Among the famous graffiti artists from New York City’s 1970s subway era was an unassuming talent from the unassuming borough of Queens. The Italian-American rock and roller who wrote DON 1 MAFIA blasted onto the scene like a meteorite out of nowhere. His influence on this art form transcended the inner city and he became a legend and a household name. But his descent from the top of this name game, a result of the hedonistic lifestyle of New York City at the time, was just as swift, and for years DON1 has lived in obscurity. Fortunately, as a photographer studying at the prestigious school of Art and Design, DON1 documented his iconic work, along with that of his well known contemporaries, using his trusted 35mm camera. This penetrating work takes the reader inside the supernova that was DON1’s creative life with nearly 200 never before seen graffiti photos of the most undocumented NYC train lines and an even rarer glimpse at work from his black book.
Here’s a look at one of the old-time insides kings – SplitCity, TPA, in his glory.
Split was a partner of JOEY TPA. He occasionally ran with Fuzz 1, Conan, Demo, Cey, Roger, and Chino 174.
Split rocked the 7’s in the 70’s and eventually took over the insides, tooling away while Joey and Demo rocked the outsides, also taking over the line with The Public Animals.
Looks like the old-timer still has the magic touch!
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