Tattoo studio struggles to stay afloat
BY TODD MAISEL
The fi rst year doing tattoos in New
York, Red Baron Ink on the Lower
East Side, suffered an immediate
set-back – Hurricane Sandy fl ooded their
new store.
Today, a different kind of invisible hurricane
is hitting their new store on West
14th Street, forcing them and other tattoo
artists to close their doors and wait this
out – COVID-19. Giselle Azcona-Lubbock
and her husband Grant are worried.
With no reopening date in sight, Lubbock
says they just want to survive. They
were able to pay their landlord 60 percent
of the $9,000 rent, but what about this
next month? They applied for SBA loans,
were approved for $16,000, but got
$2,000. They applied for employee retention
loans and received $2,000. They still
retain their manager on salary – but many
of the freelancers, part of the gig economy,
are on their own.
They are applying for the new round of
stimulus as a small business, but they don’t
know if it will be enough.
Luckily, their landlord is generous and
has cut them slack, but for how long they
wonder? So many questions: How does
a tattoo artist social distance? Yes, they
wear masks and use gloves, but keeping six
Grant Lubbock, tattoo artist runs Red Barron Ink with his wife Giselle. They
wonder if they will survive Covid-19.
State launches new text hotline for victims of
domestic abuse amid COVID-19 quarantine
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
On April 24, Governor Cuomo
announced a new confi dential,
text-based program for victims
to contact the Offi ce for the Prevention of
Domestic Violence and get the help they
need.
Due to social distancing protocol, those
who are victims of domestic violence are
more vulnerable and unsafe while isolated
at home without being able to get away
from their abuser. In April 2020, the
number of calls to New York‘s domestic
violence hotline are up 30% compared to
last year. Calls also increased 18% from
February to March 2020. The New York
State Police also report domestic violence
incident calls were up 15% in March compared
to last year.
“New Yorkers are living through an
unimaginably stressful period and we’re
seeing signs that domestic violence is on the
rise as victims are stuck at home with their
abusers and unable to access the help they
feet from their customers is impossible as
it is in a barbershop, nail salon and other
personal care businesses.
“Do people need a tattoo, a piercing,
a haircut or perfect nails to survive no,
absolutely not,” Lubbock sighed. “It is not
our intention to downplay the work of essential
workers during this pandemic. But
we do not wish to be forgotten, as we have
been there for people when they need us.
need,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ve been
working with state agencies to help address
this issue and provide more resources, and
this new text program and confi dential
online service will help make it easier for
victims to get the help they need and get out
of potentially dangerous situations.”
When people want to show off their new
tattoo or hair color, when people simply
want to look and feel good that’s where us
non-essential workers come in.”
Lubbock understands the danger at this
time, she had an aunt die from COVID-19
in a New Jersey nursing home. One of her
artists had two parents in the hospital with
coronavirus.
So she and her husband worry that
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
New Yorkers who are seeking help can
text 844-997-2121 or chat with a professional
on the new confi dential website at
www.opdv.ny.gov. The text and online
services will be staffed 24 hours a day,
7 days a week with OPDV staff who are
experts in the area of domestic violence.
while they are healthy, the 8-year-old business
may not survive. She said the closing
of 14th Street to vehicle traffi c has reduced
street traffi c to her store. Luckily, they had
put off a decision to expand to another
location – otherwise there would’ve been
two rents to worry about.
“Thank God we didn’t do that, there
would’ve been bills from two locations and
the expansion would’ve put us completely
out of business and as you know, New
York City rent is ridiculous,” Lubbock
said. “When we went looking for our current
location, there was nothing out there
for less than $7,000 a month and then you
have to come up with three months’ rent in
advance. After paying taxes we take home
about 10 percent of the earnings. But that
is the risk you take being your own boss.”
Lubbock’s husband Grant is a transplant
from California and has been working
hard to keep the business running.
That fi rst year with Hurricane Sandy was
challenging as the Lower East Side fl oods
caused heavy damage to that store. But she
worries that this new hurricane may not
be survivable.
“We cannot be open – our business is
face to face with people so it makes it really
tough,” Lubbock says. “If we can’t reopen,
we will probably be out of business and in
the street.”
Ever since New York State went on
PAUSE, OPDV and many state agency
partners have been working to pursue strategies
for putting safety information in front
of victims in places that such information
would not normally be available, including
on social media accounts of public utilities
or tax/fi nance. There are also efforts in
place to get safety fl yers with the Hotline
number hung up in essential retailers, such
as grocery stores, pharmacies and home
repair stores, among others.
“The reality is that abuse victims are
often closely surveilled by their abuser,”
Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor
and Chair of the New York State Council
on Women and Girls, said. “In New York,
no one should be at risk because they can’t
fi nd a way to make their need for help
known. The text and online confi dential
service programs we are rolling out today
will provide additional and better methods
for victims of domestic violence to get the
help and intervention they need when they
need it.”
10 April 30, 2020 Schneps Media
/www.opdv.ny.gov
/www.opdv.ny.gov
