhi, NY 13753

607-746-6202

When I, Kim Schaefer, started my apprenticeship for PeterTat2 in 1975, things were new and different. Why they picked me? I'm not sure. But it was fun and hard at the same time. People weren't exactly sure about the tattooed ladies - but it left the door open for me to be involved in tattooing and I got to meet many of the greatest tattooers ever.

 In 1979, I was fortunate to be a part of the very first National Tattoo Convention held in Denver. Greats came from all over the world. It was a lot of work but worth it all the way. I had my camera ready and have many photos of that epic weekend and so many others that followed.

The National Tattoo Convention in Phoenix in March of 1983 was also a memorable one. Again, everyone was there. It was warm and so much fun. Little did I know it would be our last time all together. Peter died that year, and tattooing, for me, was never the same again.

After Peter's death, I left tattooing and worked in the "real world" for a while. I worked at Coors and later for NAPA Auto Parts. Then eventually. I went back to tattooing. I married another tattoo artist in 1994 and we opened a shop of our own in Durango, Colorado. Then we relocated to Buena Vista, Colorado in 2005. I ended up in Texas in 2012 at Texas Tattoo Emporium with some cool guys - fun times - for about 5 years until I got a message from Nik Pew.  

Nik had everything - original flash pieces, books, tattoo history. He was building a new shop - Denver City Tattoo Club. He asked if I would work the Grand Opening. Little did I know I would never want to leave! This has become my tattoo sanctuary! It's full of history and reminders of my "colorful" past. There are so many of us tattooing now, so many shops, that it has become difficult for me to find a place in all this. I belong here. DCTC. Thanks to my partners in crime. I'd be lost without them.

Denver City Tattoo Club

3451 Larimer St.

Denver, CO 80205

Tat2Kim @koloradokim 

 My life before tattooing was pretty boring. I went to school, hung out a bit and locked myself away from everybody, and drew for hours. I was addicted to creating portraits of celebrities in a pencil and charcoal medium until I discovered Frank Frazetta. That's when I found the world I'd live in for the next 40+ years, buying up every bit of reference available.  I'd doodle on friends while partying in bars and one night someone told me I should get into tattooing. I thought he was crazy and put it out of my head, until I accompanied him upstate to Tannersville, where he got a piece from Bruce Bart. I was absolutely intrigued by the whole process and asked to apprentice under him.

So a few months later, I rented a cottage in town, paid $4500.00 and spent 12 weeks learning the craft.  Bruce was a great teacher, he brought out the confidence I needed to take on just about anything.  I worked with Suzanne Fauser at the German Alps Festival in Hunter Mountain and did my first tattoo, a tiny acorn on a fellow who made oak furniture.  When I left Bruce, I had a customized Paul Rogers machine and a Sailor Vern liner, along with an endorsement from National Tattoo, which you needed to purchase equipment. Everything was pretty routine up to this point.

So now it was time to get serious and find a job. The place to be was Peter Tat2, and that's exactly where I went, petrified of course.

Let me say that nothing could have prepared me for the ride I was about to take for the next 15 years. HOLY SHIT!!!!! The first thing Larry Romano said to me was, "When you work here, you don't work for anyone else, ever."

He picked up my machines, asked me how I got them and proceeded to set them up to his specs. I didn't dare say a word, being so naive and clueless; I just sat there and watched as he looked over my artwork. Now, at that time, the walls were covered with Picture Machine flash, among sheets done by amazing artists including Jack Rudy, Mike Malone, Marguerite, Richie Montgomery, Gregg Skibo, Paul Jeffries and so many others. Larry walked into Marguerite's room to show her a sheet of tigers I had drawn, came out and told me I started at 12 noon the next day. And that's when I met Broom Hilda (Mike Bruno’s nickname), definitely an experience.  He would become a good friend and make work a crazy, insane and awesome place to be.  There isn't enough space to cover the wacky things we did during the slow months, but when that shop was busy, it was balls to the wall work, for hours and hours.

Forget food, forget everything else, just get the tattoos done because Larry would collect money and throw stencils on your station and say, "You gotta do these, they're paid for."

Mind you, it was already 10pm, so there was no arguing. I have to say it toughened a person up, and to this day, I work crazy hours.

And then I met Peter Poulos. The few times I got to work alongside him proved to be quite an experience. It was such a privilege to be able to watch him work but I will never forget that cigarette hanging from his lip while he tattooed and carried on a conversation. Ashes falling on to the tattoo, probably heating up the skin, and at least once, he just got up and left before finishing the piece. There were many times when we had to explain that their artist left, and that we'd gladly finish it. I'll keep those names a secret.

Over the next bunch of years I worked with some truly amazing people. Marguerite, Cindy Burmeister, Chris McKevit, Frank Romano, Florida Frank, Mike Ledger, Eric Fisher, Tedd Tiedemann, and so many others passed through our doors, many of them were truly nuts, but it made it a fun time.

I have been tattooing since that first day, taking time off only to raise my daughter at home for 2 years, and that family became hers. I have met so many incredible people because of this business, as I still do today. In 1993, I left Peter Tat2 and began a solo journey, once again I was petrified of course.

These days I own and operate Twinmoon Tattoo, located on the Gold Coast of Long Island.  I've stayed in the same area since day one and will be here until something prevents me from working. I thank every person who I've worked with, as well as everyone who has trusted me to adorn their bodies with my art. My life has never been boring, always creating new masterpieces, always securing new bonds with people and always and forever blown away by the confidence and trust bestowed upon me every day.

Thank you Don and Flo for the fun times playing with stuff in your basement on Long Island, and for the good times at the conventions. I am forever grateful for being part of this incredible association and truly appreciate being included in this tribute. I know I haven't mentioned everybody, but my brain cells have been eroding since that first day in West Hempstead, and I'll never forget the people we've lost over the years. They live on through their work. Always thankful,

Cindy Twinmoon (Chiarella)

Cindy’s Studio is: 

TWINMOON TATTOO

167 Glen Head Rd.

Glen Head, NY 11579

516-488-3923

email:  tmtat2@aol.com

Instagram: twinmooncreations & twinmooncindy

First of all, thanks for thinking about me for the story about the Peter Tat 2 Association. Where do I start? The story of my tattoo career would be a book about 4” thick or more. So with all respect to all the people I will have to cut a long story into a short one.

I first met Peter Poulos in 1971 in his Elmont, Long Island, NY shop. I had already been tattooed by S & W but a friend of mine got tattooed by Peter. I got some tattooing equipment in April 1978, and started fooling around with it. Four years later, when I was pretty good at it, I went to one of your [NTA] conventions and really got woken up. I realized that I was not as good as I thought. After meeting Peter and a few other great tattooers I got into tattooing better designs.

Then one day, I saw a tattoo that Richie Montgomery did, a skull with a snake around it and I was really blown away. I went over to Peter tattoo in West Hempstead, L.I., N.Y. and talked to Larry Romano, showed him pictures of my work, I figured since we had the same last name things would be good for me. Marguerite and Mike Bruno worked in that shop. I was hired and learned quite a bit about the craft. Cindy Chiarella started there right about the same time as me and a couple of months later, Larry opened the Oceanside shop. That was 1983, the following 20 plus years was an awesome learning experience. We worked alongside some of the best in the business, and after 41 years, I am forever grateful to have been there.

I finally got tattooed from Pete and was sorry to hear of his death. It was way too soon, he was only 37 years old. With all due respect, to the people whom I worked with: Margarite, Mike Bruno, Cindy Burmeister, Cindy Chiarella, Eric Desmond, Angelo Miller, Richie Montgomery and all the others… I am so glad I met all of you. 

Florida Frank Romano  

P.S. I would also like to thank Fox Tattoo for letting me hang out and watch when I started my career!!!

I was on a cross country road trip from California to Florida in January 1983, stopping in interesting places along the way to find guest spots to tattoo. I had stopped in Phoenix AZ and decided to check out the shops there.

The first shop I went to was Jim Watson’s. He told me to check out Peter’s shops.

One of the shops I went to was Peter Tattoo Shop on Camelback Road. I talked to Peter and showed him my portfolio and he invited me to work there. At that time, there was an Artist named Little G that was working there and Flipper hung out there sometimes. Peter was in the shop a few days a week and spent time in his other shops there, as well. He was building an Empire of shops then. I think he had 3 shops in Phoenix, as well as shops in Denver and New York at that time. I got to talk to him quite a bit when he was there.

My first day of work Peter asked me if I had a gun. I told him I did and he said “don’t come to work again without it!” I guess it wasn’t the best neighborhood. I never had any problem with anybody in that shop though. I had a full time shift there and stayed pretty busy doing a lot of Black and Gray East LA style Chicano tattoos. I had a lot of fun doing that because I hadn’t really had a chance to do much of that before. I think I was one of the few people that worked for Peter that he hadn’t brought into the business. I may be wrong about that but that’s what I heard.

In March that year (1983), the National Tattoo Convention came to Phoenix, hosted by Peter Tattoo Association. I got a booth at the convention, and my booth was between Greg Irons and Jack Rudy’s booths. Greg was a no show and Jack arrived a day late. I was doing a lot of really big Black and Gray tattoos and some people thought I was Jack, because they had seen photos of his Black and Gray work, but didn’t know what he looked like. That was pretty funny when Jack arrived because we don’t look anything alike.

I met Cliff Raven during the convention and he offered me a job working at Sunset Strip Tattoo, so a few weeks later I left Phoenix and went back to California. I didn’t make it to Florida until almost 20 years later. I think it was about 6 months or so later that I got a call from Little G telling me that Peter had been killed. What a shock that was.   It was a huge honor for me this year at the Imperial Arts and Tattoo Festival in Jacksonville when a large group of Peter Tattoo Association Alumni gathered for photos and Greg Skibo said “Hey Ken, get in here, you worked for Peter!” What a great group of people to be associated with!

Ken and Michelle have three studios in the Miami, FL area. One of which is:

Tattoos By Lou Inc.

466 NE 167 Street

Miami, FL 33162 

305-944-0888  

 I, Angelo Miller, was fortunate to have built a relationship with Erik Desmond back in the late 80’s to early 90’s, during my era as a relatively successful custom cabinet maker. By 1991, I had secured a formal apprenticeship under the mentorship of Erik and had begun my career at Dynamic Tattoo in Deer Park, Long Island. From that point on, I forged my ascent into the world of tattooing.

The early years on the road of my journey are still prevalent in my modern life and mentality, all of which can be seen in me to this day. I am lucky to have come up around some crucial tattoo legends as Cindy Burmeister, Frank Romano and Marguerite. My chaotic environment would prove to be extremely pivotal in setting me out on a path to maintain my success in this ever-changing industry, and would aid in my abilities to prevail in tattooing almost 30 years later.

Blending my upbringing at Peter Tat 2, with the morals and ethics of Eric Inksmith and Paul Rogers, my evolution, respect, and perseverance are not lost, having brought me to where I am currently – managing the famed:

Inksmith and Rogers tattoo shops in Jacksonville, FL.

When I met Peter and Dyane Poulos, I was a young strong-headed youngster who was looking for a place to belong. They had a way of teaching me without forcing me to be anything but who I was. Because of their kindness, I learned loyalty, not only to Peter Tat2 but also for the art of tattooing. I watched as they brought tattooing to everyone with a strong sense of what was right in the art. They brought a sense of ethical standards to tattooing that supported a person’s life, by creating a sacredness in the art. Through the formation of The National Tattoo Association, that dream was spread far and a wide and we all became the family we are today. I am so grateful for all I have learned and continue to learn. As I have grown, I have done my best to keep that same sacredness in all that I do, and so do the people I work with.

It’s an honor to still work for people who still uphold those standards and pass them on to our future generations. The Bloodline lives on at The Enchanted Dragon, those who have kept those standards and have continued to be a part of that legacy. Thank you, Dyane and Peter Poulos, Keely, Glen, Victor, and Jason Tackett. And Thanks to Flo and all The National Tattoo Association Family! Tattoo ON!

--Vicki Fuhrmann

The legend of Peter Tat-2 runs deep in the lore of tattoo. There are many stories and myths surrounding this icon. Images of a massive powerful tattooed man, heavily tattooed ladies, and an extraordinary dragon chopper come into mind. We remember him with these images burned into our memories from countless photos and newspaper articles. His and Dyane’s involvement with the early days of the national tattoo club set him apart from other tattooers of that time, aligning himself and his artists with the titans of tattooing. His enigmatic role as a natural leader is undeniable. These classic images are only a small part of a bigger than life persona. Peter distinguished himself professionally by dedicating his life to the mastery of his craft and committing to build an empire. Many photos of him and his “tattooed ladies” are on the walls of tattoo shops and museums worldwide, and to this day, his impact is far reaching and somehow deeply mysterious.

No tattooist has had such an undeniable and fierce presence, and far reaching was his enterprise for such a short time on this earth. His presence and his ideas still resonate in the hearts of many disciples, and traditions are carried on with the highest respect. A code of tattoo ethics, his business model, is still fiercely protected and carried on by many in Denver, Colorado and worldwide.

Some who were taught by Peter himself are now, themselves, icons of this industry as traditions are passed on through countless generations. Many Peter Tat-2 alumni carry a heavy torch. His legacy not only lives on, but continues to thrive. His legacy is always growing, setting the standards a little higher, and always striving to be the best.   

Nik Pew

Denver City Tattoo Club

3451 Larimer St.

Denver, CO 80205

@denvercitytattooclub

Jesse Blatz @darthblatz

Josh Davis @joshdavistattoos

Butchy James @butchyjamestattoos

Sky James @skyjamestattoos

Kevin Hennessy @hennessytattoo