Meet Marco Cerretelli | Tattooer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marco Cerretelli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marco, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the fact that I’ve always been true to myself and to my beliefs when it comes to the art of tattooing. If you learn the trade the way you’re supposed to, and if you dedicate yourself to understand the true meaning and the value of it, you then possess the recipe for success. If you mix that with almost 30 years of experience and an excellent customer service… Well, then you really got what it takes to be on top of your game.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been a tattooer for almost 30 years. I’m originally from Italy and I moved to the US in 2002. I started tattooing in 1992 when I was in the Italian army, building my own tattoo machine out of a Walkman motor, a toothbrush, a pen, and some guitar strings. At the end of my service, I realized that tattooing was a huge part of my life. My passion was so deep that inevitably turned into a career and a lifestyle. In those days though, tattooing wasn’t as mainstream as it is now. It was still part of an underground culture, a profession that wasn’t reputable or normally accepted without any type of stigma. Those days were challenging but not as much as the days that followed my arrive in America. I came here after graduating from the Academy of Art in Florence, barely knowing any English just carrying a big suitcase full of dreams. It was hard, but perseverance, dedication and love for this amazing Art, helped me overcome all the obstacles. Now I found myself here, 18 years later, with the same suitcase but now full of experiences, success, achievements, a ton of friends, lots of love, a beautiful family, and everything I was dreaming about. All this to say that, your Passion and perseverance can take you anywhere you want, and if anyone tells you different… Give them my number, I’ll tell them my story.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d take them to: Eating Definitely IN ‘N’ OUT in Hollywood, Barney’s Beanery, Settebello pizzeria in Pasadena, DeSano pizzeria in Hollywood, Jones Hollywood restaurant, the Farmer’s Market, all the Food Trucks on the streets of LA. Visit Griffith observatory , MOCA, LACMA, farmers market, Arboretum, Olvera street, the Beaches, Hollywood Bowl, Home Depot..

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to all my customers throughout the years, because without them I wouldn’t have been able to do what I love. I also want to dedicate it to all the tattooers and all the people that inspired me and helped me be the artist and, most of all, the man I am today.

Website: marcocerretelli.com
Instagram: @marcocerretelli
Facebook: Marco Cerretelli