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Patrick Manteiga

Patrick Manteiga

Patrick Manteiga

Editor and publisher Patrick Manteiga

Patrick Manteiga is the editor and publisher of La Gaceta Newspaper.

La Gaceta has been in circulation since 1922 and is one of the oldest minority, family-owned newspapers in the nation, now celebrating 93 years of continuous publishing. It also holds the title of the Nation’s only tri-lingual newspaper and the oldest Spanish-language newspaper in the nation under the same masthead. It was founded by Patrick’s grandfather, Victoriano Manteiga, who was a lector in the Morgan Cigar Factory, and was continued by his father and Tampa legend in his own right, Roland Manteiga. Patrick was associate publisher until his father’s death in 1998.

Patrick continued his father’s legacy by penning Roland Manteiga’s column, “As We Heard It,” a political gossip column that chronicles the political noteworthy and often scoops the major daily newspapers.

Patrick is active in promoting and championing Tampa’s Latin community and works hard to protect its heritage. He has been vehement in his crusade to help the mutual aid societies’ buildings by founding the preservation minded group, “Save Our Historic Buildings.”

He is president of the Cuban Club Foundation. He serves on the Hillsborough Hispanic Coalition and the Florida State Fair’s Hispanic Advisory Council. Patrick’s previous community involvement includes being a former member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Hillsborough County Schools and is a past chair of that committee. being a member of the Host Committee for the 2012 Republican National Convention, serving as a board member of the Tampa Sports Authority, where he was elected chairman and the Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC). The first board he served on was the now-closed Tampa chapter of Planned Parenthood. He has received recognition from: El Jinete de Honor Award from the Centro Asturiano, The Order of Salvador, The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, The Circulo Cubano de Tampa, Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, Inc (HBIF) and the Latin Times as a 2009 Latino Mover and Shaker.

Patrick with Rolands statue

Patrick with his father Roland’s statue in Centro Ybor.

He has received the Sam Leto Award, the Golden Quill Award from the Florida Historical Society, the Tampa Bay Hispanic Media Award and the 2001 Businessman of the Year Award from Tampa Hispanic Heritage, Inc., USF’s Community Heritage Award and was the honoree of Cigar City Magazine’s Cigars and Stars Event for his community activism. He received the Larry Jones Award for support of organized labor, the Whitney M. Young Award for community involvement and the Tony Pizzo award for preservation of Ybor City’s heritage. In June of 2012, he was awarded the Communicator of the Year award by Tampa Toastmasters.

Patrick, a staunch Democrat, is considered a local political expert, giving his insight to national media outlets such as CNN, The New York Times and the Huffington Post. He has been interviewed by the likes of Peter Jennings, Ron Reagan and Amy Goodman as well as being a regular guest on television and radio shows. Some areas of special interest to him are the Hispanic vote, redistricting, Cuba, local politics and the media.

Patrick met his wife, Angela, while attending Plant City High School. She was his prom date. They were married in 1983. He lived on an egg farm in Antioch during his teens. He worked in photography and video during school and after graduation until December of 1982, when he started working at La Gaceta. Patrick and Angela, who work in partnership at La Gaceta, have three adult children, Erin, Emily and Joseph, one of whom works at La Gaceta, making it a fourth-generation family business. He is also celebrating being a new grandfather. They live in Temple Terrace in a home with an apartment for Patrick’s mother, Peggie Schmechel, who also works at La Gaceta.

Patrick’s hobbies include disc golf, bocce ball and watching NASCAR.