Crazy Philadelphia Eddie
By Eddie Funk/Eric Foemmel
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!
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!
Crazy Philadelphia EddieMay 21, 2019
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11:12
Volume 2; Episode 31: Las Vegas
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Sep 10, 201908:54
Volume 2; Episode 30: Downtown on the Nickel
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Sep 04, 201941:24
Volume 2; Episode 29: Side Stories and Side Bets
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Aug 28, 201918:20
Voume 2; Episode 28: Back to Philly...Again
This podcast episode was published on 8/22/2019, which would have been Crazy Philadelphia Eddie's 83rd birthday! I will be raising a two glasses for you, my good friend! We sure do miss you!
Aug 22, 201906:49
Volume 2; Episode 27: San Francisco
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie had so M e gypsy blood pumping through his pirate heart. If he had some spare supplies, extra flash, and e bit of bank roll, he would stake a claim anywhere. This time, it was San Francisco.
Aug 14, 201915:27
Volume 2; Episode 26: Wrightstown, New Jersey
Eddie was willing to explore new areas to open a shop. Some of them made a mint, some of the shops struggled.
Aug 07, 201907:47
Volume 2; Episode 25: Old Friends, New Faces
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie explains that the ground he built his business shifted on him. It is hard to compete with the oldest profession in the world.
Jul 31, 201906:52
Volume 2; Episode 24.5: Bob Shaw, Part 2
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, Eddie, they will be stopping you when you walk by, and they will ask you the same questions." If you are listening to these podcasts, I consider you a friend, and I hope that you are lucky enough to find a mentor like Bob Shaw.
Jul 24, 201912:15
Volume 2; Episode 24: Bob Shaw, Part 1
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 foster a professionalism that elevated his tattooing skills.
Jul 24, 201911:29
Volume 2; Episode 23: There's Always a Set Up
Even if everything in your life looks perfect, be very wary of the ones close to you that may want to pull the rug out from under you. When they start to pull the rug, grab your hammer and start swinging! Check for rattles!
Jul 10, 201920:43
Volume 2; Episode 22: Sharon Disappears
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.
Jun 25, 201913:42
Volume 2; Episode 21: Sharon's Name Game
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.
Jun 13, 201916:05
Volume 2; Episode 20: Bernie Bales
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, but talking with him on the phone, he told me about the time Sharon chased him around the car with a kitchen knife while Eddie stood on the hood saying, "Watch out, Bernie! If she catches you, she will cut you!!!" As intense as a wife with a knife can be, for some guys that does not usher in the end of the fun.
Jun 06, 201911:56
Volume 2; Episode 19: Back to Philly
The Greek Pantheon was graced by Zeus's three daughters: Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosyne. The daughters embodied elegance, beauty, and joy. As Eddie tells it, Philadelphia had three legendary brothers around Chinatown: the Cheety brothers.
May 30, 201904:05
Volume 2; Episode 18: California
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.
May 21, 201911:12
Volume 2; Episode 17: Philly Characters and Family Court
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.
May 09, 201915:11
Volume 2; Episode 16: Ninth and Cherry
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.
May 01, 201909:56
Volume 2; Episode 15: Race Street
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-blank on Race Street.
Apr 19, 201914:16
Volume 2; Episode 14: New York Memories
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 reflecting on, there are some real pearls of wisdom: respect those with an iron will, and don't swim with sharks.
Apr 14, 201909:24
Volume 2; Episode 13: Love and Urban Blight
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.
Apr 03, 201911:34
Volume 2; Episode 12: Jack Comes Back
Like a bad penny, Eddie could not shake Dracula. When words are not convincing, Eddie would resort to bricks, bats, and his blackjack. There are many ways to convey a message on skid row.
Mar 22, 201907:07
Volume 2; Episode 11:Sharon
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie confessed in volume one that he always fell in love easily. In this episode, he talk about meeting Sharon, who eventually becomes his second wife.
Mar 15, 201904:31
Volume 2; Episode 10: Dracula's Eviction Notice
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!"
Mar 07, 201905:13
Volume 2; Episode 9: The Magistrate
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 shaped the tattoo business for decades to come.
Feb 28, 201909:30
Volume 2; Episode 8: Old Sailor Charlie
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was always willing to let tattooers work in his shops. Chinatown on a Navy payday was packed with sailors. Eddie needed the help, and Sailor Charlie was willing to sit in at the shop.
Feb 19, 201902:16
Volume 2; Episode 7: The Philadelphia Operation
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!
Feb 18, 201907:03
Volume 2; Episode 6: Hustle Until Spring
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.
Feb 06, 201906:49
Volume 2; Episode 5: Crazy Philadelphia Eddie
Until this point in Eddie's life he was "Crazy Eddie" to all of his friends. Defending his spot, and striking his claim, Eddie added to the city of brotherly love to his moniker: CRAZY PHILADELPHIA EDDIE.
Jan 28, 201904:16
Volume 2; Episode 4: Winter's Rations
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, "We just need to make it through March."
Jan 22, 201903:47
Volume 2; Episode 3: Fat Billy
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.
Jan 16, 201903:34
Volume 2; Episode 2: New York City Supreme Court
This episode is Crazy Philadelphia Eddie's account of the trial on the ban of tattooing in New York City. Even though he and Coney Island Freddie were victorious in the New York City Supreme Court, they lost in an appeal.
Jan 09, 201908:46
Volume 2; Episode 1: The Legend Begins
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 unfold. If you like this episode and have not listened to the prior ones, check them out.
Jan 01, 201917:44
Volume 1; Episode 19: We've Got Your Back
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!"
Nov 21, 201809:33
Volume 1; Episode 18: Stormy Angel
I once had dinner with the late Dixie Evans, who was burlesque royalty. You can see one of her acts here: 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 Angel's name fit her! She would yell at mob bosses..." Sounds like Crazy and Stormy in the windy city go together very well.
Nov 14, 201805:35
Volume 1; Episode 17: The LA Layover
This is a short little episode as it was a short little layover for Crazy Philadelphia Eddie. It was just enough time for Eddie to make a new friend, find his equipment, and call friends in Chicago for a job. It's always good to have friends.
Nov 14, 201803:54
Volume 1; Episode 16: Hotel Street
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.
Nov 07, 201832:18
Volume 1; Episode 15: Homeward Bound
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was always sharp, but in Chicago he had to be wise. Never get your prints on the gun. Once that happens, it is difficult to escape, explore options, return home, or make plans for Hawaii.
Nov 03, 201815:25
Volume 1; Episode 14: Hawaiian Dreams
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'ahu.
Oct 24, 201806:15
Volume 1; Episode 13: State and Main
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.
Oct 18, 201826:20
Volume 1; Episode 12: State Street, Chicago
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.
Oct 10, 201814:36
Volume 1; Episode 11: Montreal
In the early 1960s, New York City had the authority to shut down all of the shops within the city. Realizing there were few options, Eddie left New York looking for a place to work. Montreal had a prospects that were worth investigating.
Oct 05, 201806:35
Volume 1; Episode 10: A Pirate's Travels and Legal Battles
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 the 1960s just as Health Department enforced the ban.
Sep 27, 201818:08
Volume 1; Episode 9: Copenhagen
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 home from a good time. I think that must be a great mental space to be in.
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was mentally sharp until the day he died, and he often talked about his trip to Copenhagen as a young man. It had everything a young man could want. Eddie found a country with cheap beer, bars that only closed for an hour a day, and plenty of women. Reflecting on this trip, Eddie told me, "Copenhagen, that was my city of love."
Crazy Philadelphia Eddie was mentally sharp until the day he died, and he often talked about his trip to Copenhagen as a young man. It had everything a young man could want. Eddie found a country with cheap beer, bars that only closed for an hour a day, and plenty of women. Reflecting on this trip, Eddie told me, "Copenhagen, that was my city of love."
Sep 18, 201830:43
Volume 1; Episode 8: Eddie's New Fury
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 to himself, "Grandma, look at all of the cars."
This episode is about a time in America when a person with guts, grit, elbow grease, some midnight oil, and a bit of luck could put together enough money to drive a car off the showroom floor.
This episode is about a time in America when a person with guts, grit, elbow grease, some midnight oil, and a bit of luck could put together enough money to drive a car off the showroom floor.
Sep 13, 201808:53
Volume 1; Episode 7: Back to Coney Island; Blackjacks, Hammers, and Hooks
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.
Sep 10, 201823:26
Volume 1; Episode 6: Dominick Cianci; The End of Eigth Ave; Please Leave
Business partners in a tattoo shop can be a gamble, and Crazy Philadelphia Eddie seemed to have a hunch when it was time to leave.
Sep 10, 201847:28
Volume 1; Episode 5: The Avenue; The Bowery Brothers: Stan and Walter
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.
Sep 10, 201814:16
Volume 1; Episode 4: Cianci and Rubino; Rockaway Beach
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 quickly
attracted the attention of the cops.
attracted the attention of the cops.
Sep 10, 201816:15
Voume 1; Episode 3: The Shop; Bill Jones
In this episode, Eddie describes the conditions of a tattoo shop in the 1950s. There were no appointments, autoclaves, or apprentices. He also introduces Bill Jones, a man who built tattoo equipment for many tatttooers.
Sep 10, 201812:42
Volume 1; Episode 2: One-Eyed Max; Brooklyn Blackie
The two men that broke Eddie into the tattoo business were Max Peltz and Brooklyn Blackie. Eddie often said that the presence of these two men at a pivotal time of his life prevented him from traveling the road of perdition.
Sep 09, 201818:11