What are some common criminal/gang tattoos?
General criminal tattoo symbols
- Tiger - power and strength
- Spider web - time spent in prison or time spent 'caught in the web' of the inescapable gang lifestyle
- Three dots - arranged in a triangle, they stand for 'prison, hospital, cemetery' - the typical path of a gang member. ...
What gang has 1 percent tattoo?
This prison gang has a variety of tattoos to look out for, ranging from ‘AB’ to Nazi symbols like a swastika or SS bolts. The Brotherhood makes up 1 percent of the inmate population, but are responsible for 20 percent of murders inside of U.S. prisons, so identifying these tattoos are extremely beneficial.
What are gang related tattoos?
The meaning of the tears is not always the same though and has evolved over the years:
- In the US, most commonly a tear tattoo means that the wearer has killed someone. This is the original meaning, originating from the Chicano gangs in California.
- It can also mean the wearer has lost a loved one or a fellow gang member.
- Sometimes the wife or girlfriend of an inmate gets a tear tattoo to show her solidarity.
What gang has a crown tattoo?
The Crips are an infamous gang based in the coastal regions of southern California, locked in bitter rivalry with the Bloods. Alongside the use of the symbol of a three-pointed or six-pointed crown, the Crips use code in a lot of their tattoos.
What gang has 3 dots on their hand?
The three dots tattoo is a common prison tattoo that represents “mi vida loca,” or “my crazy life.” It's not associated with any particular gang, but with the gang lifestyle itself. This tattoo is typically found on the hands or around the eyes.
What does a hand tattoo symbolize?
A tattoo on your hand doesn't necessarily mean anything; it can just be a style choice. However, the different hands can have significance, with the right associated with dominance, the sun, mercy, and logic, while the left symbolizes emotions, the moon, and justice.
What are gang related tattoos?
Gang tattoos mark a person as part of a street gang or a prison gang; they symbolize membership and represent the wearer's beliefs. Sometimes they also record acts of violence or even murder. Every gang has its own set of tattoos and markings.
What does a black hand tattoo mean?
Black Hand Of Death Carved on his body are menacing tattoos that that tell a life story of mayhem and murder. His most prominent tattoo is a black hand on his chest, a symbol of the Mexican mafia. "We call it the black hand of death," he says.
How painful is a hand tattoo?
Being tattooed anywhere on your hands and feet can cause severe pain. The skin here very thin, and it contains numerous nerve endings that can trigger pain when hit by a tattoo needle.
What is the most common hand tattoo?
Rose Hand Tattoos Roses are the #1 choice for hand tattoos, both for men and women. Rose tattoos are a popular choice in the floral tattoo category, period, but they work especially with on hands because of both the shape of the area, and the shape of the design itself.
What gang is 777?
777 Tattoo and Gang Culture This is called “the three sevens” or a three-bladed swastika and it's a tattoo used to identify as a member of a white supremacist group.
What does a 1% tattoo mean?
Some outlaw motorcycle clubs can be distinguished by a 1% patch worn on the colors. This is claimed to be a reference to a comment made by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in which they stated that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying that the last one percent were outlaws.
What does 555 mean as a tattoo?
Angel number 555 is a combination of the spiritual number 5 repeated 3 times. It means that you should be on the lookout for miracles.
What does a 7 and 2 tattoo mean?
So the interpretation of it is, imo, that if you see this tattoo you see a 7-2 in your hands, meaning that by meeting this person you just got dealt the worst possible hand by them. You are best off never meeting them. Follow this answer to receive notifications.
What does a dot tattoo on the hand mean?
The tattoo has different meanings in different cultures—it has been variously interpreted as a fertility symbol, a reminder of sayings on how to treat women or police, a recognition symbol among the Romani people, a group of close friends, standing alone in the world, or time spent in prison (with the outer four dots ...
What does a 22 tattoo mean?
He got the tattoo on his neck a year ago, inking the number of veterans who reportedly commit suicide each day to his neck. It was that “22” on his neck that got the U.S. Marine veteran kicked out of Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row bar in Gilbert this week.
Why are gang tattoos becoming mainstream?
Gangsta tattoos are getting mainstream nowadays, because they are idealized and popularized by rappers. When gang or ghetto tattoos are taken out of their context (the gang) they are not the real thing anymore.
What does it mean when a gang member has a tear tattoo?
The meaning of the tears is not always the same though and has evolved over the years: In the US, most commonly a tear tattoo means that the wearer has killed someone.
Why do tattoos have fuzzy lines?
Most gang and prison tattoos have fuzzy, unsteady lines compared to those of professional tattoos. That's because they are done with self made tattoo guns and ink. The ink used in Russian prisons for example was made with melted shoe soles, mixed with urine and blood.
What is a tattoo in a Russian prison?
Russian prison tattoos: tattooing was and is a very common practice among Russian inmates. Just like gang tattoos, they form a secret language that pictures all kinds of information about the wearer, such as hierarchy, commited crimes, etc. Here are some examples: Cats: a cat tattoo means that the inmate's former career is thievery.
What are the tattoos of the Yakuza?
Usually though, tattoos of Yakuza members are very elaborate and detailed, going from sleeve to full body tattoos. Hispanic and Mexican gang tattoos vary a lot, because they relate to the numerous specific gangs. One recurring image is a five-pointed crown; this is often found on the upper arm.
What does a praying hand tattoo mean?
The common praying hands tattoo that you see often signifies ‘praying to God for forgiveness’ for one’s deeds.
What do numbers mean in a gang?
Numbers and letters are important gang symbols. They indicate for example what status a member has in the group or what a prisoner is in for. Here are some examples of numbers and their meaning used by various gangs: 7: symbol for the 7th letter of the alphabet "G", stands for God or Gangster.
1. Aryan Brotherhood Prison Tattoos
Aryan Brotherhood tattoos come in many sizes, shapes and designs. All of them signify membership to the primary gang for Caucasians in prison and are often accompanied by other forms of white supremacist body art (more below).
2. Nortenos vs. Surenos
According to author Karen Kinnear, in 1968 California prison inmates were separated into two rival groups, Norteno (northerner) and Sureno gangs (southerner). This separation was based on the locations of the prisoner’s hometowns.
3. Spiderweb Tattoos
The spiderweb tattoo has a lot of different meanings but is most often associated with a criminal tattoo signifying the process of doing time in prison.
4. Latin Kings Prison and Gang Tattoos
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Javier Ramirez via Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0
5. African American Gang Tattoos
Any teen growing up in the 1990s heard about and watched films about the feuding LA gangs the Crips and Bloods. These gangs are still in operation today – however in prison they tend to band together.
6. The Japanese Yakuza
Japan’s extraordinary underworld and their distinct tattoos have been featured in more than half a century’s film and television, from The Simpsons to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill trilogy.
7. Russian Prison Tattoos
While elements have been co-opted into the US prison system, inmates from the former Soviet Union are literally walking bibliographies of crime at every level.
Finger Tattoos
Finger tattoos are often one of the least recommended placements since, in addition to being quite painful to get, they fade quite easily.
Knuckle Tattoos
While most finger tattoos have a more graceful look to them, knuckle tattoos create a much stronger impression. Due to this, they are often thought of as prison or gang tattoos.
Palm Tattoos
While not one of the most popular kinds of hand tattoos, palm tattoos make for quite an interesting choice.
Wrist Tattoos
Wrists are quite dainty and are thus a perfect placement for minimal tattoos!