190 Main StreetEast Haven, CT203-469-9208
190 Main Street · East Haven, CT203-469-9208
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Dave Racci

Dave Racci

📍 East Haven, CT

Dave began his tattooing career in 2003, under the tutelage of Zee, himself, at Studio Zee Tattoo in New Haven. At Zee's, he also had the opportunity to work alongside Christian Demenna and Christian Perez, both of which had a great deal to do with his growth as an artist. After four years at Studio Zee, Dave headed out west, working at a few different shops in the LA area. He ended up back in Connecticut a few months later, joining forces with a friend and fellow tattooer to open up Elm City Ink. Elm City blossomed for four years, after which, Dave left, and started tattooing in a private studio for about a year. Then, as fate would have it, Darkside Tattoo re-opened right down the street, and Dave joined the crew from the opening day. Dave enjoys both black and gray and color work, and photo realism. He takes pride in being a versatile artist, being able to do just about any style you are looking for. At this point in his career, he has been taking on more large scale pieces, like full sleeves and backpieces. Dave also excels at portraits, both people and animals, as his main focus is producing photo realistic tattoos. Book your free consultation with Dave online!

Specialties

Black & GreyColorRealismPortraitNew SchoolJapanese

Tattoo Work

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Skull and clock half-sleeve in black-and-grey
Floral shoulder tattoo with fine-line poppies
Illustrative goddess and skull sleeve in black-and-grey
Blue bird with pink flowers, calf tattoo
Indian Princess

Art & Paintings

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Color oil painting of Dave's Cat Anubis

FAQ

Frequently asked about Dave Racci

Dave works primarily in Black & Grey, Color, Realism, Portrait, New School, and 1 more. View the full portfolio above to see recent pieces across each style — every image is tagged with its specific style on the detail page so you can filter the work that matches what you're looking for.

Dave works out of Darkside Tattoo in East Haven, CT. Contact information and a booking link are below.

You can also email Dave Racci directly at daveracci@gmail.com. Phone consultations are available on 203-469-9208.

Yes — Dave accepts custom design requests. Send a consultation request through the booking link below with your idea (subject, placement, size, style references) and Dave will get back to you with a quote and timeline. Most custom work involves a sketch round before stencil + ink day.

Most tattoo projects start with a consultation — in-person, over phone, or via the booking form. Use it to talk through the idea, placement, size, timeline, and budget before booking the appointment. Dave replies to consult requests within one business day.

The portfolio above shows Dave's published work on TattooNOW. For day-to-day updates and works-in-progress, follow @dave_racci_tattoo on Instagram.

Dave Racci — Black & Grey Tattoo Artist in East Haven, CT