Salvatore Testa - Taking Up The Sport of Tennis

Taking Up The Sport of Tennis

Testa had an athletic build from playing racquet ball and tennis at the Pier 30 Tennis Club in Penn's Landing where he played regularly, at which he was a member. He joined about eighteen months before his murder. Ray Mirra, manager of Pier 30 described Testa as personable and well liked by the tennis professionals and other members. He frequently attended staff birthday parties and contributed money for gifts. Although he sometimes joked about his organized crime connections, Testa seemed the opposite of his flashy mobster image; he wore understated tennis whites and bought a $135 racket, not an expensive model. Testa wore no jewelry and drove to the club in a non-descript mid-size car. Testa took tennis seriously, he joined the club as a beginner and rapidly progressed to the rank of advanced intermediate. In April of that year, the club's pros awarded Testa a trophy for being the "most improved" player. He said that it was his first trophy he had ever won for anything. It was the best he had done in any sport".