Now this is the kind of Jersey fist-pumping we can support!
When Carmine Testa posted video of his 7-year-old son skillfully tossing pizza to the tune of “Moves Like Jagger” on his website, he had no clue it would make him a mini Internet sensation.
"I first posted it to kind of brag to a couple friends – we all own pizzerias – so I wanted to say, 'Look what my son can do!'"
But Testa’s son Michael has gotten a lot of attention for pumping his fists into dough to the pulsating beat and throwing it back and forth to his father while it spins in the air. Testa, owner of Carmine’s Pizza Factory in Jersey City, NJ, says Michael first picked up "throw dough," the stuff they use to practice, just two months ago.
Since the video was posted on March 11, Testa and his son Michael have been featured in several publications, got a live spot on “Good Morning New York” and have more media appearances in the works.
“I bring my sons to work with me on Saturday mornings, and they’ve always taken an interest in what I do,” said Testa. “They used to play with real dough and get it all over the floor, so I decided to buy throw dough. Within a couple days, Michael was pretty good with it. It’s not that I taught him, he kind of just watched me and practiced.”
Michael told TODAY.com that he practices 20 minutes to an hour each day, adding that he wants to enter pizza-tossing competitions. When we asked how he feels about all the attention he’s getting, the pint-sized black belt, who calls cheese steak pizza his favorite pie, simply answered, “It’s surprising.”
So does Michael have a career in pizza?
Not in Carmine’s ideal world. The proud dad says he plans to help Michael enter competitions, but hopes he’ll focus his skills on becoming a veterinarian or a dentist.