A Family business

  Cryptic Ink Tattoo Studio is a family owned and operated business, established in 2010, and owned by brothers, Nicholas and Erik Angelini. 

  Hard work ethic and entrepreneurship have for generations run in the Angelini bloodline. 

  Great grandfather, Ernesto Romeo Angelini, sailed across the North Atlantic ocean from Genoa, Italy to make a new life for himself in America. 

Ernesto ended up in Hazard, Kentucky, working in the coal mines.

  One of Ernesto’s sons, Marion (grandfather), owned many different businesses, from gas stations to automotive parts stores, to name a few, throughout his life in Louisville, Kentucky. 

  And, one of Marion’s sons, James (father), owned a Locksmithing business. 

  Now, both of James’ sons, Nick and Erik, continue the family tradition with Cryptic Ink Tattoo Studio.  

Our history in the tattoo industry

  Erik Angelini has been custom tattooing in Louisville Ky and southern Indiana for over 30 years. 

  Erik has tattooed literally thousands of people, creating many friendships, many “extended” families, and a loyal clientele that would follow him throughout the years. 

  Erik started his career in the tattoo industry in April of 1993, becoming an apprentice under Louisville local tattoo legend “Tattoo Charlie” Wheeler. 

  Erik crafted and honed his early tattooing skills at the original Tattoo Charlie location on Berry Boulevard in south Louisville until early 2000. 

  Erik then moved on and joined ex Charlie’s artist, Donald Purvis, working in Purvis’ tattoo shop Asgard Ink, at the time located in New Albany, IN. until 2006. 

  In 2006, Erik was approached by a close artist friend, Jason Thomas, to pursue creating a tattoo studio and oddity shop of their own vision. 

  Erik and Jason spent the next year designing and building a tattoo studio like no one had ever seen before called “The Vault of Horror”.  

  The studio design was set inside of a cave, had skeletons and corpses protruding from the walls, included a small indoor haunted maze and solid white 12’ round rooms for tattoo booths. 

  In 2010, Erik’s younger brother Nick, and Nick’s wife Leigh Ann, decided to buy Jason’s portion of the business and soon after changed the name to Cryptic Ink Tattoo Studio. 

  In 2011, Cryptic Ink was forced to relocate, so the Angelini brothers found a new location on the infamous Dixie Highway in Louisville. 

  This location was designed quite differently than the previous location, still a bit dark and edgy, including arcade games, a pool table, and plenty of seating for waiting clients, ultimately creating a much more comfortable, relaxing, people friendly environment.