I had finally gotten my first tattoo, now it was time to begin research to have my half sleeve done .For the next 4 years I purchased and thoroughly read every tattoo magazine available, I made notes of the names I saw.

In January of 1993 I was contacted by my attorney. He informed me that the State wished to close an old but still open accident injury case, and they were offering me a nice sum of money. Sans his fee, I stood to collect about 2,000 dollars if I was agreeable, and I was.
 
It was then I contacted an artist in New Jersey whose name and picture graced the pages of all the tattoo magazines I read. They set the appointment for a month later, seemed the artist was in Italy. They also required a down payment and that I fax a picture of what I wanted.

On the day before the appointment my excitement was such I decided to drive to New Jersey. I made it as far as the PA line when I said forget it and returned home. I then called Delta Airlines for the earliest flight the next day, they had one at 7:00am, the appointment was for 1:00pm. I too the 7:00am flight out of Cleveland and arrived at the Jersey airport about 2 hours later, picked up my rental car and proceeded to locate the studio.

 Despite a map I got lost for about 2 hours, until a kindly turnpike gate operator pointed me in the right direction. I arrived with about 2 hours to kill. I dined at a local restaurant just across the street from the studio and chatted with some very attractive ladies. They were amazed that I would travel all the way from Ohio just to have a tattoo done.

I left the restaurant at 12:30pm and headed to the tattoo studio that was just across the street. I then discovered that in order to drive across the street I had to go 6 blocks in the opposite direction and make a u-turn. I arrived at he studio at the studio and checked in.

The artist appeared about five minutes afterwards, his name was named Shotsie Gorman. We shook hands and I was informed that they never got the fax of the image I wanted, thankfully I had brought the book with me and showed him the picture. He made a copy of it and I was soon seated in his chair, his studio was even cleaner that the one in Ohio

It was easily the most entertaining afternoon I had spent in a longtime. Mr. Gorman had been all over the world on his talent, he was a never ending wealth of great stories. Finally after about two hours into it the pain was beginning to get to me. I begged to take a smoke break.

I stepped outside and fired up a cigarette. I saw my reflection in the window but refused to look at the work until he had finished. I returned to his chair and he started up his gun again. Another hour and a half passed before he asked if I wanted to watch him put the finishing touch on the portrait, and I did

 I watched in amazement as he put the white irises in the eyes, he then removed the needle from the gun and placed it in the autoclave with the others. My upper arm was wrapped in a large bandage made of plastic wrap and gauze, after it had been coated in a substance to protect it. I was finished.

Now was it was time to settle up. The cost was $110.00 dollars an hour and I was in the chair a total of 3 and 1/2 hours, I tipped him an additional $100.00 dollars. I then asked for the quickest directions to the airport, and arrived there in record time.

Now my flight wasn't due to depart until 7:00pm, it was now only a little after 5:00pm. I checked in at the airline counter for any delays, and was informed that they had a flight ready for departure, I could make it if I hustled and they would call the ramp agent and let them know I was en route.

This was pre TSA, so you didn't get hung up getting searched. I made the flight with seconds to spare. As we winged our way west I finally relaxed. It took 4 years of research, but I accomplished the goal that I set for myself so many years ago.