Ex-gang members in El Salvador try to undo tattoos tied to past In many countries, tattoos are simple adornment, a small sign of unconventionality. In El Salvador, however, they are usually the mark of gang members who live -- and often die -- by codes of violence. That's why the first thing some who are looking to escape the gangs' clutches have to do is erase the ink in their skin. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES