Why This Dartmouth Man Tattooed Two Nightclub Logos on His Arm

It's not often that you see business logos tattooed on a person's body, but Joe Gonzalez didn't let that stop him. Gonzalez said it comes down to one word: loyalty. "I'm a very loyal guy," he said.

Plenty of people get a tattoo of a name, a date or a favorite quote. This Dartmouth man went a different route. He got the logos of two SouthCoast nightclubs permanently inked on his arms.

Joe Gonzalez, a Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech grad, got both tattoos at the same time, about 13 years ago when he was 22 years old. He decided to get tattoos of the logos for Bar 908 (The Jukebox) and Alhambra's (formerly in Westport), both owned by his friend Tom Kern.

Why Two Nightclub Logos?

"The clubs were always a place that friends got together and we all hung out," he said. "We were young, we were wild and it was a great time in my life."

A Tribute to Two Friends

The tattoos are also a memorial. Two of his close friends, Paul Olivera and Mike Gonzalez, died within the same stretch of time, and the last night the group was all together was spent out at Bar 908.

Olivera died in a car accident. Gonzalez, who everybody called "White Mike," died playing basketball at Hazelwood Park in the South End. He was 22, and it happened the day before his birthday.

"We had gone out the night before and we had hung out earlier in the day and he went to play basketball," he said. "He went out to play one more game and then he passed away." There is a monument for Gonzalez in the South End.

What Does the Bar Owner Think?

Tom has seen all of them over the years. His verdict? "He said I was crazy. And maybe he's a little bit right," Gonzalez said. "But for me, loyalty is everything."

The Dunkin' Tattoo and the Davico Tattoo

There are two more logo tattoos. One reads "Evelyn" in the Dunkin' font and colors, for his aunt, who loved Dunkin' her entire life before she passed away.

The other is the logo of Davico Manufacturing on Brook Street New Bedford, where Gonzalez has worked in metal fab for more than 20 years.

Would He Ever Get a Fun 107 Tattoo?

"It would have to be something that's known locally," he said. "And Fun 107 is, so maybe."

What local brands would you considering tattooing on your body?

I could maybe be talked into Acushnet Creamery for a lifetime all-you-can-eat deal.

Tattoos That Say You Are From the SouthCoast

Tattoos are more and more common these days. Odds are if you've got one tattoo, you likely have a second or are considering one. Also, you probably know someone with one of these common SouthCoast images on their body.

Gallery Credit: Jackson Scott