Dena Frangione

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My cousin, Elianna, was fatally shot while sitting at a gas station. I got a tattoo on my right shoulder in remembrance of her, with her initials in the center. It’s my favorite piece. Beautiful , just like her.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

They would say that I’ve been through a lot of pain, but have also experienced the most incredible love. I have tattoos with both of my daughter’s names in them. I have some that I got to remind me of a certain point in my life. My body is the map of my life. Each piece a reminder of how much I have grown as a person, a mother, a partner and human. I would never remove anything, because I cannot erase my past. I want to add on and turn my map into art, filled with love and beauty.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use less than half to pay off some of my debt and increase my credit, to eventually buy a home. The rest will go into an account for my daughter Marianna. She was recently diagnosed with ASD, and will has had numerous struggles finding her way in life. I want to set up something fail safe, in hopes to set her up for adulthood. I want her to have financial safety so she can always continue to get the support she needs.