Anyone that has been a member of the PITA for any
period of time should know the name Emanuel “Manny”
Mingoia. Born and raised in the Livermore valley of
California, Emanuel became an avid hunter and
shooter at an early age. His love for shooting and
shooting sports became very apparent when he became
a charter member of the Livermore-Pleasanton Rod &
Gun Club, formed in 1936. “Manny” as he was
affectionately called, was the operating manager of
that club for a period of nearly 50 years. Manny’s
unselfish devotion to trapshooters was the strongest
driving force in the club. His promotion of the
organization was with undying loyalty, serving the
shooter to ensure they were treated fairly and
equitably, making it one of the most successful
facilities if it’s kind in Northern California.
Emanuel was President of the CSTA in 1966-67 and
1974-75; President of the PITA in 1967-68. He was
also treasurer of the PITA for many years.
Emanuel’s extraordinary contribution to the PITA was
in the administrative excellence area. During the
1950’s he assumed a leadership role in the PITA.
Emanuel teamed with Ray Yasui and helped ease the
PITA through some very difficult times. Together
they guided the PITA from a small, almost club-like
organization, into a truly international association
with strong activity in the USA, Canada, and South
Korea.
In the 1970’s, as a result of some strong
internal turmoil, the PITA approached collapse.
Emanuel and Ray were instrumental in initiating a
drastic change of the PITA from a clique-dominated
organization to it’s present form of democratic
management.
Not only was he heavily involved in the leadership
of the PITA; he was a competitor as well. One of the
most notable accomplishments during his shooting
career was winning a new Buick Riviera at the
Riviera Gun Club in Las Vegas. Another win to his
credit was the class HOA at the Grand American in
Vandalia, Ohio in the late sixties.
Emanuel participated in every one of the State and
Provincial shoots that he could and was known
nationwide as “Mr. PITA”. Manny always said that he
had three loves in his life: his family, especially
his loving wife Roma; the Livermore-Pleasanton Rod &
Gun Club; and the PITA.
