Navigation
About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Templates • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images • Recent Videos

About

You Know I Had to Do It to Em is a photoshop meme based on a picture of Twitter user LuckyLuciano17k standing on a sidewalk wearing a light-colored shirt and shorts with the caption "You know I had to do it to em."

Origin

On September 2nd, 2014, Twitter user LuckyLuciano17k posted the photograph of himself with the caption "You know I had to do it to em" (shown below).^[1] Prior to the Twitter account becoming private on December 22nd, 2016, the tweet received more than 1,700 likes and 1,700 retweets.

the original tweet by LuckyLUcianok17 that started the You Know I Have To Do It To Em meme

Spread

The tweet remained relatively unknown until July 1st, 2016, when Twitter user @ExhelonWinter^[4] reposted the photo with a mock caption depicting @LuckyLuciano17k as a snobby hip hop fan (shown below).

first mock caption that started the meme You Know I had To Do It To Them

On July 7th, Tumblr user zonecassette posted an ad for the candy M&M featuring an M&M version of the television host Dr. Phil standing with his arms crossed along with the caption "You know I had to do it to em," garnering more than 4,400 notes within six months (shown below, left). On July 26th, Tumblr user queenwhiskey reposted the original photograph.^[6]

On December 5th, Tumblr user splooge-mcducc posted a photoshop of LuckyLuciano17k as the character Fred Flintstone from the cartoon The Flintstones (shown below, right). Within three weeks, the post gained over 18,000 notes.

I had to do it to them meme of the kid made into a green M&M with a mustache Had to do it to them meme of the kids as Fred Flinstone

On December 22nd, Tumblr user milkyboyhanzo posted a photoshop featuring the character Zenyatta from Overwatch (shown below, left). The following day, Tumblr user graffitidraws^[7] posted an illustration of the character Stingy from LazyTown based on the original LuckyLuciano17k photo (shown below, right).

I had to do it to them meme as Zenyatta from Overwatch I had to do it to them meme as Stingy from LazyTown

The meme continued appearing in various iterations through October of 2017. On October 1st, Twitter user @lujgi posted a photoshop of the character as the twins from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, gaining over 8,400 retweets (shown below, left). The same day, Instagram meme maker adam.the.creator ^[8] posted an image including Luciano in a "All the memes of September" collage (shown below, right).

eniko @lujgi Follow 311 20 3:39 PM-1 Oct 2017 All of September in one meme You heard of me? CURRY 30 SKRRRRA! POP-OOP SPECIAL REPORT Kylie Sonogram Shocker: Monkey Getting Haircut!* Psycho clown terrorizes innocents...Pennywise, too...J.onah u ok?...Had to do it to 'em.. Kanye's ting goes skrrra. *PS: Khloe is pregnant, too...but nobody cares

Arrest

On July 29th, Lucky Luciano launched a GoFundMe ^[9] campaign titled "Free Lucky Campaign," claiming that he was "arrested over BS" and needed money to pay for "legal costs, court fees, bail money" and a lawyer to sue the police officers who arrested him (shown below).

Free Lucky Campaign Share Tweet 10 shares I recently got arrested over BS. I was followed, stalked and detained unlawfully by officers who found trying to ruin my life. They found this funny, amusing and tormented me the entire time. I sat in jail and was given no bond, my charges were upped dishonestly, and slapped with a bunch of costs. I am making this GoFundMe for the sole purpose of legal costs, court fees, bail money, most importantly trying to hire a lawyer and suing the officers for the unfairness and horrible behavior that was displayed against me. Anything helps and you are very much appreciated. Thank you all!

That day, a link to the GoFundMe was tweeted by @LuckyLucianoOG.^[12] In response to the tweet, Twitter user @ChungMoolah^[11] tweeted a screenshot of an arrest record with charges for possession of illicit substances (shown below).

Charges Custody Charge Charge Days Count ype No Charge Description Class Court DISP 1POSSESS CNTRL SUB W/O Probable Cause F3 31B Recognizance 0ドル.00 B 0ドル.00 PRESCRIPTION/COCAINE Report # CT-Case # Date Agency OBTS Number Charge Code CRA Number HS201833106818-CF-006983- 05/13/2018 HS 2939080838 DRUG2102 HS18014154 Remark RR J/WOLFE 060118 e Custody Charge Charge No Charge Description Class Court DISP Bond DaysCount ype Probable Cause 2 F3 31B Recognizance 0ドル.00 B 0ドル.00 POSSESSION OF CANNABIS WITH INTENT TO SELL Report # CT-Case # Date Agency OBTS Number Charge Code CRA Number 18-CF-006132- 05/14/2018 HS 2939080838 DRUG2320 Remark RR J/WOLFE 060118 Fine Custody Charge Charge DaysCount No Charge Description Class Court DISP Bond Type Probable Cause 3 USING/POSSESSION OF DRUG M1 31B Recognizance 0ドル.00 B 0ドル.00 PARAPHERNALIA (DR OBTS Number CRA Number Charge Code DRUG8102 Report # CT-Case # Agency HS ate 18-CF-006132- 05/14/2018 2939080838 Remark RR J/WOLFE 060118 Fine Custody Charge Charge Days Count No Charge Description Class Court DISP Bond Type Probable Cause 4 ATTACHING LICENSE PLATE/TAG M2 NOT ASSIGNED Report # 31B Recognizance0ドル.00 B $%0.00 CT-Case # Date OBTS Number Charge Code CRA Number Agency HS 18-CF-006132- 05/14/2018 2939080838 TRAF5040 Remark RR J/WOLFE 060118

The following day, Twitter user @queggsi^[10] tweeted out a screenshot of a now-deleted Instagram post showing Lucky Luciano's mugshot (shown below). The tweet was subsequently deleted. Meanwhile, Facebook ^[13] user JG Brown posted the mugshot along with arrest record screenshots.

luckylucianoog Sheriffs Office ooking Image

Where's Waldo?-Style Edits

In 2018, edits of the meme in which people subtly photoshopped Luciano into other pictures grew popular, particularly on Tumblr. There, one would post an image with captions like "he's here," leading to reblog chains of people asking "Where the f--k is he?" and similar questions. For example, one of the early edits in this style, posted by ray-winters-sings on September 20th, edited an image of some of the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate roster (shown below, left). Another edit posted by user axleheart on October 6th photoshopped Luciano into the poster for the new Halloween film (shown below, right).

dan-the-baker. SOMEONE ADD A PICTURE OF ISABELLE SHES BLONDE 0 Actually canl have five more of these little blonde bitches? I also added a super special secret new challenger but you gotta find them dan-the-baker Source: otherwindow HALLOWEEN IS COMING HALLOWEEN IS COMING

The popularity of these edits led to the creation of two blogs titled "Where the F--k Is He?" devoted to reposting examples of the meme.^[14]^[15] On October 9th, Tumblr user givemethefrenchfries^[16] compared "I’m fcukibng shakinbg where the f--k is he" to a comment akin to Is This Loss?

OSTED LAKESCINNAMON FROSTED FLAKES FROSTED FLAKES World Airlines Community Tuesday at 7:10 AM This guy found himself on an empty airplane so he took a picture of himself in every seat and photoshopped them together

Location

On @LuckyLuciano's Twitter profile, an address in Tampa, Florida is listed, which has been identified as the location of the original "You know I had to do it to em" photograph.

On July 4th, 2018, Twitter user @BrendanHersh^[18] tweeted a photograph of himself recreating the photograph at the same location (shown below).

Brendan @BrendanHersh You know I had to do it to em I traveled to 14304 Capitol Drive, Tampa, FL to recreate this iconic image. Video coming soon. 51 11:42 AM - Jul 4, 2018 See Brendan in.b's other Tweets

On November 27th, 2018, Twitter user @JeffJoseph96^[17] tweeted a photograph of himself standing in the same location as the original Lucky Luciano photograph (shown below). Within 48 hours, the tweet received more than 173,000 likes and 34,200 retweets.

Jeff @JeffJoseph96 Today I visited a historic American landmark

2024 Interview and Photo Recreation

On December 18th, 2024, the first interview with Lucky Luciano, real name Lachborne Bachraz, was published in Tampa Bay Times.^[19] The article reported that the photograph was taken by Bachraz's sister, who styled his outfit and insisted on taking the photo.

Age 27 as of 2024, Lachborne "Lucky" Bachraz said that when the meme first went viral, he felt like people were making fun of him and that he was "not old enough to know that's just what the internet does" but has since changed his mind and now feels grateful for how the meme made his life more interesting. Initially hesitant, he said he made several attempts to capitalize on the meme in the past, with the most successful attempt being a YouTooz vinyl toy made in his likeness.

In the article, a photograph of Lucky Luciano recreating his pose on the same spot in Tampa was published (shown below).