So in the last few weeks there have been some big exciting changes at Stay True. I took the oppurtunity this year to take my first vacation since opening the shop in 2007. Yep, the shop was running good, I was able to (or so I thought) depend on my guys to handle business, and I was looking forward to some much needed and much deserved R & R! Following the Mesa convention I took 3 weeks, where I worked on my ’65, did some projects around my house and just chilled with my family.
Well coming back to work, there was obviously some problems. Turns out one of my newer guys Eric Diciccio had been talking a lot of shit behind my back… once back though no one seemed to have a problem tattling on him. Long story short, Eric had already been on his last leg with me, for the same issue, so I basically fired him on the spot. Eric has been fired from several other shops in the valley as well, Club Tattoo, Phoenix Tattoo Co, and now us. So it wasnt surprising that I was having an issue with him after 6 months. Seems to me at some point you need to stop pointing the finger at everyone else and start looking at yourself.
For whatever reason, my apprentice of a year Stephanie Flannery took that on as a personal issue with me. When I thoroughly reemed her ass for getting out of line with me I ended the conversation with “get yer head straight, and come back next week ready to do work”. This girl had been my apprentice and countergirl for a long time, and I had a lot of issues with her being so completely unmotivated throughout her apprenticeship. She had the attitude of so many other washouts of just thinking she could come in, show up and after a certain amount of face time she’d be tattooing. Thats not how I operate. I expect my apprentices to be hungry, to have a fire burning in their belly…to be chomping at the bit to tattoo. Furthermore, I expect to see artwork being done, tattoos being watched and respect given; not only to me and my shop, but to the tradition of tattooing and to all the people that have paved the way. Stephanie definitely did not fit that bill. And maybe that’s my fault for taking on a such a young, immature girl as my apprentice. In the year that she was apprenticing she never even asked me one time when she would be able to tattoo. Instead she whined about it to everyone else in the shop when I wasnt around. I said it all the time, she was a good counter girl and a poor apprentice…
After I told her to get her head straight I left for the day. Instead of taking my advice. She was apparently so offended by the fact that I told her that she’s replaceable, that she decided to take it upon herself to pack out all of the gear I was training her with, and straight up steal it all out from under my nose. This is stuff that civilians can’t get..you need to be a licensed shop to get the best equipment and I was training her on the best stuff. A Next Gen machine, Eikon power pack, bunch of tubes, tool box, a bunch of reference books I had let her borrow, she was even so hateful that she took a painting off my wall she had given to me! I charge 5 grand for my apprenticeships, any equipment bought through my shop is property of the shop until graduation, at which point it’s all given to my apprentice as a gift to start off their new career. This is not only an industry standard but I have 3 other former apprentices who know how this works.
As with all my other apprenticeships, I had Stephanie sign a contract. This contract states that regardless of termination or graduation 5,000$ will be paid to me. It further states that any and all equipment used in training remains the property of my shop until graduation..including but not limited to; any tattoo gear used, any paintings done under my guidance, any books lent for studying etc. I gave her several oppurtunities to rectify the situation. She had paid me enough money at this point that I would have let her walk. I would’ve just taken my tattoo equipment back, the one painting that she gave me, and let her bounce if that was what she wanted to do. Being the complete coward that she is, she has completely ignored any and all attempts that CJ and I have made to get my equipment back. So on July 15th I filed a police report.
I have since found that according to AZ statutes, that anything stolen with a value over 300$ becomes grand theft. She is looking at best case scenario a Class 1 misdemeanor, worst case a class 6 felony. It carries a minimum of probation but a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail!! The decision she made to throw away the last year of her life, is obviously the actions of a irrational litle girl, as opposed to a level headed adult apprentice who wants to have a future. Its one thing to piss away a year of apprenticing under me, it’s entirely another to throw away your future over someone else getting fired and some gear and a painting.
Stephanie is a THIEF, she has zero loyalty, zero respect. I don’t know if she thinks I’m bluffing or that if she ignores this it will go away but she has another thing coming. I have been absolutely left with no other choice but to let the legal system handle this. I do have the resources and means to prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law, not only in a criminal court but beyond that in a civil court. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she’s punished to the fullest extent of the law. I have told all of my shop owner friends about the situation, and she’s being labeled as a thief throughout the industry. This is my city, this is my industry and I will do whatever possible to protect it and keep her out of it.
There is a reason that apprenticeships take an upwards of three years, there is a reason why they are difficult, I will give nothing….everything must be earned. Thats to instill a deep sense of pride in what we do, whats been paved by others before you and whats been accomplished when graduating. Don’t think it works? Take a look at Siege, my first apprentice, who now after four years in the business is killing it…Siege started tattooing at 5 months because he wanted it, and now after 4 years he has been an extremely successful artist who when compared to others with the same time in there is absolutely no contest!
Anyway, this is to inform all my loyal clients that Stay True is fully rocking,and looking with excitment to the future! It takes a lot more than some petty shit like this to ruin my day! I have regrouped and formed an amazing team of artists. My crew is made up of Me and my right hand man Siege, Rob a great up and coming artist and Army veteran I have known for years, Chris a great all around tattooer and 8 yr veteran of the business, and Mikey a former apprentice of mine who has already put a year in and has been waiting eagerly for a chance to be back on the team. As always, we are proud to be one of the best custom shops in the valley..we have the gnarliest, most loyal clients, who we look at and respect as family. Come out to Hell city and rep your Stay True swag! We look forward to working with you, and I will keep everyone posted on the Stephanie criminal case it moves forward!!
Stay True Por Vida!
Brando