“Tina is a slut” – Mark
The message is clear, “Stay away from Tina” or “Go find Tina.” The message was not clear. I was only 8 years old when I first read this message on the Cazenovia slants in South Buffalo. I didn’t know Tina. I didn’t know what a “slut” was. One thing was clear though, Tina was a slut.
Before Facebook there were the Cazenovia slants. The slants are two mile-long concrete canvases holding the Cazenovia creek at bay and housing all insults, spread-eagle naked lady stick finger drawings and “first initial-last initial hearts first initial-last initial” offerings. And, just like you do with Facebook, when you had a problem with someone, you “posted” it on the slants. Someone thought Tina was a slut and let South Buffalo know about it.
I always wondered why Tina would let that message stay there. Could she not afford the 2 dollars for a can of spray paint to cover up this salacious slander? Could Tina not hop a fence? Maybe Tina was proud of her title. Maybe Tina painted it in the first place.
I got my answer the other day when I noticed the “Tina” in “Tina is a slut” painted over to reveal that “Mark” is now the slut. For over 20 years, Tina was the slut. Now Mark is the slut. South Buffalo must be reeling.
I thought Tina was the slut.
Tina must have finally had enough. At first, being a slut was cool. Who doesn’t love a slut? But we all know that Tina just wanted Mark to pay attention to her. Tina and Mark had a roller-coaster relationship. They met at Buzz-N-Bee on Seneca Street. Mark had just gotten his haircut at Tony’s and noticed Tina talking to some dude wearing jams. He got mad and went into Whoppel’s Hardware and bought the can of white paint, waited until his parents fell asleep and then hopped down from the Stevenson Bridge to let Tina have it.
Tina ran to Hillary Park the next day to ask everyone drinking on the train trestle who painted ‘Tina is a slut’ on the slants. Someone eventually ratted Mark out. Tina found Mark at a Timon dance and yelled at him. They made out. They got married and had a couple of kids. Eventually, Mark got lazy and started playing too much Madden so Tina hopped the fence near the Stevenson Bridge to let Mark have it.
That’s their story. Tina and Mark are sluts.
This story doesn’t explain who “Leathernuts” is or who wanted to welcome him home. Who was Leathernuts and where did he go? I always imagined Leathernuts was a War Hero who got too much sun.
Things just weren’t the same without you, Leathernuts.
The slants are like the “Thousand and One Arabian Nights” of South Buffalo. They’re also a great place to smoke.
Greg Bauch is the author of ‘Frank Dates.’
The first name “Tina” is still visible in your picture, faded, yet untouched. Tina’s last name however (Janik), has been altered. No matter which side of the crik you grew up on, everybody knows that “Tina Janik is a slut”. Nice story, very nostalgic.
Loved this post. I grew up on Tudor Boulevard in a section of South Buffalo that is technically West Seneca, or rather in a part of W Seneca that in my mind was sort of an annex to South Buffalo. I actually know who painted, with can of black house paint and brush, the phrase “Keith Moon Lives” on the side of the Abbott Road Plaza. I can also say with certainty that a great friend of mine, the late Barney Kane, once spraypainted “Boss Is God” on the Slants. What can I tell you the guy loved Springsteen. In the early 70s, over a railroad trestle on Potter Road near Potter Road School there was written “Pink Floyd” and as a kid I assumed a delicate boy named Floyd was getting humiliated. In 1980 the Wall came out and all was clear. Again, your post was much appreciated.
Don’t forget the circa 1991 modification of the “Keith Moon Lives” graffiti to “Keith Moon Lives…AROUND HERE”.
While I don’t recall who Leathernuts was/is, I do remember when that was painted and that the occasion was his return home from the service.
I’am the one who was dating Tina Janik all through the 80’s, and towards the later part of the 80’s i had found out from friends that , thats all she was doing was cheating on me ! So one night, me a a few friends got some beers and i had a gallon of paint and i painted that on the slants ! Yes because man i was pissed off ! And i want6ed all of South Buff to know it ! Actually that was painted on there real good and stayed on the slants for years and then it started fading from the winter months ! And around the 1990 she met some guy Mark and in 93 married him ! A friend that lived almost across the street from her went on Seneca St and tracked me down and said man Tina is getting Married ! And he found me at Buzz N Bee ! he bought a case of beer and we cruised back to his house, and low and behold when we pulled up, there was a Limo and her in a wedding dress ! She seen me, but i just looked at her when i got out of the car and shook my head and looked at her and we went into my friends house and that was it ! And watched out the windows ! I didnt start nothing ! Just hurt deep down a girl ya dated the almost entire 80’s and towards the end, she was cheating on ya and actually married one of the guys, she cheated on ya with ! As far as i kniow the guy’s name was Mark, no last names ! And what i heard, down the road they got divorced and she got everything ! Well thats what was told to me ! But i remember that night very well painting that on the slants ! heck we were young back in the day ! That was around 88-89 when i painted that! Do you all remember music notes painted on the slants as well, them were mine too ! But alot of painyed stuff on the slants back then, but that was my wierd way of showing how i felt ! At that time ! ehhehehe I could write a book about all this and Tine, but thats all history now ! Bernie M
Mark? Leathernuts? Could it be Mark Leatherbarrow? I defintely say YES!
The only things i ever painted on the slants were ! (Tina Janik is a slut !) I dated it to, but that wore of ! Around 87-89 ! (Bernie Migas loves Tina Janik ) ! around 1986 ! I also painted (2 music notes) towards Princeton st ! on the slants around 87 ! Then down by Tina is a slut ! I also painted (Bernie Loves Kelly) , around 93, then Kellys x husband seen it and painted over it ! Bernie Loves Billy, right after i painted it ! That i wasnt to pleased with ! hehee And i quickly painted that out ! And one more ! (The Hankster) ! For my friend Hank. And my neighbor Jim N painted (Jim loves Dawn forever) ! right next to Bernie loves Tina in 86 . Jim and i painted them 2 at the same time Thats is all the artwork i ever painted on caz slants in my day ! I dont know who pained Mark is a slut, who covered my artwork, hehehee And i dont know who painted the leathernuts thing !
A brief note ! In 1990 Tina and i got back together briefly ! And she asked me why did i paint that on the slants and could i please scratch it out or paint it out ! Told her i was sorry but you cheated on me to many times, and maybe i will take it off ! Mind you, i know she was still seeing Mark on the side ! We got back together for 2 weeks and she left me for Mark again ! I knew her only reason coming around was to get me to take that off the slants. Well, i left it on the slants, and she was lucky i didnt go back and brighten it up more ! ehhehee A Few of us still wonder what Tina is doing these days !
Mark Leatherbarrow as in “Leathernuts” is my husband, and he just read this and is still laughing!!! LOL Great story BTW! 🙂
Bernie Migas, Buffalo’s blue collar “Banksy”.
That Be Me ! heheheee
Cool, at least we know now about the Leathernuts ! Too ! ehhee
Oh and here’s Tina’s wedding thing from the Buffalo New ! May 8th 1993 !
Mrs. Macris May 8th 1993 Buffalo News !
The wedding of Christina Janik and Mark K. Macris took place Friday at 4 p.m. in Infant of Prague Catholic Church, Cheektowaga.
Monsignor Angelo M. Caligiuri performed the ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Janik of Oschawa Avenue. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Macris of Cheektowaga.
A reception was given in Dubel’s Restaurant. After taking a Hawaiian cruise, the newly married couple will be at home in Cheektowaga.
The bride was graduated from Alfred State College of Technology. The bridegroom is a graduate of Erie Community College and Buffalo State College.
Me and my friend Mario did a few small paintings on the slants. Mario did a big baby blue heart saying “Mario and Danielle” as I watched out for the patrol units on the Seneca side of the slants so it could be seen from the Abbott road side, as she walked home from Mercy lol…. Those were the great days of the late 80’s and early 90’s. but I still remember laughing telling him it wouldn’t last cause he was using interior paint he stole from his dads basement.
I had two friends who became cops, they were brothers, i wont mention names ! But they stopped when i was painting that on the slants, and all they said was, so Tina really pissed ya off Bern ! I said what you think ! Well paint away, we didnt see ya’s ! hehehehehee Great to have friends in hi places ! ehehehee
Wow nostalgia not !! Bernie grow up. Tina was my friend back in 1984 I’m actually looking for her so Tina find me : ) I’ll be in Buffalo this weekend. So Bernie karma is so cool isn’t it you sound so lonely no wonder she dumped ya hey in your next life try and be kind so ya don’t end up a creeper again !!! Peace
YO Marty ! Stick it up your , you know what ! J/K ROFL Sorry, i wasnt the lonely person ! She had that coming to her what i did ! I dont think you even know 1% of everything that was happening, but me and alot of my friends know exactly the crap she was pulling ! And the stuff i had to personally deal with cause of it ! But trust me being a musician, i was never lonely. Just kinda funny each time i would move on after she broke up with me, and i would meet someone else, she would come back into the picture and just keep making a mess, with whoever i met, after everytime she always broke up with me ! More or less i think she just couldnt stand the fact that i would move on and meet someone else, and she wasnt being worshipped on her pedastal ! Cause it seemed that everything had to evolve around her . Man all i wanted to to do was get on with my life without her, which at the time was tough, cause here she would just bop back into the picture, cause she couldnt stand me being happy with someone else ! And this happened to many times, more than i could count ! So i think, she is the one that had the growing up to do ! NOT ME ! Marty, like i said, you dont even have a inkling on what all the true stuff was all about ! Boy i could write a book about her and the shit that went on ! But heck it’s all history and was the younger days ! But i would never change what i wrote on the slants. Cause after all the stuff i did find out about her towards the end ! Man i feel like i slept with half of WNY, cause basically thats about what she was doing in the end ! Thankgod she never gave me ant STD’s back then ! So i’m a CREEPER ! I think it’s the other way around ! Hope ya do find her ! Cause i know for a fact she will never admit too what i’am writing on here ! She never admitted back then niether to all the stuff she was doing to begin with ! And Karma ! I highly doubt it. ! PEACE
Cannot believe this post just from a historical point of view. I went to St. John’s Catholic church, immediately adjacent to Caz Park. We lived on Chamberlain drive and my grandparents on Durstein., all off Seneca Street. I subsequently went to Bishop Timon in 1968. I just never see anything about South Buffalo so I had to comment. Believe me, the Jesuits at Timon used to beat the crap out of me. Never told my parents because that would only mean another ass whipping.