As Robyn and her husband traveled to Removery Philadelphia for her first tattoo removal session, she thought about the secret she’s harbored for over 30 years.
In the late 1980s, Robyn was a neo-Nazi from the ages of 17 to 19 years old. Her then-boyfriend tattooed various hate symbols on her body, leaving her permanently marked by the two worst years of her life.
Robyn’s healing journey eventually led her to Removery, where she is receiving free tattoo removal services through their INK-nitiative program. She was incredibly overwhelmed by starting this crucial step in healing, but erasing the racist tattoos that plagued her body was a necessity to truly move on.
“Some say that tattoos are a roadmap of a person’s life. Mine are GPS points from two years of my 49 years of life – two years of horror, two years of unspeakable shame.”
Read about Robyn’s life story and her road to redemption, told in her own words below.
“Traumatized from rape, incest, my mother’s death, and domestic violence, I first got entangled with skinheads after meeting a man much older than me. I had been connected to the inclusive New Wave movement in Orlando, Florida, before my dad relocated to Fort Lauderdale after my mother’s death, resulting in me losing close contact with my friends, my support system.
That older man was not an extremist, but he was a loser who I had met shortly after I was released from the hospital for attempted suicide. He was 27, and I was 16. I used to hitchhike to see him. Homeless, he lived behind an abandoned bar off Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
This relationship led to the next one, the more dangerous one, the one who would scar my life forever.”
“I moved in with Gator after knowing him for all of a few hours. I was 17, and he was in his early 20s. Although, I never saw his ID.
Before we even got involved with extremists, I endured his jealousy, violence, and rage. If a man looked at me, he would knock his teeth out. Soon, he isolated me from my friends and began threatening me with violence. I could not go home because waiting at home was a family member who was abusive. My father had moved, abandoning me to this fate.
We left South Florida as Gator faced legal trouble and used his brother’s identity with the police, embarking on a journey through Orlando, Atlanta, Birmingham, and eventually St. Paul, where we found refuge within violent white supremacist circles.
During that time, I witnessed brutal boot parties, shouted hate-filled slogans, sang white power songs, and engaged in recruiting new members. My complicity in these actions and my role in pairing punk girls with skinheads deeply trouble me, as many of them were abusive. The group’s discussions revolved around a looming race war, and they aimed to infiltrate institutions like the police, military, and politics over the course of three decades.
I even attended the inaugural Aryan Musical Festival in Oklahoma, participating in a fake wedding with my boyfriend, while influential figures like White Aryan Resistance founder Tom Metzger emphasized the need for skinheads to integrate into mainstream society.”
My boyfriend, Gator, never worked because he was on the run, so he earned money by giving tattoos. At various times, he branded me with nine tattoos including two Nazi symbols.”
“Once I tried to end [my relationship] with him, he tried to murder me. I can still see his cold, soulless blue eyes glaring as he pinned me down. His knees were on my chest and cut me with a razor blade.
Six weeks later, I went back to him. I was so far gone. I finally escaped him when the FBI caught him fleeing over state lines. Gator and other skins tried to kill a group that was similar to what you would call ANTIFA today.
I thought the FBI would arrest me too for aiding and abetting, but they didn’t. So seeing him taken away in handcuffs, I felt reborn.”
“My friends tell me, ‘you were a lost teen.’ I know now that I yearned for somewhere to belong, somewhere I felt strong, and somewhere I felt no one would mess with me.
The shame is still suffocating. None of the physical pain has prevented me from trying to use my emotional trauma as a model to help other troubled kids overcome their hardships, so they can believe that anything is possible. I have worked with at-risk kids for eight years. I am a wife, a mom, and a grandmother of three. My guilt has always kept me from truly achieving real success.”
“I have spent decades trying to heal, learn, grow, and redeem. I have attended counseling off-and-on for years, and I will likely need therapy for the rest of my life.”
“My significant trauma resulted in a diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD is the consequence of long-term exposure to trauma or adverse childhood experiences. People who suffer with CPTSD struggle with emotional regulation, self-perception, and often possess distorted systems of “meanings.” Victims can also believe there is no justice or good in the world because of the horrors they experienced.
Protective factors can assist with overcoming adversity to lead successful lives and fight disease. One of the best protective factors for overcoming trauma is a safe, stable relationship. For many, this is often a teacher or a mentor.
For me, this was my former mother-in-law who is still my friend. My protective factors ensured that I did not wind-up dead on the street, but they did not save me from chronic illness. I had early-stage breast cancer at 35, 14 major surgeries, and I live with autoimmune disorders.”
“I cannot describe the catharsis I felt as Anna began to remove my tattoos. I can now envision a future where I can wear short sleeves, no longer have to explain to a doctor that I am not a Nazi, and no longer have to see a reminder of my abuser’s fingers on me. I am ready to forgive myself and share my story. One of my best friends of 30 years asked me why I am willing to tell my story now.
I am beginning to feel free for the first time in my life. I am starting to feel as if I can finally heal that teenage girl who was abandoned and who was so full of self-hatred that she wanted to hate the world.”
Many INK-nitiative clients are seeking redemption from their extremist past, just like Robyn. Whether they’re lost, seeking refuge, or overcoming hate, Removery is dedicated to removing tattoos that prevent people from truly overcoming their past.
Removery laser specialist, Anna, shared a few touching words about Robyn’s tattoo removal journey at their Philadelphia location. “Meeting Robyn on her removal journey has been so rewarding, she has taken accountability for her past and is now owning her future.
It’s truly transformative to watch the hate and unpleasant reminders fade away in her skin. I look forward to her tattoos being completely removed so she can finally feel free from the past. She has such a wonderful and caring personality and finally people will be able to see that without a physical roadblock getting in the way!”
Tattoos can be a painful reminder of a life that we’ve left behind. Through our INK-nitiative program, we provide free tattoo removal treatments to individuals in need of erasing tattoos tied to difficult life experiences.
With over 300 Complete Removal Packages provided in 2025 alone, Removery is committed to providing these tattoo removal treatments in a safe, judgment-free environment. Regardless of your story or tattoos, we are here to support your efforts in moving forward.
Christian Picciolini, a former white supremacist and leader of The Free Radicals, referred Robyn to Removery’s INK-nitiative program. The Free Radicals aims to aid individuals through exiting hateful and violence-based radicalization.
We’re on a mission to give you the most straightforward, easy and efficient laser tattoo removal experience. Your estimate will be entirely bespoke to your tattoo; the size, the colors, the ink. It won’t take long and afterwards you’ll have a plan to finally get rid of your unwanted tattoo and get back to being you.
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