A former prisoner and drug addict who got a swastika tattoo after joining a "far-right" army regiment spoke of his relief after having it removed. Ilario Guiducci said the ink made his life "a nightmare" and he hid it from everyone.
His now-wife Karen, 60, a teacher, was “surprised” and “very confused” as to why he had the extreme tattoo inked on his wrist when she first saw it a year into their relationship. He'd painted over it, wore a watch, and considered getting another tattoo to cover it, but he was too ashamed to go to a tattoo parlour.
He even bought his own tattooing equipment, but he did not know how to use it. And so the tattoo continued to affect his everyday life.
Ilario, who grew up in Lucca in Italy but now lives in London, admits being “a little bit wild” in his youth. He got the swastika tattoo on his left wrist in 1977 after joining the army as a cadet in Italy.
Initially, he said, he was “proud” to have the symbol inked on his skin, as his “far-right” regiment was “the best one” and he wanted to fit in. However, even though he was not the only person to get the swastika tattoo, he soon realised how “completely naive” he was.
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“That kind of regiment, it was far-right, and I let myself be blinded by what they had to offer,” he said. “We (thought we) were better than everybody – we were special people, strong, fantastic, everybody was afraid of us; that is when I got my tattoo.
"But in the meantime, it wasn’t just that. I became a user of drugs and was behaving badly, so it wasn’t really something I cared about, (having) a swastika tattoo." He said he “wasted all of (his) youth” taking drugs, and his addiction led to him facing dishonourable discharge from the army.
At the age of 20 in 1981, he moved to London where his “criminal career” began. Ilario started selling drugs and was arrested several times over the following years. In 1989, he was sentenced for possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of firearms.
He then spent nearly nine years behind bars in several prisons across England, including HM Prison Blundeston, in Suffolk, which has since closed. During the sentencing hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Ilario said he was described as a “Machiavelli of the organisation” by the judge – referencing Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher – as he was “cunning”, “lovely” and manipulative.
Ilario said that at that time, his “life was all about drugs” and so his “nasty” addiction continued, even in prison. “I became a junkie on his own; a foreign junkie in the English prisons,” he said.
“Of course, I still liked to use (drugs), and the addiction was stronger (than my ability) to just keep my head down, so the only thing I did was fight – what the army taught me – so I became a ‘mad wolf’ in prison.”
However, during his time at Blundeston, he was referred to Forward Trust’s (formerly RAPt) – a national organisation which helps people to break the cycles of addiction or crime. After leaving prison in 1997, Ilario started going to AA meetings and has “never looked back”.
He said his life changed completely and he has now been clean for 27 years. Recently, Ilario, who runs his own catering company, was put forward for NAAMA Studios’ Second Chances programme.
The initiative designed to empower those imprisoned by their ink. And his swastika tattoo has been removed.
The 62-year-old said he now feels more confident than ever. “It’s been a nightmare over the years, but I’m here and I’m looking at my arm and I can’t believe it’s not there anymore,” he said.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the swastika is an ancient symbol used in many cultures that was adopted by Adolf Hitler. It became a symbol of hatred, antisemitism, and infamy.
"For years, I have covered it up,” said Ilario. “My life has changed, it has been fantastic since it’s been removed.
"I really mean it. After my recovery, this is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
You can find out more about the initiative by visiting NAAMA Studios’ website here: www.naamastudios.com/
