#oldschoolink apprenticeships tattooing tradesecrets inker tattoomachines guidelinetattoos

[theoldschoolinkstuff]

Steve “Inker” Gabriel and his mentors

L to R: Paul Rogers, the father of the modern day tattoo machine. He lived in Jacksonville Beach, FL & would come up to Ernie's shop to work for the summer. Ernie Carafa owned Guideline Tattoos in Tom's River, NJ at that time. And his shop is where that picture was taken in 1979. "Guideline Richie" Piperato & me, Steve "Inker" Gabriel.

According to Inker: “I apprenticed under Richie who's shop was in Old Bridge, NJ back then.  Even though I'd been tattooing since 1971 I was just doing the best I could with what I knew.  I had picked up a few tips from shops I was getting tattooed at in upstate NY, Washington DC, Providence, RI  & Bergenfield, NJ. There was no internet back then. No schools. No how-to books or magazines. No TV shows.  It was all trade secrets that was passed down. And if you were lucky enough to be accepted by a tattoo artist that knew what he was doing & willing to teach you or at the very least be given some crumbs, you were doing good. You had to pay your dues!”