NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — He’s a scientist in a Louisiana laboratory.

His lab is the New Orleans kitchen where he makes ice cream.

For all seasons.

And as WGNO Good Morning New Orleans features reporter Bill Wood wants you to know, now for Carnival Season.

Sam Caruso is the guy who’s got Mardi Gras on the mind.

And in the mix.

Sam makes ice cream.

His New Orleans ice cream factory is called Laozi.

He makes every kind of ice cream you can think of.

Sam Caruso says, “If I think about it, chances are it’ll be turned into ice cream.”

Now, he’s making his King Cake Ice Cream.

“I’m sure pizza will get done one day,” Sam thinks.

Sam Caruso did not always wear the hand-packed ice cream crown.

He’s a culinary school dropout.

And a drug addict who was hooked on heroin for 17 years.

His King Cake Ice Cream and the other flavors he makes are his recovery.

Creativity keeps him clean and sober.

Bill Wood notices, “It’s not just King Cake Ice Cream, also Queen Cake Ice Cream.”

Sam Caruso says, “If they had a king, have to have a queen, I didn’t want to do just one flavor.”

Sam is still hooked.

But these days, he’s an ice-cream junkie.

Long live the king.

And his cake.