I spent over 7 years straight incarcerated in several PA prisons. I've been out since 2005 and successfully walked off 9 years of parole. What helped me, among other things, was being given a chance to work despite my record. This place is a blessing for those who are truly remorseful. Muhammad went above and beyond in giving back. I hope nothing but the best and that he can expand and perhaps other employer's take notice! Thank you Bro.
These guys are doing something positive for the whole community with the power of pizza. We need more of this across the world not just US and UK. You can never get enough pizza. Good luck guys.
Damn near got me in tears. My city. Men who look like me, clearly educated and passionate. Formerly incarcerated, but now look at the smiles, the brotherhood, the purpose, and the love! Big up!
@@drsuicide8474 no goofy. But it’s nice to see someone who looks like you and comes from where you come from achieve greatness. In a sense you know what they’ve been through and you’re happy they’re where they’re at now.
@@drsuicide8474 does seeing a black guy take pride in another black dude's achievement's bother you that much bro? there's also a word for people like you lmao.
@@TheJrzdevil they would be even better if all of them can turn their lives around like this. if we can foster a society that is able to do that, I'm all for it. but that is a big ask
I been in the pizza biz most of my life ! 35 years now and it thrills me to see Brothers and i mean Loving Men doing what they love ! Being Italian we know ! Amen love you Guys and you have the same sauce i used when i ran my restaurant for 20 years . Beautiful
The story of the pizza they make is grand enough; the story of the people who make it, is soul-reaffirming. Much blessings to the chefs and owners of this fine establishment.
True. And in a perfect World..they eventually have to change their hiring practices of hiring only ex cons.. meaning there will be NO more black ex cons for them to hire Great mission by the very good, changed men. Love n blessings to all.
@@lifeispain404 Felons in many states get paid by the government for hiring them in the first place. This has been around four decades. Get educated and do some research.
It can be I suppose. I can cut and weigh an entire 100lb ball of dough into 1,2 and 4lb balls without being off by an ounce. Temperature and humidity outside/Inside, temperature of the water, the order in which you add ingredients to the bowl, length of time it’s mixing, length of time it’s left out before being balled etc etc….ton of things going into making it right every time.
It is poetry, the gaping fall trap of anything that is made with flours is that the simplicity of what you're going to make makes it difficult to get it right. The whole talk about constantly watching the weather, humidity, salt - water - flower ratio constant adjustment, and things like this is also linear to how the Japanese make their udon, because it's so simple the ingredients, method and ratio should be right, these men by all means are poets that etch their work in their dough.
The amount of passion he has for his work and his drive to strive for better is so refreshing. No matter what you do, do it with passion and always strive to be better. Godspeed with your journey! We are proud of how far yall have come ✊
"They get to be the best versions of themselves because they're being themselves." Corporations struggle with this concept. There is so much to love about this video. I would watch a series on this location, I didn't want the video to end. Captivating story, captivating storytellers making real change.
This is the kinda change we want to see, the kinda initiatives that people like Muhammad Abdul-Hadi bring to the people, and we love to see it. I would love to fly over to the US just to try this!
Well said! I am also here to learn how to invest after listening to a lady on tv talk about the importance of investing and how she made 7 figure in 3 month, somehow the video taught me nothing and left me even more confused, I'm a newbie and I'm open to ideas on how to invest for retirement
@@rajeshupadhyay5683 lookup Priscilla Dearmin-Turner, this is her name online, she have been our real investment prodigy since the crash and have help me recovered my loses
This is one of the best stories I’ve watched in years. First, I’m a home made pizza guy. Everything. The dough. The cheese. Tomatoes. All from scratch. I know good pizza. These guys are next level. I’m fascinated with their story, their passion for a superior product and their drive to change perceptions and lives. Kudos.
Never thought about the corrections system needing to recycle people to maintain itself. And to be incarcerated for 27 months on a six month bit just because the officer wouldn’t/couldn’t show up is a travesty. I hope they expand to own the PHL pizza market. How they’ve remained so positive in light of what each of them has been through is mega-inspiring.
Kaleif Browder. Not exactly the same story but he was locked up without a trial for years. Spent about 700 days in solitary confinement and eventually took his own life.
Imagine how often this happens. It's truly disgusting. We need more federal regulation in our prison systems (or overhaul the whole system) to prevent these tragedies.
It wasn't a private prison it was a state institution ( steel hotel) They need them at full vacancy to emply these middle of nowhere towns that otherwise have no industry
The fact you also provide their own room, their own apartment. Its simple you’re a humble group of guys and this story makes me proud to be an American along side you boys. Sending positive vibrations your way. I’ll add this spot to the list and make sure to grab a couple pizzas when I’m in your neighborhood! Cheers!
Currently feeling down on myself but seeing so many smiles and good stories knowing all these brothers had way harder times being incarcerated made me appreciate life and this video even more. Keep working hard guys we never got a handout!!
This is the best video I have seen in many years. These guys, smiling loving what they are doing, keeping their sense of humor about life, about giving, love and pizza. Man, I wish I was there to give those guys a big hug, and eat some of that pizza!
This is so heartwarming to see these men given a chance and watching them take the baton and run with it. I hope anyone working there sees this and knows I am rooting for them no matter what. Keep it up!!
Great story! I'm from West Philly and proud of my roots. Love what you are doing- so proud of all of you.. Just received your first newsletter and information on the foundation!
It's an overnite shift? So there's fresh pizza in the....morning? I'm confused. They sell pizza first thing? What about dinner & late-night orders? 🍕🥖🍕🍕🍕
@@rethinkcps2116 as someone who worked at a bakery, I remember all the actual bakers always came in overnight to prep the dough so it was ready for the next day, then the rest of us would come in and another baker would start baking stuff off in the mornings into the early afternoon. Probably they have a night crew that preps all the dough to proof for the day and during the day they just have to do the baking and toppings.
@juho5282 American pizza is what you see on the video. a recepie varies from country to country. this one has nothing to do wih pizza anymore its a new dish. baking dough in a baking pan is not for me how you make a pizza. its how you make a cake or bread. its more like a lasagne without layers....
I appreciate what y'all do to give people that have been incarcerated. Everyone deserves a chance instead of going back inside the wall. I did time myself of 10 years and I know what it's like. More people should offer excons a chance.
The worst thing is that after you get out of prison, no one wants to hire you. So what do you do if you can't find "honest" work? It's a really shitty situation.
it's truly messed up how they're usually treated. sure some of it is justified but people really do learn and change, they paid their time, don't make life harder for them
He just needs one felon to violate his trust and I guarantee he won't be hiring ex-incarcerated people again. Bleeding hearts like Muhammad get hardened after getting burned.
Imagine seeing that on your job application “we don’t hire nobody unless previous convicted “ I would be oh dame I’m definitely getting a job especially after serving 3 state sentences! Great stuff ! We need more people like you guys !
I love the story and concept! These guys are killing it! I HAVE to try this pizza if I'm ever in Philly again. The passion and care they put into it...looks so good.
@@mr2981 Y'all wanna be victims so bad. When other people talk about appropriating, they mean things like businesses using AAVE to get business in poor areas, but disciplining Black people for using it on the job at the same time. Who is being punished by Balck people making pizza?
I love the sense of pride these men have. They are so obviously enjoying their time together but are also laser focused on creating a product of the highest quality, made with love. And in the process you can see them mastering their craft. It’s admirable.
I love this idea. You're creating opportunities for people, so that they can reintegrate themselves back to regular society, reinvent themselves again, and become productive people of society. There should be many more businesses and/or organizations like this. It's a win win for everybody.
This is amazing, I'm a chef and someone who believes in being able to come back from hardship. The fact you are giving people an opportunity to rebuild their self is amazing. Also learning from doing a preparation 100 + times Is the key to success. Much love and respect.
This is how you can rehabilitate people (assuming their crimes are non-violent) and get them back into the real world. Not sitting in a cell, but working for a community with a community of people that came from the same circumstances. Wish all these people the best.
Hell even for violent crimes THIS is how you do it too. Chances are if it's a city as rough as Philly can be then not all of the guys who work here were convicted for a little illegal drug possession or something.
This is basically what they do in Sweden, in Swedish prisons everyone basically gets the opportunity to get a ''job'' - woodworking, cleaning etc. and you get payed $1.3 per hour, so once you're out u got a little bit of cash saved up. Crazy to see such a developed country like the US being this late in rehabilitating their prisoners. If you want people to do good, treat them good.
Much respect from New Zealand. I love this video and their stories. I've never been on the wrong side of the law but I understand those that are literally committed to stay on the right side have a HUGE mountain to clime with regards to peoples perception of them once out. All the best and keep up the AWESOME work, ill definitely look you up when back in Philly again next.
I love hearing him talk about trial and error, tweaking this and that. It's obvious he loves doing what he's doing! That takes dedication to your craftsmanship and everyone respects that. Great job everyone involved! Keep taking care of each other!
As someone who got a second chance, it brings me a lot of joy to see something like this; it really is heartwarming to see what human will is capable of, god bless these guys.
This is heart warming, everybody is a human being, showing love & compassion goes a long way, some people make mistakes but a persons mistakes shouldn’t define their whole life. I love this.
This is amazing, people are fallen but we all deserve a second chance. Glad to see them getting that and offering such a great product for the community. Looks good as hell.
Win Win Win My Kings. So proud this made me smile the entire time I watched it, watching the joy of cooking and creating on their faces was LIFE GIVING.
Man I love when a person turns there life around!! And they are usually the ones that help others do the same. Well done fellas !! Nothing I respect more as a human is a man working hard to make a better life for his kids!
I absolutely love this success story, how we should help others and how people give back to their community! I wish for all of you to prosper even more! I consider myself a pizza aficionado so now I need to plan a trip to Philly to try your pizza which looks absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for this story!
This video made me wanna cry these mens' stories are so inspirational and as a young black man myslef can relate to their struggles and am so happy to see when we come out the other side and win.
Race aside.. I’m a grown ass white man bawling my eyes out for 20 minutes straight because of how amazing it is that people who made a mistake were given such a good opportunity.. we all make mistakes .. I follow similar aspirations, I personally think working in a pizzeria wether it be your own or something founded on something external.. can be amazing if you, like these amazing folks, decide it’s in that way that you wanna make peoples lives better! I respect these young men more than you know, and I find myself in the same situation where I find joy in doing what they are… there is nothing wrong with that and I’m proud to share this with others that have gone through more than I have.
hell yeah, we need more people like this. As a felon I cannot explain how difficult it is to get a job after the fact, with hard work anything is possible.
As someone that has been in the moving industry for twenty years , it’s a very good job to get back on your feet . Many have come few and have done very well
Shout out to them brothers. They went through the toughest things in life. Still be able to socialise, stand on their feet and put in the grind they could never do. All the best to them brothers. Much love.
I mean this is how you help reintegrate people who were inside want to help them make amends. They need a chance and a great way of doing it is giving them a job they can take pride in. Great stuff
Major props to Down North Pizza and the insight it takes to keep moving forward. We all could take lessons and insight from the awesome team and their foundation for bettering the neighborhood and the people employed there. The pizza's remind me of Sicilian style pizza I made for Noble Roman's here in Indiana. Love the crust and sauce on top of pizza. Wish I could try all your pizza's. Keep the heart and love for what your doing and Peace be with you always.
Never been to Philly, but this makes me want to travel there. Everything looks delicious and I think the mission is good. Everybody can turn their life around given the right circumstances.
Yea for the pass two years philly been the number 1 murder capital for 2 years str8 so far with more than 500 homicides it’s a beautiful city but the crime rate is bad
@@juicegodluis1196 I don't know where you're getting that statistic from but it isn't accurate. Does it have a high murder rate? Yes it does but it is not the murder capital. Nationally it's ranked in the 12-16 range depending on where you look but St Louis is the city with the highest murder rate in the US
@karate302 saint louis wasn’t even that high they had 199 homicides for 2021 , I pretty sure ur thinking overall through history I’m speaking based on the last 2 years including this year and don’t look at news articles go directly to the police department website and map
@@juicegodluis1196 Ok. I did go to the police department websites for both Philadelphia and St Louis. St Louis has had 157 murders this year and Philadelphia has had 430. While Philadelphia does have more murders in total, St. Louis has a population of 304,709 vs Philadelphia's 1.582 million. These population values are for the city's themselves, not the entire metropolitan area since we aren't concerned with their suburbs. If we use those values to calculate the murder rates per 100,000 residents, we get a value of 51.52 for St. Louis and 27.18 for Philadelphia.
@@karateman302philly murders happen in 3 neighborhoods bro. Probably a total of 10 to 15 blocks get 75% of the murders. Philly was right with Chicago, amd Chicago has 3 million people. It isn't safe for hustlers here. This is why these MEN are WORKING! Bravo, hard work.
Wow I love this video.. I'm a small business owner my self and I'm 100%checking you guys out since I love supporting local businesses. And I might know a guy with 2 pizza ovens I moved a few months ago
Mortimer we’re back! Such a deep cut Philly reference. Love this concept and excited to go try it out. Really appreciate the passion for food and excelling
this dude out here providing good food but most importantly hope and structure for those who have turned themselves around and trying to do good. mad respect. if im ever in philly imma get one of those pizzas
I can tell these dudes are masters of their craft. Every step in preparation you see is done with love and care, that's something you don't see every day. Would be great to give this pizza a try some day!
Def a pizza I wanna try one day. Guess I am going to have to plan a trip to Philly to get some. I am glad these guys have a place not only to work but something to give them pride and an outlet for their creative sides.
When you see to make a difference in someone’s you look at the person,and not for they did,it’s what you can do to make there life better,and help them learn who to better person.it’s great job your doing to help people understand who you can learn to keep things going in a positive way.
Mane this motivation I’m in NC starting my own pizza business myself and I want to do the same brother I love this mane this what im talking about mane keep continuing to be resilient in this pizza world brother see you at the top 🙏🏽✊🏾🙌🏾💯
This is a heart felt story, you young men turned your life around and put your skills into to a passion, but to give back is so great I hope the city you live in adopted what your group is doing to put people back to work and make a difference in your lives and community very good video 👏🏿👍🏿
Awesome Spirits Guys!! Mad support from Texas!! God bless and keep you! Stay focused and on it! Great job!! I understand the passion, but had to back down from bbq because of a heart attack and a stroke. Just glad to be alive and witness others rise up!!!!
This man is such an artist and so intelligent, eloquently describing the perverse incentives of private prisons in a few sentences. It's criminal that the state can lock up people for no reason at all.
Love te smiles you guys got on you're face! Congrats to turning you're life around like that. Im from Holland, next time im in Philly i'll be standing in line to get a slice!!!
This was a great video. What a cool group of guys, fighting system oppressions, and overcoming obstacles. If I ever make it to Philly, I will deff come come through and get a pie!
I'm literally in tears an thankful to have this mission in Philly. I originally heard about them from JL Jupiter but it's good to see national representation. Keep fighting the good fight! Your work is so important! We're so proud of you!
A lot of cats have that same story. They spend weeks, months, YEARS locked up awaiting trial because they get "no bail" or an unobtainable amount of bail. A lot of them take a plea deal and take a conviction for something they didn't do just because it will get them out of jail faster than waiting for trial. Our system is so broken.
Man this is so cool.. it's so nice to see you guys out there making a difference with awesome pizza. I love the way you guys look at life, I hope this inspires more people to elevate more things in life!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you everyone for appreciating what we stand for!!
Thank you for being an inspiration!
Absolutely amazing! I loved the “Wiz Wit” reference!!!!
Hailing in from Chicago with love. Your place is on my bucket list.
This was great to watch and know who's doin it
You guys have got something special here. Great to see but also very disappointed I can’t try your pizza.
I spent over 7 years straight incarcerated in several PA prisons. I've been out since 2005 and successfully walked off 9 years of parole. What helped me, among other things, was being given a chance to work despite my record. This place is a blessing for those who are truly remorseful. Muhammad went above and beyond in giving back. I hope nothing but the best and that he can expand and perhaps other employer's take notice! Thank you Bro.
Esp. with the staff shortages in service & hospitality. Lots of jobs need pair of hands, no college needed.
Hope compliant parolees are considered -
Well said, and congrats on your life changing second chance employment opportunity! 💪🏽
The best way to avoid going back to prison is to be a loner. Trust me. Your “friends” aren’t your friends. If you want friends, adopt dogs.
God bless you man!!
bless you brother" may i ask why you got 7 years?
These guys are doing something positive for the whole community with the power of pizza. We need more of this across the world not just US and UK. You can never get enough pizza. Good luck guys.
Damn near got me in tears. My city. Men who look like me, clearly educated and passionate. Formerly incarcerated, but now look at the smiles, the brotherhood, the purpose, and the love! Big up!
@@drsuicide8474 ... that's not what I said.
What's your purpose anyway?
@@sadistyk_1671 Just to point out your black supremacy complex.
@@sadistyk_1671 their purpose is to hate
@@drsuicide8474 no goofy. But it’s nice to see someone who looks like you and comes from where you come from achieve greatness. In a sense you know what they’ve been through and you’re happy they’re where they’re at now.
@@drsuicide8474 does seeing a black guy take pride in another black dude's achievement's bother you that much bro? there's also a word for people like you lmao.
I am so pleased for these guys they are doing well, wishing them continued success.
@Horror 🅥 don't click. It's a trap
Food looks good too. Comes with a story, which adds to the taste more than any chain
Aren't ex-cons great? 👍
@@TheJrzdevil they would be even better if all of them can turn their lives around like this. if we can foster a society that is able to do that, I'm all for it. but that is a big ask
@@TheJrzdevil This is a silly comment at least they are doing something good with their lives now.
I been in the pizza biz most of my life ! 35 years now and it thrills me to see Brothers and i mean Loving Men doing what they love ! Being Italian we know ! Amen love you Guys and you have the same sauce i used when i ran my restaurant for 20 years . Beautiful
The story of the pizza they make is grand enough; the story of the people who make it, is soul-reaffirming. Much blessings to the chefs and owners of this fine establishment.
"We don't hire nobody unless they previously convicted."
Respect, community support. Great video!
True. And in a perfect World..they eventually have to change their hiring practices of hiring only ex cons.. meaning there will be NO more black ex cons for them to hire
Great mission by the very good, changed men. Love n blessings to all.
@Tee 93 I know... wouldn't want to diminish your mom's dating pool. She'd find a way
i respect that a lot. giving a chance to the people who aren't usually given chances to change
@@FlyingElbow "in the community" in the entire nation, go to West Virginia or rural Alabama to have your worldview turned upside boi
Also, he's a muslim there. Soo his food is obviously acceptable to broader market. Not just to nonmuslims
Guy when you said " We don't hire anyone unless previously convicted" that hit me deep. We need a better system keep paving the way brother.
Sounds like illegal discrimination to me.
@@jonvon2044 its not but okay
@@lifeispain404 it is but you probably go to bed with a bicycle helmet on so I understand your confusion
@@jonvon2044 they already face discrimination from every other employer. if you wanna speak on it so bad then why not speak on it when its from them?
@@lifeispain404 Felons in many states get paid by the government for hiring them in the first place. This has been around four decades. Get educated and do some research.
The Sous chef makes the dough making process sounds like poetry. A true artist in his craft.
I’m watching it right now and it exactly what it sounds like 😂😂
He really has a passion for what he does! It was fun to listen to him.
the dao of the dough
that guy is awsome
It can be I suppose. I can cut and weigh an entire 100lb ball of dough into 1,2 and 4lb balls without being off by an ounce. Temperature and humidity outside/Inside, temperature of the water, the order in which you add ingredients to the bowl, length of time it’s mixing, length of time it’s left out before being balled etc etc….ton of things going into making it right every time.
It is poetry, the gaping fall trap of anything that is made with flours is that the simplicity of what you're going to make makes it difficult to get it right.
The whole talk about constantly watching the weather, humidity, salt - water - flower ratio constant adjustment, and things like this is also linear to how the Japanese make their udon, because it's so simple the ingredients, method and ratio should be right, these men by all means are poets that etch their work in their dough.
That's my NEPHEW MIKE CARTER IM SO PROUD OF HIM KEEP SOARING !!! THIS BUSINESS IS AWESOME
Blessings to you & your family 🙏🏼💙
Great Guy
Shouts out the guy
The amount of passion he has for his work and his drive to strive for better is so refreshing. No matter what you do, do it with passion and always strive to be better. Godspeed with your journey! We are proud of how far yall have come ✊
"They get to be the best versions of themselves because they're being themselves." Corporations struggle with this concept. There is so much to love about this video. I would watch a series on this location, I didn't want the video to end. Captivating story, captivating storytellers making real change.
Letsssss gooo. I love spots and owners like this. This is the food content i love. For the culture!
Perfectly put!
Hell yeah. Well said!
💯
By nature of a corporation, the idea is to make as much money as possible, because you have to pay the shareholders and THEN the top-down.
This is the kinda change we want to see, the kinda initiatives that people like Muhammad Abdul-Hadi bring to the people, and we love to see it. I would love to fly over to the US just to try this!
We
Me too !!!!
Well said! I am also here to learn how to invest after listening to a lady on tv talk about the importance of investing and how she made 7 figure in 3 month, somehow the video taught me nothing and left me even more confused, I'm a newbie and I'm open to ideas on how to invest for retirement
@@rajeshupadhyay5683
lookup Priscilla Dearmin-Turner, this is her name online, she have been our real investment prodigy since the crash and have help me recovered my loses
Despite the economic crisis and the rate of unemployment now is the best time to invest
This is one of the best stories I’ve watched in years. First, I’m a home made pizza guy. Everything. The dough. The cheese. Tomatoes. All from scratch. I know good pizza. These guys are next level. I’m fascinated with their story, their passion for a superior product and their drive to change perceptions and lives. Kudos.
Never thought about the corrections system needing to recycle people to maintain itself. And to be incarcerated for 27 months on a six month bit just because the officer wouldn’t/couldn’t show up is a travesty. I hope they expand to own the PHL pizza market. How they’ve remained so positive in light of what each of them has been through is mega-inspiring.
That's the problem with prisons being privately owned and receiving government funding based on the number of inmates they have.
Franchise
Kaleif Browder. Not exactly the same story but he was locked up without a trial for years. Spent about 700 days in solitary confinement and eventually took his own life.
Imagine how often this happens. It's truly disgusting. We need more federal regulation in our prison systems (or overhaul the whole system) to prevent these tragedies.
It wasn't a private prison it was a state institution ( steel hotel) They need them at full vacancy to emply these middle of nowhere towns that otherwise have no industry
The fact you also provide their own room, their own apartment. Its simple you’re a humble group of guys and this story makes me proud to be an American along side you boys. Sending positive vibrations your way. I’ll add this spot to the list and make sure to grab a couple pizzas when I’m in your neighborhood! Cheers!
That’s so nice of you
Currently feeling down on myself but seeing so many smiles and good stories knowing all these brothers had way harder times being incarcerated made me appreciate life and this video even more. Keep working hard guys we never got a handout!!
Hi5 👋
This is the best video I have seen in many years. These guys, smiling loving what they are doing, keeping their sense of humor about life, about giving, love and pizza. Man, I wish I was there to give those guys a big hug, and eat some of that pizza!
This is so heartwarming to see these men given a chance and watching them take the baton and run with it. I hope anyone working there sees this and knows I am rooting for them no matter what. Keep it up!!
Great story! I'm from West Philly and proud of my roots. Love what you are doing- so proud of all of you.. Just received your first newsletter and information on the foundation!
That whole "I got 10 hours to knock this out" quiet, the sound of rain, kitchen sounds and the dough moving sounds peaceful
It's an overnite shift? So there's fresh pizza in the....morning?
I'm confused. They sell pizza first thing? What about dinner & late-night orders?
🍕🥖🍕🍕🍕
@@rethinkcps2116 I don't know it just sounds peaceful prepping with no customer interaction
@@rethinkcps2116 Might be all prepped so they can just pop it in the oven as orders come
@@rethinkcps2116 as someone who worked at a bakery, I remember all the actual bakers always came in overnight to prep the dough so it was ready for the next day, then the rest of us would come in and another baker would start baking stuff off in the mornings into the early afternoon. Probably they have a night crew that preps all the dough to proof for the day and during the day they just have to do the baking and toppings.
I have watched hundreds of Eater videos, but this may be the most impactful and positive I have seen yet. Also, the pizza looks DAMN good.
Agreed
These pizzas looks incredible. Its so nice to see how much care goes into making them. These guys are a big inspiration. A big thumbs up.
I LOVE Detroit style pizza. =P
have you ever seen a real italian pizza?
@@Polemion I regularly make them yes.
dude they both are delicious theres no reason to compare man roman people eat square pizza everything is different@@Polemion
@juho5282 American pizza is what you see on the video. a recepie varies from country to country. this one has nothing to do wih pizza anymore its a new dish. baking dough in a baking pan is not for me how you make a pizza. its how you make a cake or bread. its more like a lasagne without layers....
I appreciate what y'all do to give people that have been incarcerated. Everyone deserves a chance instead of going back inside the wall. I did time myself of 10 years and I know what it's like. More people should offer excons a chance.
The worst thing is that after you get out of prison, no one wants to hire you. So what do you do if you can't find "honest" work? It's a really shitty situation.
it's truly messed up how they're usually treated. sure some of it is justified but people really do learn and change, they paid their time, don't make life harder for them
He just needs one felon to violate his trust and I guarantee he won't be hiring ex-incarcerated people again. Bleeding hearts like Muhammad get hardened after getting burned.
now I'm curious to know what you did to get 10 years
@@lucidstarlight3296 why? donate some bread and he might tell u
Imagine seeing that on your job application “we don’t hire nobody unless previous convicted “ I would be oh dame I’m definitely getting a job especially after serving 3 state sentences! Great stuff ! We need more people like you guys !
Bro. You guys are amazing. This almost made me cry. Tears of joy though. Great to see good dudes in previous bad situations find happiness.
I love the story and concept! These guys are killing it! I HAVE to try this pizza if I'm ever in Philly again. The passion and care they put into it...looks so good.
They're killing it, I see what you did there. Also, isn't this cultural appropriation?
@@mr2981 yes they are killing it, the pizza game that is. would love to try this pizza.
@@mr2981 cultural appropriation Is practically a myth. Every culture borrows from other cultures. It's human nature.
@@mr2981 you're speaking English. Guess who you're culturally appropriating?
@@mr2981 Y'all wanna be victims so bad. When other people talk about appropriating, they mean things like businesses using AAVE to get business in poor areas, but disciplining Black people for using it on the job at the same time. Who is being punished by Balck people making pizza?
I love the sense of pride these men have. They are so obviously enjoying their time together but are also laser focused on creating a product of the highest quality, made with love. And in the process you can see them mastering their craft. It’s admirable.
I love this idea. You're creating opportunities for people, so that they can reintegrate themselves back to regular society, reinvent themselves again, and become productive people of society. There should be many more businesses and/or organizations like this. It's a win win for everybody.
You can just feel the love these guys have for food and for theire community.
This is amazing, I'm a chef and someone who believes in being able to come back from hardship. The fact you are giving people an opportunity to rebuild their self is amazing. Also learning from doing a preparation 100 + times
Is the key to success. Much love and respect.
I’m in Texas, I feel like driving there now and getting a pie. Great story, proud of y’all, keep on keeping on
This is how you can rehabilitate people (assuming their crimes are non-violent) and get them back into the real world. Not sitting in a cell, but working for a community with a community of people that came from the same circumstances. Wish all these people the best.
Hell even for violent crimes THIS is how you do it too. Chances are if it's a city as rough as Philly can be then not all of the guys who work here were convicted for a little illegal drug possession or something.
@@ViperOfMino violent criminals suck and don't deserve second chances
This is basically what they do in Sweden, in Swedish prisons everyone basically gets the opportunity to get a ''job'' - woodworking, cleaning etc. and you get payed $1.3 per hour, so once you're out u got a little bit of cash saved up. Crazy to see such a developed country like the US being this late in rehabilitating their prisoners. If you want people to do good, treat them good.
@@reno5083 you get paid in prison. my company employs people from and from prison.
@@reno5083 $1.3 per hour is basically what prisoners earn at the higher end in the US for their work. it's still extremely low and exploitative.
Love the energy he brings, I really felt what he said about not being able to be yourself in other work environments
Much respect from New Zealand. I love this video and their stories. I've never been on the wrong side of the law but I understand those that are literally committed to stay on the right side have a HUGE mountain to clime with regards to peoples perception of them once out. All the best and keep up the AWESOME work, ill definitely look you up when back in Philly again next.
I love hearing him talk about trial and error, tweaking this and that. It's obvious he loves doing what he's doing! That takes dedication to your craftsmanship and everyone respects that. Great job everyone involved! Keep taking care of each other!
As someone who got a second chance, it brings me a lot of joy to see something like this; it really is heartwarming to see what human will is capable of, god bless these guys.
To see the sheer joy and the deep pride in their art is inspiring! Well done. Please create more of this content.
This is heart warming, everybody is a human being, showing love & compassion goes a long way, some people make mistakes but a persons mistakes shouldn’t define their whole life. I love this.
This is amazing, people are fallen but we all deserve a second chance. Glad to see them getting that and offering such a great product for the community. Looks good as hell.
I refuse this comment
@@moin6554 shut up bum
Second chance? The guy who started it has had 4 chances. And still all does is cry victim.
Win Win Win My Kings. So proud this made me smile the entire time I watched it, watching the joy of cooking and creating on their faces was LIFE GIVING.
We need more people like them guys putting in the work and enjoying themselves while they are doing it!
Man I love when a person turns there life around!! And they are usually the ones that help others do the same. Well done fellas !! Nothing I respect more as a human is a man working hard to make a better life for his kids!
I absolutely love this success story, how we should help others and how people give back to their community! I wish for all of you to prosper even more! I consider myself a pizza aficionado so now I need to plan a trip to Philly to try your pizza which looks absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for this story!
This video made me wanna cry these mens' stories are so inspirational and as a young black man myslef can relate to their struggles and am so happy to see when we come out the other side and win.
Race aside.. I’m a grown ass white man bawling my eyes out for 20 minutes straight because of how amazing it is that people who made a mistake were given such a good opportunity.. we all make mistakes
.. I follow similar aspirations, I personally think working in a pizzeria wether it be your own or something founded on something external.. can be amazing if you, like these amazing folks, decide it’s in that way that you wanna make peoples lives better! I respect these young men more than you know, and I find myself in the same situation where I find joy in doing what they are… there is nothing wrong with that and I’m proud to share this with others that have gone through more than I have.
Inspiration - Showing your community that you are there to help. You are all doing a great thing and you are showing the young a positive future.
Watched this vid to just see the food, and I ended but being in awe and encouraged of their story. Salute to you guys!
hell yeah, we need more people like this. As a felon I cannot explain how difficult it is to get a job after the fact, with hard work anything is possible.
You're not a felon anymore bro. U did your time. You're a citizen now, just like the rest of us. I pray some employer realizes that too. Stay up!
Keep your head up friend I will pray for you ☺️!!
As someone that has been in the moving industry for twenty years , it’s a very good job to get back on your feet . Many have come few and have done very well
all these jobs out here now everyone should be working
@@mariejane1567 uhhhh no I’m not one to get to the question that I asked have you been convicted of a felony it causes a lot of problems
Shout out to them brothers. They went through the toughest things in life. Still be able to socialise, stand on their feet and put in the grind they could never do. All the best to them brothers. Much love.
I’m just proud of you all and the mindsets you all carry and feed each other with! Stay beyond your circumstances and keep doing y’all!!
I mean this is how you help reintegrate people who were inside want to help them make amends. They need a chance and a great way of doing it is giving them a job they can take pride in. Great stuff
These guys are so chill. I would have a beer with them any day. & being so proud of what they create is endearing as hell.
Major props to Down North Pizza and the insight it takes to keep moving forward. We all could take lessons and insight from the awesome team and their foundation for bettering the neighborhood and the people employed there. The pizza's remind me of Sicilian style pizza I made for Noble Roman's here in Indiana. Love the crust and sauce on top of pizza. Wish I could try all your pizza's. Keep the heart and love for what your doing and Peace be with you always.
Respect, this is good to see. Sometimes someone just want a opportunity and I’m glad they have a shot to really work and find a passion
Never been to Philly, but this makes me want to travel there. Everything looks delicious and I think the mission is good. Everybody can turn their life around given the right circumstances.
Yea for the pass two years philly been the number 1 murder capital for 2 years str8 so far with more than 500 homicides it’s a beautiful city but the crime rate is bad
@@juicegodluis1196 I don't know where you're getting that statistic from but it isn't accurate. Does it have a high murder rate? Yes it does but it is not the murder capital. Nationally it's ranked in the 12-16 range depending on where you look but St Louis is the city with the highest murder rate in the US
@karate302 saint louis wasn’t even that high they had 199 homicides for 2021 , I pretty sure ur thinking overall through history I’m speaking based on the last 2 years including this year and don’t look at news articles go directly to the police department website and map
@@juicegodluis1196 Ok. I did go to the police department websites for both Philadelphia and St Louis. St Louis has had 157 murders this year and Philadelphia has had 430. While Philadelphia does have more murders in total, St. Louis has a population of 304,709 vs Philadelphia's 1.582 million. These population values are for the city's themselves, not the entire metropolitan area since we aren't concerned with their suburbs.
If we use those values to calculate the murder rates per 100,000 residents, we get a value of 51.52 for St. Louis and 27.18 for Philadelphia.
@@karateman302philly murders happen in 3 neighborhoods bro. Probably a total of 10 to 15 blocks get 75% of the murders. Philly was right with Chicago, amd Chicago has 3 million people. It isn't safe for hustlers here. This is why these MEN are WORKING! Bravo, hard work.
Wow I love this video.. I'm a small business owner my self and I'm 100%checking you guys out since I love supporting local businesses. And I might know a guy with 2 pizza ovens I moved a few months ago
What a great bunch of guys. Affable, intelligent and funny. I wish you all the best from the UK.
Mortimer we’re back! Such a deep cut Philly reference. Love this concept and excited to go try it out. Really appreciate the passion for food and excelling
this dude out here providing good food but most importantly hope and structure for those who have turned themselves around and trying to do good. mad respect. if im ever in philly imma get one of those pizzas
The way the pizza cutter effortlessly cuts through the pizza is all I need to know that that dough is perfect 👌🏼
Beautiful story and shoutout to Mo for giving these men a second chance in life and bringing the best out of them!
He makes me happy to be from Philly! I’m so happy for them, they’ll have more restaurants in different cities soon.
Dang, I’m this close to buying a one way flight to Philly just to try this pizza. Much respect for what y’all do!
I don't like spicy pizza, but I have nothing but respect for trying to help good men not fall back on bad ways. God bless.
This episode was absolutely amazing. So much positivity
This is a true example of serving your community! All love to these guys and their mission!
I can tell these dudes are masters of their craft. Every step in preparation you see is done with love and care, that's something you don't see every day. Would be great to give this pizza a try some day!
SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND CONTINUE TO BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!!!! BE BLESSED 🙌
What a fantastic concept. I'm thrilled for their success. Look forward to trying it on my trip to Philly next month!
Def a pizza I wanna try one day. Guess I am going to have to plan a trip to Philly to get some. I am glad these guys have a place not only to work but something to give them pride and an outlet for their creative sides.
When you see to make a difference in someone’s you look at the person,and not for they did,it’s what you can do to make there life better,and help them learn who to better person.it’s great job your doing to help people understand who you can learn to keep things going in a positive way.
Much respect for these brothers doing their thing and keeping it positive and real!! Hoping for much success for you guys.
Mane this motivation I’m in NC starting my own pizza business myself and I want to do the same brother I love this mane this what im talking about mane keep continuing to be resilient in this pizza world brother see you at the top 🙏🏽✊🏾🙌🏾💯
success man!
What part of NC? I live In charlotte so I’d love to try some bro
If the name of your shop isn’t “The Pizza Mane” I will feel disappointed
What's your place called
These guys are so inspiring. I got so much respect for what they do. Those pizzas look amazing I just want to grab a slice
we need more places like this! what an amazing way to serve their community
A lot of respect for these fellows! I wish you health and happiness.
This is a heart felt story, you young men turned your life around and put your skills into to a passion, but to give back is so great I hope the city you live in adopted what your group is doing to put people back to work and make a difference in your lives and community very good video 👏🏿👍🏿
I remember dropping by here last winter when I was in Philly and can confirm this place is legit. One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.
Awesome Spirits Guys!! Mad support from Texas!! God bless and keep you! Stay focused and on it! Great job!! I understand the passion, but had to back down from bbq because of a heart attack and a stroke. Just glad to be alive and witness others rise up!!!!
Being the change they want to see in the world! Mr Abdul-Hadi and the boys look to be killing it. Great food, Better Mission.
Great video - always good to hear passionate people talking about what they're doing, and those pizzas look amazing
I love soo much to see my people achieving, come from that dark place and just bloom and spread them seeds on knowledge and love .
This man is such an artist and so intelligent, eloquently describing the perverse incentives of private prisons in a few sentences. It's criminal that the state can lock up people for no reason at all.
Love te smiles you guys got on you're face! Congrats to turning you're life around like that.
Im from Holland, next time im in Philly i'll be standing in line to get a slice!!!
This was a great video. What a cool group of guys, fighting system oppressions, and overcoming obstacles. If I ever make it to Philly, I will deff come come through and get a pie!
I love this. So many good causes/reasons. Love to see them happy and thriving, would love to support them
I'm literally in tears an thankful to have this mission in Philly. I originally heard about them from JL Jupiter but it's good to see national representation. Keep fighting the good fight! Your work is so important! We're so proud of you!
God help you.
Being Grandma's baby is a blessing for sure 🙏
A lot of cats have that same story. They spend weeks, months, YEARS locked up awaiting trial because they get "no bail" or an unobtainable amount of bail. A lot of them take a plea deal and take a conviction for something they didn't do just because it will get them out of jail faster than waiting for trial. Our system is so broken.
We’ll done brothers! Can’t wait to see you expand the product and overall concept of what you are trying to do.
This is a great story. I wish there were more places like this. Providing a chance. I really felt this.
This is so uplifting. I wanna encourage these boys as much as possible.
Mad props to these guys. So much respect. Keep it rollin.
Man this is so cool.. it's so nice to see you guys out there making a difference with awesome pizza. I love the way you guys look at life, I hope this inspires more people to elevate more things in life!
the smile on his face when he talks about the sauce is everything
I call it Soul Sauce, I had a whole week to finish.
Asked for jalapeno on my 🍕.
He said, It's in the sauce with a smile.
As a huge pizza lover, much respect to these guys. Happy for them
Such a good hearted man. And love their bro code.
Great video. This really made me happy. Can’t wait to come see you guys. Keep up the great work. You and your team seem friggen awesome.
We are in Jersey right over the bridge. Definitely checking these guys out!
Lucky you ..!!!!! I live somewhere that all restaurants are boring ..!!! Now this is a pizza joint ..!!!!