NY - Thom DeVita, 85, Dies; Revolutionized the Art of Tattooing

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Thom DeVita, 85, Dies; Revolutionized the Art of Tattooing New York Times obit

There was a time in New York City when, if you wanted to get inked, you had to know a guy.

Tattooing was banned by the city's Health Department in 1961 after the practice was blamed for an outbreak of hepatitis. The ban lasted until 1997.

There were just eight or so artists who operated from their living rooms or at kitchen tables in squalid corners of the city, like the Lower East Side.

Your choice of art was limited: patriotic symbols, a declaration of love, or an anchor or other recycled image from the craft’s seafaring tradition.

Then there was Thom DeVita.

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