Middle Village Tattoo is a Queens neighborhood studio founded by tattoo artist Marco DeLuca around a simple idea: take the craft seriously, listen to people, and make the tattoo process feel straightforward.
Marco grew up in Queens and spent much of his teenage free time drawing. His sketchbooks mixed portraits of relatives, hand-drawn lettering, neighborhood storefronts, religious imagery, and details from the streets around him. Tattooing caught his attention because it combined the drawing he already loved with the responsibility of making something permanent for another person. As he learned the trade and spent years working around other New York artists, he became particularly interested in black and grey work, portraiture, and the problem-solving involved in fitting artwork to the body.
The idea for Middle Village Tattoo developed gradually. Marco wanted to build a studio closer to the Queens neighborhoods that had shaped him rather than create a destination based on hype. Middle Village appealed to him because it still felt strongly residential and local while sitting close to Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, Rego Park, Forest Hills, and other communities. He pictured the studio as the kind of neighborhood business where clients could return over the years, whether for a major custom piece or a small tattoo marking a particular moment.
As the studio took shape, Marco brought in people whose working styles complemented his own. Tattoo artist Elena Rivera developed a particular eye for fineline, botanical, and illustrative compositions, while Daniel Kim combined piercing work with the organization needed to keep a small studio running smoothly. Their specialties differ, but the team shares the same view of the trade: listen first, do not overpromise, explain the practical limitations of the medium, and give each client a clear understanding of the work being planned.
We focus on Black And Grey Tattoos, Fineline Tattoos, Piercing, Cover Up Tattoos, Portrait Tattoos, and Walk In Tattoos. Each service has its own page so you can see exactly what is involved before you call.
We are based around Middle Village and serve New York, including Middle Village, Ridgewood, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Maspeth, Kew Gardens, and Woodhaven.
Tattooing is not just another drawing job. We take time to consider placement, scale, composition, and the client's priorities before the work begins.
Clients should not need insider vocabulary to have a good tattoo experience. We explain our recommendations in straightforward language and welcome questions.
If a concept is too detailed for the requested size or unsuitable for a particular cover up, we say so and work toward a stronger alternative.
Middle Village and the surrounding neighborhoods are not simply keywords for us. They are the communities the studio was created to serve.
Meet the people who answer the phone and do the work on our Meet the Team page, or see how to join us on our Careers page.
Tell us what you want, where you want it, and roughly how large you are thinking.
Free — no obligations