Woman Sues NYC Shop Over Allegedly Botched Tongue Piercing

A 25-year-old woman is suing a New York City body piercing shop, alleging that an employee's repeated attempts to insert a tongue stud resulted in "massive bleeding" and severe injuries that necessitated a trip to the emergency room. The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on October 16.

Elsa Weingeist visited Funky Town on St. Marks Place in the East Village in September for a tongue piercing. According to the suit, employee Shamim Islam jabbed her tongue with a needle at least four times, despite assurances that the procedure would be straightforward. Weingeist's attorney, Darius A. Marzec, described the incident as "like a horror movie."

Weingeist stated she repeatedly asked Islam to stop and that he apologized for his mistakes. After the fourth attempt, she asked to see his piercing license, which she claims he did not possess. An examination of credentials displayed in the shop revealed none were for piercings and did not bear Islam's name, according to the lawsuit.

"Nobody in there had a piercing license," Weingeist told The Post. "I had confidence in him [before the piercing] because he had told me that he’d been doing this a long time."

Following the incident, Weingeist's mouth was reportedly filled with blood. She and a friend left the shop before police arrived, as emergency responders were taking too long. She sought medical attention at an urgent care facility, where she was advised to go to the hospital. In the emergency room, she received bloodwork and a tetanus shot. Doctors informed her that the healing process would be lengthy and painful, making it difficult to speak.

Weingeist, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, is seeking unspecified damages. Standard tongue piercings typically involve a single, clean insertion with a clamp and heal within six to eight weeks. The lawsuit alleges Islam used a clamp but penetrated Weingeist's tongue multiple times.

Funky Town, a fixture in the East Village for nearly two decades, has received numerous negative reviews online. One Yelp review from October 2025 noted a piercing that had not healed after eight months. Another from July 2025 described ongoing bleeding and a lack of ID or paperwork requested, with concerns about sanitation and pushy sales tactics. A November 2020 review claimed a piercer lacked knowledge, used incorrect jewelry, and resulted in a crooked, infected piercing.

A Funky Town employee contacted by phone stated that Islam had quit shortly after the alleged incident. The employee claimed Weingeist was suing for financial gain and admitted Islam was not licensed, but asserted that other staff members were. "You don't like [the piercing], take it out it's not a problem," the employee said.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York State Department of Health, and the NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.