Prison gang symbol linked to Spurs logo are affecting fan tattoo choices, according to local artists

San Antonio is considered the motherland for members of Tango Orejon. The gang uses symbols including the Spurs logo and the Alamo to show their stripes. San Antonio is considered the motherland for members of Tango Orejon. The gang uses symbols including the Spurs logo and the Alamo to show their stripes. Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Prison gang symbol linked to Spurs logo are affecting fan tattoo choices, according to local artists 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

San Antonio Spurs fans looking to show their team pride with a tattoo are changing their ink plans because of the logo's association with a local gang, local artists say.

Laura Rosario, manager at Ring of Fire downtown, said when customers ask for a Spurs-related tattoo, artists give them a heads up.

Usually, she told mySA.com, locals are already aware of the connection and will ask for a Spurs tattoo in a less visible place.

"We won't put it on someone's neck or face or further down their arm where someone could see it and assume they're associated with that gang," she said. "We try to make sure that they know."

RELATED: Spurs, Alamo, 210 tattoos favorites of the San Antonio-based prison gang Tango Orejon

Tango Orejon, the San Antonio chapter of the Tango Blast prison gang, commonly has members ink themselves with Spurs logos and images of the Alamo, the city's skyline and the 210 area code, officials told mySA.com in a previous report.

A Bexar County deputy, speaking on condition of anonymity, said San Antonio serves as the "motherland" for the Tango Orejon gang.

"This is where they come from. Of course, we are going to have a bigger impact from them knowing that this gang is so notorious within the prison," they said.

Photos from inside the Bexar County Jail show how gang members incorporate the Spurs symbol into their markings.

Click through the slideshow above to see how Tango Orejon uses the Spurs logo to mark themselves.

Tourists looking for a fun way to show their Spurs pride often don't know about the gang association. One man from out-of-state had followed the Spurs as they rose to through the 2014 NBA championship and came in for a tattoo, despite the gang connection, Rosario said.

Since news has spread in San Antonio that gangs use the Spurs logo, Rosario said requests for the tattoos have decreased.

"We don't get very many requests," she said, adding the demand for them is higher when the team makes it to the championship.

A second tattoo shop employee who wished to not be quoted in this story for fear of gang retaliation, said most San Antonio locals already know about the gang affiliation before coming in for ink. The employee said the shop was "fully aware" there was a gang in the city that has members get a Spurs tattoo.

At Voodoo Tattoos on the East Side, part-owners K.B. Arrellano and Jackie Garcia said customers request Spurs tattoos year-round, but especially during playoff season.

However, the pair said, the logo's gang ties have changed the way fans show team pride.

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"Spurs tattoos have really decreased because of the way they are related to the gangs," Garcia said. "People tend to stray away."

Local tattoo artists instead use pink, aqua and yellow, the old Spurs colors, to create a less gang-affiliated piece, she said.

Additionally, artists will find creative ways to incorporate the Spurs into a tattoo, like adding the team's logo to an image of Texas.

"We kind of put our little twist to it," Arrellano said.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5