A.J. and Big Justice have been bringing the boom to social media for a while now with their trademark Costco hauls and collaborations with the Rizzler. But lately, it seems that the father and son duo also known as The Costco Guys are bringing the boom to something unexpected: Judaism.
In an episode of the “All Grown Up” podcast from the end of October, YouTuber and host FaZe Rug and the Costco Guys started out the conversation by talking about their favorite foods. “I’m a big potato lover. I like french fries, latkes, hash browns,” Big Justice, whose real name is Eric Befumo, listed. When FaZe Rug asked what latkes are, Big Justice explained, “It’s like a Jewish pancake. So it’s a pancake smushed down but it’s fried potatoes.”
“You guys gotta try it, it’s good,” he added, before rating latkes a 5 out of 5 on “the boom meter” while flexing his bicep and yelling “BOOM” five times.
If you’ve made it this far into the piece, I have to level with you. I have a thin, thin grasp of YouTuber and TikToker influencer culture. When this podcast episode came out, I was barely aware of A.J. Befumo and Big Justice as cultural icons. I didn’t know where the name Big Justice came from (A.J. used to work as a professional wrestler named “the American Powerchild Eric Justice” and his son, Eric Justice Befumo, is named after the character). I was oblivious to what their whole deal was (they try foods at Costco and rate them on the boom meter). And I certainly didn’t grasp who the hell the Rizzler is. (A New Jersey elementary schooler named Christian Joseph who went viral on TikTok for his “rizz face.” He is not related to A.J. and Big Justice.)
But now, I do know all these things. Because, as it turns out, the Befumo family is interfaith!
This news came to my attention earlier this week when accounts on Twitter found this photo on Mama Justice’s (aka Erika Goldsmith Befumo, wife to A.J. and mom to Big Justice) Facebook page:
Further posts on Erika’s Facebook reveal that she is Jewish and that the Justice family participates in both Jewish and Christian traditions. For example, this photo of A.J. helping baby Big Justice light a menorah with a Christmas tree in the background and this photo of the entire family at Big Justice’s bris.
Merry Chrismukkah, Family Justice!
