Wilmington graduate budding tattoo artist

Sep. 4—Kim Labbiento tried to talk her headstrong daughter out of quitting college to become a tattoo artist.

Emilia Labbiento could not be swayed.

Now that Emilia is nearing the completion of her apprenticeship with a Niles, Ohio, tattoo shop, her mom is okay with the decision.

"It's wonderful," said Kim, who lives in New Bedford. "She doesn't feel like she's at work and enjoys making enough money to support herself. It's what she wants to do."

Emilia looks forward to her budding career.

"People trust you to put art on their body permanently," the 21-year-old West Middlesex resident said. "That's a top level of trust."

She has always enjoyed art.

"I was always doodling in class," Emilia said. "I started with pencil and paper."

Her grandfather, Anthony Labbiento paints as a hobby, displaying his work at Ralph's Barber Shop in Hermitage, where he worked, and Buhl Park in the Shenango Valley.

During her junior year in high school, Emilia felt pressured to choose a college or trade school. Her brothers both graduated from college. Joe Labbiento, 27, works in information technology at a bank, and Noah Labbiento, 24, is an accountant in Cleveland.

"I knew art was my passion and I needed to do something with it," Emilia said. "I actually thought I would be teaching art."

After graduating from Wilmington Area High School in 2020, she studied art education for a year at Youngstown State University. She left YSU after realizing it wasn't for her and learning about the possibility of becoming a tattoo artist.

"I wanted to take a risk," Emilia said.

Her mom was torn.

"I wanted her to have an education, but I wanted her to be happy," Kim said.

Emilia in April 2022 began an 18- to 24-month apprenticeship at 1st Order Tattoo in Niles, Ohio, and has been asked to stay on.

Tattoo shop co-owner John Cummings wasn't looking for an apprentice, but when Emilia showed up with her portfolio of artwork, that's all it took.

"The talent in the pages she showed me, I'd be a fool to let her go somewhere else," Cummings said. "She's definitely proven herself."

He noted that Emilia comes in early, gets the shop clean and gets things done.

"She's doing well," Cummings said. "She's making money and she's making clients. This is definitely a job that takes time (to master) just like any medium."

Emilia started her apprenticeship observing and moved on to drawing and working with fake skin. Once comfortable, she practiced on family and friends.

Her boyfriend Michael Medlin was her first guinea pig. Emilia tattooed a mountain range at sunrise above his right knee to go with his two previous tattoos.

"I had no hesitation," Medlin said. "I loved that it was her first tattoo. That meant a lot to me. I'd seen all the passion and hard work she put into this."

The 22-year-old from West Middlesex calls Emilia a naturally talented artist.

"She's always been good at art," said Medlin, who works for Fortune Electric in Hermitage. "I think one important fact is that Emilia is such a good and caring person. She's excellent in taking care of people, making them feel happy and comfortable."

Emilia was pleased with her first tattoo.

"I honestly think it turned out pretty good," she said. "Looking back on it now, I see my improvement."

Emilia's dad, Domenic, and her brother, Noah, also lined up. Dom got a scorpion on his shoulder and Noah got a yin-yang only with koi fish.

Emilia got her first "real" customer in January.

"I was very excited to start," she said. "I'm sometimes a very nervous person. I get super anxious, but it went well."