Our Writers
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Patrick Manteiga Patrick Manteiga writes the political gossip column, As We Heard It, which reports on local, state and national politics while being a voice for the underserved Hispanic community. Manteiga is the third generation to helm La Gaceta and following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, has become an advocate for Ybor City and the Hispanic community as a whole. His passion has made him a go-to source for local media, as he appears regularly on such programs as Florida This Week as well as a source for national media outlets such as The Huffington Post and CNN. |
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Ferdie Pacheco Ferdie Pacheco, “The Fight Doctor,” is the writer of Pacheco’s Dreams. His stories frequently encompass his rich life experiences, spanning from his days in boxing to remembrances of Ybor’s most colorful past characters. Pacheco was famously the personal physician for World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali. His also became a professional boxing analyst in the late 1970s, working for Showtime, among other media outlets. He is a prolific painter and writer, having published several books, including Ybor City Chronicles in 1994. A selection of his works and a gallery of his life’s accomplishments can be viewed at his website, www.ferdiepacheco.com. |
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Joe O’Neill Joe O’Neill’s column, O’pinions to Go, encompasses politics, media issues and sports vignettes. O’Neill, a Philadelphia native, has more than 30 years of journalistic experience. His website, Opinions to Go Online, features his unique perspective and sometimes provocative opinions on current events. |
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Richard Muga Fishing and hunting are the passions of Richard Muga, who writes the Outdoor Sportsman. In it he chronicles the activities of sportsmen in the area and the latest rules and gadgets in various sports. Muga came to this country from Cuba as a young man. He is well known as an attorney in Hillsborough County and was educated at the University of Tampa and South Texas College of Law. He and his wife, the former Sylvia Garcia, have been married since 1962 and live in Brandon. They have two daughters and one grandson. |
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Gene Siudut Gene Siudut writes the column, Chairman of the Bored. His column highlights his observations on Tampa life juxtaposed with his New Jersey upbringing. Siudut has been working for La Gaceta since 1999. He is also a featured columnist for The Bleacher Report and his articles have appeared in such venues as The Huffington Post and TBSsports.com. |
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Tiffany Razzano Born and raised in New York, Tiffany Razzano currently resides in Largo. She’s worked as a reporter and editor since graduating from Dowling College in 2004 with a B.A. in English. In addition to writing La Gaceta’s Silhouettes column, she’s an editor at another local newspaper and a blog editor focusing on LGBT news and events. She also founded Wordier Than Thou, a monthly storytelling open mic series. |
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Lula Dovi Lula Dovi’s column, Tracks, draws upon her life’s experiences as a mother, wife and author. Dovi is a fourth-generation Tampa native and published a book of poetry in 2011 detailing her life in Tampa and her summers in Boon, North Carolina, called Seasonings. Published by Trafford Publishing, it is available on Amazon.com. |
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Doris Weatherford Doris Weatherford’s column, In Context, discusses women’s history, issues and political happenings in Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Weatherford is a leading women’s historian and has been publishing books about women’s history for over 20 years. Her latest book is Women in American Politics, published by Congressional Quarterly Press. |
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Giuseppe Maniscalco Giuseppe Maniscalco scive la colonna della Pagina Italiana. dedicata in maggior parte alla comunita’ Italo-Americana dell’area di Tampa. Il contenuto degli articoli cercano di portare alla conoscenza dei lettori su tematiche culturali e tradizioni del passato e presente che si susseguono nel territorio italiano come anche sulle varie attivita’ da parte di gruppi Italo-Americani locali. Nato a Palermo, Sicilia, Giuseppe ottiene il diploma in Ragioneria in Italia, trasferitosi a Tampa nel 1981 attualmente e’ proprietario di un negozio di gioielleria, Portofino Jewelers in Tampa. |
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Gabriel Cartaya Gabriel Cartaya. Profesor, historiador, escritor y editor. Ha publicado los libros Con las últimas páginas de José Martí (1995), Martí en 1895 (2001), Luz al universo (2006) y el libro de cuentos De ceca en meca, España (2010). Tiene una Maestría por la Universidad de La Habana en Estudios de América Latina, El Caribe y Cuba. Es fundador y director de la Revista Surco Sur, de arte y literatura hispanoamericana. |
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Arturo R. Rivera Desde 1994, Arturo Rivera ha escrito el editorial Desde Mi Escritorio. Esta columna aborda temas de política internacional y asuntos de actualidad. Rivera, abogado, trabajó como consejero en la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico y en la Junta de Planificación de la gobernación de Puerto Rico. También sirvió como capitán (JAG Officer, en inglés) durante la Guerra del Golfo, en la operación militar “Desert Storm – Tormenta del Desierto” y obtuvo una Medalla de Honor y Medalla al Servicio Nacional de Defensa Pública. En Tampa, Rivera fue miembro del Comité Asesor de Ciudadanos en el Comité del condado de Hillsborough. |
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Yahima Y. Hernández Yahima escribe el editorial Noticias de Inmigración. Su columna informa a los lectores acerca de los cambios y el desarrollo de las leyes de Inmigración en Estados Unidos. Aboga, además, por los derechos de los inmigrantes y el verdadero impacto que ellos tienen en nuestras comunidades. Hernández es abogada especializada en Inmigración. Creció en Cuba e inmigró a Estados Unidos, en 1995, como refugiada política. Obtuvo su doctorado en el Colegio de Leyes de la Universidad de Stetson. |
p.manteiga@hotmail.com