Finding a reason to get a tattoo varies for all people. For some it’s a decision that’s derived from years of thought; for others it’s as simple as too many drinks on a wild weekend in Vegas. For Kristen Scirotto, it’s a decision that represents her entire life.

Scirotto, a senior social work major with minors in psychology and addiction studies, has tattooed the entire left side of her torso with a reflection of her past and a realization for the future.

Thought of by Scirotto and designed by Beau Brady of Halo Tattoo on Marshall Street, Scirotto’s tattoo is a traditional flash-style rose and trailing ribbon inscribed with the words “Scirotto Tough.”

Scirotto admits to misfortune her family suffered early in her life, and the pain she suffered emotionally and physically is represented in the placement of her tattoo.

“I wanted to get my first tattoos in the supposed most painful spots. The rose I wanted particularly on my ribs to remind myself of the soreness I felt when I was younger,” she said. “I also figured that if I can get it tatted in the most painful spots, I can handle anything after that.”

When Scirotto was 10, her father, who worked for a major insurance firm, was suddenly arrested for fraud. The event changed her life forever. She remembers living as a wealthy, spoiled girl with a lavish lifestyle before that day.

“In one day my entire life changed. My father, who was the sole breadwinner in line for a huge promotion, turned out to have embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to fund a cocaine addiction that he had kept secret from my entire family,” she said. “When it all caught up with him, he decided to turn himself in so he could rehabilitate himself and be better for me and my brother.”

The fallout from the event was devastating and flipped Scirotto’s life upside down. Her mother divorced her father and formed a barrier of hate between him and herself. Scirotto moved into a smaller house and was taken out of her private, Catholic school to attend the unfamiliar world of public school.

Scirotto’s father spent three years in prison, but she maintained a relationship with him. She felt torn in the situation between her mother and father. But her father often encouraged her to be strong, saying that she was “Scirotto tough,” a saying that stuck with her for years.

To this day, Scirotto’s mother and father have never made up, but Scirotto’s relationship with her father has never been better. Though a lot has changed since she was a little girl, her experience with her father’s addiction troubles inspired her tattoo and her choice in college major and minor.

Said Scirotto: “It was a way for me to let loose of my inner skeletons and embody my experience. Reminiscing on the events makes me a stronger person for the future; I am a Scirotto, and I am ‘Scirotto Tough.’”

Published on October 29, 2012 at 9:14 pm

Contact Ian: imfeiner@syr.edu