NJCS 03: From Felon to Founder: The Rise of the Growfather, George Martorano
Release Date: 06/20/2025
NJCS 12: Vintage New Jersey - Interview: Using Nostalgia to Build Followers with Tom Jurkowski
NJ Content Studio Show
Five years of posting vintage photos to an audience of just his mom and brother. Then one post about ridiculous New Jersey street names like "Man Love Avenue" and "Nut Swamp Road" exploded from 20,000 views to 1.2 million overnight, changing everything. Tom Jurkowski turned his "weird, nerdy obsession" with New Jersey history into 284,000 followers by mastering what he calls "snackable history": grainy 1970s footage and then-and-now photos that trigger nostalgia across generations. In this NJ Content Studio interview, Tom reveals why hashtags still matter (controversial!), how quirky...
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NJCS 11: DarTheFoodGuru - Creator Interview: A Lesson in Charisma and Consistency
NJ Content Studio Show
The story of a food creator who slept on the floor, ditched flaky friends, and exploded from 30K to 100K followers with his wife's camera in hand, all while rejecting bots, clout-chasing, and quick cash for pure, organic joy in blowing up hole-in-the-wall spots. Dar the Food Guru shares with hosts John Bertino and Steven Picanza how his "Oh baby!" rasp and 4-second hooks crush saturated trends like cheesesteaks, turning small businesses' lives around without selling out. Creators and entrepreneurs, hit play to steal his authenticity playbook and rethink what real growth demands....
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NJCS 10: Millions of Views: Joe Perri’s Journey from South Philly to Social Media Success
NJ Content Studio Show
Joe “Lil Snuff” Perri built his brand from South Philly with humor and consistency. His viral videos of throwing a pen at a car for sale caught attention. Posting three times a day at set times helped grow his audience fast. He avoids over-editing and chasing viral trends, focusing on one-take authenticity. Controversy and negative comments fuel his engagement and motivation. You will learn: How Joe built his brand with authentic content The origin and rapid growth of his podcast partnership His approach to affiliate marketing that earned significant commissions How managing direct...
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NJCS 09: How This Food Blogger Went Full-Time Using SEO, Email & Connecting w/ Fans | Mangia with Michele
NJ Content Studio Show
Michele Di Pietro, founder of Mangia with Michele @mangiawithmichele, is a culinary professional turned full-time food blogger and content creator specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine. After a long career in food service and culinary direction, Michele launched her brand in 2017 on Instagram, posting recipes and engaging with the community, which quickly grew. The COVID-19 lockdown proved pivotal, as she authored her cookbook “Soupified” and later launched a well-structured website in 2021, which became her primary monetization hub. Michele emphasizes the importance of...
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NJCS 08: Philly's #1 Fan: Going Viral and Growing a Content Creator Business All for the Love of the Game
NJ Content Studio Show
From rowdy tailgates to viral street interviews, Philly Sports Guy has become one of the loudest and proudest voices in Philadelphia sports culture. In this energy-packed episode (the video version is broken into two parts but this audio version is all in one), hosts John and Steven sit down with the man behind the painted face to talk rivalries, rituals, and why his booming passion resonates far beyond the stadium. You’ll hear how dressing up for one Eagles game snowballed into a full-blown persona, the behind-the-scenes grind of keeping that energy alive week after week, and what it’s...
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NJCS 07: How To Go Viral With Philly Eats
NJ Content Studio Show
From oversized hot dogs to viral cheesesteaks, David Wesolowski has turned everyday meals into millions of views. In this flavorful episode, John and Steven sit down with Wez, the creator behind some of TikTok’s funniest and most relatable food videos. Whether it’s mispronouncing words just to spark conversation or filming late-night snack runs, Wez has built a community that thrives on humor, honesty, and a shared love of food. You’ll hear how a three-pound hot dog catapulted his content into the spotlight, why cheesesteaks are a guaranteed debate starter, and what it really takes to...
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NJCS 06: From Memes to Millions of Views with Andrew and Rich from Two Guys on a Plane
NJ Content Studio Show
What happens when a random plane encounter turns into a thriving creative partnership fueled by memes, storytelling, and community connection? In this lively episode, John and Steven sit down with two creators who turned a shared sense of humor and a knack for capturing attention into something bigger than they imagined. From chance conversations in an exit row to building a meme account that exploded overnight, their journey shows how consistency, vulnerability, and a willingness to take risks can change everything. You’ll hear about the highs and lows of building an online brand, why memes...
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NJCS 05: Philadelphia Entrepreneurs Share Their Journey from the Streets to Successful Businesses with P. Michael and Lenny the Boss
NJ Content Studio Show
What happens when two dynamic entrepreneurs combine community leadership with financial literacy for kids—and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo? In this energizing episode, P. Michael and Lenny the Boss, co-founders of the Real Estate & Financial Literacy Academy for Kids, share their mission to empower the next generation through goal-setting, entrepreneurship, and real-world education, all through the lens of a barber chair. You’ll hear how their backgrounds shaped their bold approach to teaching, what inspired them to blend financial literacy with cultural...
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NJCS 04: Going Viral on TikTok and YouTube in the Wedding Industry with Adriana Brauckmann
NJ Content Studio Show
What does it take for a wedding content creator to go from zero to over 50,000 loyal followers—and rack up half a million views on a TikTok video about bridal shower dresses? In this lively, unscripted episode, Adriana Brauckmann, founder of The Pre-Nup podcast and a seasoned wedding industry insider, dishes on her unfiltered journey from filming solo tips on her iPhone to joining forces with major players like Love Stories TV and David’s Bridal. Expect surprising confessions about what really works on TikTok, why the best-performing videos sometimes have zero talking, and how...
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NJCS 03: From Felon to Founder: The Rise of the Growfather, George Martorano
NJ Content Studio Show
“And that’s where I met Pablo Escobar. Pablo was sending loads [of weed] so big, he said, ‘That’s it.’ He went to planes and cocaine. And then I went to Jamaica and started doing my own thing. They had weed and nobody to sell it to. That’s the worst thing you could tell me. Because now I want you going after me.” So begins the jaw-dropping life of George Martorano, the Growfather—a man whose journey took him from teenage weed runs in a ’52 Chevy, to the jungles of Colombia with Escobar, to surviving five years in solitary fighting off rats and Somali pirates. In this...
info_outline“And that’s where I met Pablo Escobar. Pablo was sending loads [of weed] so big, he said, ‘That’s it.’ He went to planes and cocaine. And then I went to Jamaica and started doing my own thing. They had weed and nobody to sell it to. That’s the worst thing you could tell me. Because now I want you going after me.”
So begins the jaw-dropping life of George Martorano, the Growfather—a man whose journey took him from teenage weed runs in a ’52 Chevy, to the jungles of Colombia with Escobar, to surviving five years in solitary fighting off rats and Somali pirates.
In this episode, George and the founders of Little Leaf Labs (Michael Folietta & Christopher Capurso) share tales of smuggling, family secrets, and how a legacy forged in South Philly’s immigrant grit became a legal cannabis empire in New Jersey.
From near-mythic family legends—like the time his grandfather killed a priest and fled Sicily—to the launch of the Growfather brand, this is the story of redemption, resilience, and reinvention in America’s cannabis industry.
In This Episode:
- 00:00 Episode Teaser: From Medellín, Colombia to Surviving Life Without Parole
- 01:27 Introducing Little Leaf Labs and The Grow Father
- 03:28 George's Early Cannabis Ventures
- 04:54 Family History and The Grandfather's Legacy
- 14:15 Smuggling Stories and Encounters
- 26:44 The Arrest and Aftermath
- 31:05 Facing Life Without Parole
- 31:25 The Unprecedented Courtroom Drama
- 34:29 Life in Solitary Confinement
- 36:28 Coping Mechanisms and Mental Resilience
- 39:06 The Reentry Program Initiative
- 41:24 Real Life Con Air: Transport Plane Hijacking Incident
- 48:53 Creating a Website from Prison
- 52:58 The Path to Release (with a Presidential Twist!)
- 01:02:40 Adjusting to Life After Prison
- 01:04:31 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser
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