Goodfellas Rib Tatt (Gumbit Shoe Shine) Honolulu, February 2020

Adding months daily, should be current by mid February.

Gumbit Shoe Shine (Honolulu, 2020 | Tattoo by Bento)

Gumbit Shoe Shine is a tattoo I got in Honolulu in 2020, but the soul of it lives in New York City. The piece was inspired by my move to NYC, & the mindset shift that comes with arriving in a place where you have to earn your spot one day at a time.

The concept is built around the classic “shoe shine” symbol; a nod to Joe Pesci’s Goodfellas energy, where status, grit, respect, & survival are all measured in small details. In that world, getting your shoes shined isn’t just about looking good; it’s about who you are, where you stand, & what kind of life you’ve fought your way into.

My artistic translation of that idea became my character Gumbit. In this scene, Gumbit is the one getting his shoes shined; calm, composed, almost frozen in that moment of earned recognition. It represents the transformation that happens when someone moves to New York chasing something bigger; going from the person doing the work in the background, to becoming the person who’s finally seen, respected, & elevated.

At its core, this tattoo is about mobility, ambition, & transformation; a reminder that the grind can be temporary, but the mission is permanent. New York takes everything from you at first, then slowly teaches you how to take your power back. Gumbit isn’t just getting a shoe shine; he’s receiving proof that he made it to the next level.