october, and the temperature is 90 degrees, the miami sun seems almost angry. i am throwing back a cuban coffee when this super shady character catches my eye. the lightning bolt tattooed on his cheek arrest my attention and says that tattoo is either self inflicted or received in prison. the blur and fade of the aged tattoo doesn’t reduce it’s dramatic impact one bit. judging by the tattoo’s condition i am guessing it is at least 25 to 30 years old. Unlike today, a facial tattoo in those years was totally unheard of. Only the hardest of the hard would walk with that type of statement.

i down my coffee and burn my throat. Rounding my heels i on the move, i have to meet this guy.

Miami Pete is the mans handle but his filthy yankees hat declares his origin of birth. A home the Pete can neverseem to find his way back to both physically or emotionally.

A petty thief and drug dealer working the streets of Miami is a tough job. A job that is written like a road map all over Pete’s face and body. The story of this mans life spreads across his flesh in jagged ink.

as a veteran of the tattoo world i have come to understand that some tattoos have a much more intense stories than others. One look at Pete and i new the depth of his story could fill a well.

At 53 Pete displays a sharpness that only hard living can create. the flash in his eyes warns me to keep my own two eyes on him at all times. Staying with in arms reach ofPete could be volatile. My camera gear was easy to hock and it was clearly on his mind. i am scanning Pete’s clothing for a weapon and the two of us are playing a gameof intimidation that is the wolf in everyman who bothers to acknowledge it. A very experienced grifter Pete is off the worlds grid and i am clearly on his turf. if i want this story, i got follow Pete down his rabbits hole.

we shook hands with a firm grip and i introduced my self. the sour smell of whiskey spread across my face as Pete said hello. i quickly noticed a tattoo that looked military on his forearm as we were shaking hands. i placed the tattoo on his forearm as vietnam era. Pete seemed impressed and said he did his time in hell. i thanked him for his unmentionable sacrifice to preserve my freedom.