Pete and Cubo's thanks you for over 40 years.

Pete Giaquinto started tattooing in 1971. In 1975, Cubo went to Pete's basement in Queens and got his first tattoo. From that point on they became friends, and then Cubo was introduced to the tattoo world. Cubo had never thought about tattooing, but loved getting tattooed. At the time, Cubo worked in Manhattan as an engineer and Pete was a full time tattoo artist. Being young and crazy (he still is), Cubo asked Pete to teach him how to tattoo and Pete laughed at him. Cubo told him to let him order some tattoo supplies, and that if it didn't work out Pete could just keep the supplies since he'd need them anyways. Pete wound up agreeing and told Cubo what to order, so he started tattooing on his best friend Donnie. In Cubo's own words, he wasn't half bad but he wasn't really that good. 

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Donnie for some reason continued to let Cubo tattoo him, and eventually Cubo got better and better and began to tattoo out of his own basement. Pete didn't really like that idea, but it didn't impact their friendship. Around this time, a 16 year old Georgie strolled into Cubo's basement and wanted to learn how to tattoo and pierce. The two eventually became like father and son. Georgie began working with Cubo from that point on.

 

 

In 1997, Cubo approached Pete to open up a shop together. At first, Pete said no. His wife at the time and friend Ronnie said "you gotta go in business with this kid, he's crazy and you're gunna make money". So all of a sudden, Pete was on board and they went searching for a location - but couldn't find anything. They never thought about a second floor shop, but one fell into their lap. They found what is now the shop, and renovated it into the perfect shop space. 

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Pete, Cubo, and Georgie went on to become some of the top tattooers in Queens, running one of the most successful and long-standing shops in the city with their skill, kindness, and generosity. Unfortunately, in 2014, our beloved Pete passed away, saddening everyone at the shop and in the tattoo industry of Queens as a whole. As of now, with the help of many people along the way, Pete and Cubo's is still successful, blessed, and grateful to have an amazing crew that we consider family and a wonderful clientele who continues to support our shop. 

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The above except was verbally told by Cubo in the Spring of 2023. Soon thereafter, in July of 2023 he passed away and joined Pete in Tattooer's Paradise. We miss you Cubo.

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