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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie

Eddie Funk/Eric Foemmel

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Tattooing: The Life and Times of Crazy Philadelphia Eddie, My Vida Loca; Volumes 1-7 Crazy Philadelphia Eddie is one of the godfathers of American tattooing, and he is missed by the tattoo community. There are more than fifty tapes of Eddie telling his life story, so it will take some time to upload all of the recordings. Mix yourself a couple drinks, hit play, and enjoy the ride. This story is a roller coaster! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support
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This is the second half of Eddie's story about sitting in at Bob Shaw's tattoo shop in Long Beach, California. Eddie's experience at Bob's shop was a turning point in Eddie's career. Eddie used to say that when he walked with Bob Shaw, tattooers would always stop him and ask Bob questions. Eddie pointed this out to Bob, and Bob replied, "One day, E…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie had older tattooers in New York City that taught him what they knew about tattooing, and he and friends would experiment with the techniques they learned. Through trial and error, and with pure enthusiasm, they pushed themselves to be better tattooers. However, upon meeting Bob Shaw, Eddie found a mentor who helped him fost…
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This episode is a continuation of Sharon's Name Game. Crazy Philadelphia Eddie went through the ringer with his second wife, Sharon. It seems that the only place he found solace in this marriage was at the tattoo shop or when he went over the top to make things work things with Sharon. Sometimes a trip to Vegas is a breath of fresh air.--- Support …
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was always bewildered by his second wife, Sharon. Even the naming of his kids was a confusing issue, and that was just the surface of the problem. Pandora's box was merely a perplexing puzzle compared to his marriage with Sharon.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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At the cashier's cage at most casinos in Las Vegas, there is a pamphlet titled, When the Fun Ends. Crazy Philadelphia Eddie and his friends definitely tried to beat the odds at the ponies and the tables. The sporting life introduced him to a lot of interesting characters like Bernie. Bernie wrote a book called, Green Fever. It was never published, …
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was always one to defy the courts or buck the system. In this episode he packs up the family and heads west to keep everyone together. Exploring San Francisco, he meets Lyle Tuttle for the first time. I imagine they are both having drinks right now at some celestial bar. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was in his element in Chinatown. His brothers-in-laws were boxers and jockeys from South Philly, he was among a group of gamblers, and there were I creative hustlers hanging around the shop that kept his social life interesting. Eddie was in the center of the sporting life in Philly, but it was exactly the opposite at home.…
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As Crazy Philadelphia Eddie continued to establish himself in Chinatown, he reached out to the younger tattooers that showed promise. He was in a position to offer young kids a job just as Max Peltz and Brooklyn Blackie broke Eddie into the business. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie explains that he expected sabotage and covert attacks from the enemies he kept at a distance. He could never prove anything, but he could speculate who was the source of his aggravation. However, if his enemy was in his intimate circle, the attack was right in front of him and very close to the heart. This time it was point…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie takes a short respite from his Chinatown stories to reminisce about his Coney Island and 8th Avenue shops. His grandmother used to tell him that life was a roller coaster. Eddie's life was a bit more. It was a roller coaster, a casino, a carnival, and an amusement park wrapped into one. If you really listen to what Eddie is…
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Sharon becomes Eddie's girlfriend, and the chaos that ensues was a vexing tornado that left him confused on many occasions. Coupled with the city's desire to gentrify skid row, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was a pirate in uncharted territory....again.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie's loyalty to friends was steadfast! If you were a friend, he would assist you in any way. However, if someone messed up a sure bet, cheated him, or did not keep their word, he would put steady pressure on a person until they moved. Dracula was brought in on a deal, but he got the message, "It's time to move on!" --- Support…
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When a deal went bad, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie would ask some questions, check things out, and kick you to the curb before you could drop out or fade away. If the laws didn't make sense, he knew they could be changed, but at a cost. In this episode, Eddie demonstrates that he was not afraid of conflict or consequence. That was his character, which …
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If there are laws and rules, there are always ways around them. If you understand them, all you need is a plan to get around them. Crazy Philadelphia Eddie had a keen understanding of the laws, and he had a plan. One doesn't become a legend by being a fool! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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In this episode, Eddie is still grinding through his first winter in Philadelphia. In a city just as cold as Chicago, he finds himself among some new characters. These meager months give rise to occasions to make new friends and reach out to old ones. Old or new, the bottom line is the hustle to make a buck. --- Support this podcast: https://podcas…
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As of posting this episode on January 22, 2019, the winter has its grip on the North East. I have read that some areas have single digit temperatures. Flights have been cancelled, schools have called snow days, and cities have tried to keep roads open. All of these winter occurrences put Eddie's winter rationing into perspective. He used to say, "W…
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This is a short episode, Eddie invites one of the many characters from State Street, Chicago to the Chinatown shop in Philadelphia. Eddie was always surrounded by an entourage of eccentric people. Hell, if you are listening to this podcast and plan to follow it to the last episode of the final volume--No. 7--you might be considered unconventional. …
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After a decade of struggle and tattooing around the country with the hope of finding a place to work without the constant threat of being shut down, Eddie arrived in Philadelphia. Among the bums, prostitutes, and grifters, Eddie set up shop. It was the start of his legacy and empire. Volume 1 is the back story to entire story that is about to unfol…
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This is the last episode for volume one. Crazy Philadelphia Eddie always new the value of respect, keeping your word, and being a solid guy. When he got in a jam in Chicago, his friends where there to help. Eddie told me often, "Your reputation will proceed you. Make it a good one!"--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/e…
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I once had dinner with the late Dixie Evans, who was burlesque royalty. You can see one of her acts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfGdM9ccr_c. I asked her if she knew Stormy Angel. Her eyes lit up, and she said, "I have not heard that name in years! How do you know her???" I explained that Eddie had dated in her Chicago. Dixie said, "Stormy…
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After his plans collapse at home, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie cut his losses and left for Hawaii. With plenty of sailors, beautiful women, and a mild climate, the appeal of the islands seemed more inviting than a cold, meager winter in New York City. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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Although Eddie was content working in Chicago, the allure of the islands was a persistent temptation. The other tattooers were getting ready to jump ship for warmer climates in California, and Tommy was ready to board a plane for Honolulu shortly after tattooing a Hula Girl on Eddie's back. This short episode charts a coarse for Diamond Head on O'a…
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The State Street that Eddie describes sounds like paradise: burlesque clubs, bars, tattoo shops, arcades, and reasonable hotels. He was always drawn to the action that was just over hill or around the next bend. He found it at on State and Main. It was burned into his memory like a neon sign. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com…
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After Eddie's trip north to Montreal to find a place to work, he heads to Chicago. The job interview, if you want to call it that, would only happen on State Street during that time and place. Accepting the boss's offer, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie finds himself in the good graces of an influential Chicago gentleman. --- Support this podcast: https://…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie believed that he was a pirate in a past life. The freedom epitomized in the Pirate's life seemed to have never lost its appeal to Eddie, and he always seemed to know when it was time to leave the harbor. This served him well when New York City instituted a ban on tattooing. In this episode, Eddie explains what happened in t…
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I have a friend whose grandfather's mental state had slipped a gear. He was sharp, but his concept of time and place was shot. Even if he had not left the house for a week, when you asked him how he was doing, he would say with a smile, "Great! I just got back from playing cards at Caesars Palace with the boys." In his mind, he was always coming ho…
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Traveling the highways of America, Eddie used to tell me about his family members. He told me that his grandmother lived during the advent of the automobile, and on family vacations she would say in amazement, "Eddie, look at all of the cars." Every once in awhile, on the road as an old man in his seventies, Eddie would reflect and kind of mumble t…
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If you stand in front of the door between the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and the Shooting Range at 1208 Surf Avenue, you are at the epicenter of a bloody rumble that broke out between the tattooers on Coney Island and Big Mike.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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In the first segment of this episode, Eddie takes you uptown to his shop in Manhatten by Madison Square Garden. He also brings you down to the Bowery, filled with bums, but an important location for East Coast tattooing before the ban.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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Crazy Philadelphia Eddie befriended Dominick Cianci and Lou Rubino in Coney Island. This was the beginning of a friendship that lasted sixty years. Their adventures in Rockaway Beach quicklyattracted the attention of the cops.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eric-foemmel/support…
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