Hall Of Fame                             Florida State Horseshoe Pitchers Assn., Inc.                                             Mike Tatonetti                                                    2008 Born:  May 18, 1929   in Cleveland, Ohio Wife:   Lois;  Married to Lois for 48 years and they have six children. Mr. Tatonetti was General Manager of the biggest independent grocery warehouse in the state of Ohio (Seaway Foods) for eighteen years.  Mr. Tatonetti retired from his Electrical Co. in 1994. Michael Started playing horseshoe when he was six years old in the schoolyards in Cleveland, Ohio. He won the city of Cleveland Schoolyard horseshoe Championship three times. When he was sixteen he started playing horseshoes at the county fairgrounds and won many tournaments. He later joined the NHPA and played in many tournaments in Ohio. He organized several horseshoe leagues in the state of Ohio.
		He moved to The Villages and became heavily involved in promoting competitive horseshoes. 1995 Mr. Tatonetti had the horseshoe courts repaired at the Villages to meet NHPA requirements. He installed two new courts for a total of twelve. He started horseshoe leagues at the Villages, Ladies on Tues., Men on Wed. and traveling league on Thurs. At one time he had 40 ladies pitching in a ladies league at the Villages.  1996 he suprvised the onstallation of 30 new courts in other locations in the Villages so they could have many more players playing the game of horseshoes. 1999 he started a FSHPA charter club at the Villages, holding NHPA sanctioned tournaments and regoined the NHPA. He was tournament director at The Villages for seven years.  State director for the Special Olympics in horseshoes, and did this for the next six years. 2001 he was selected Outstanding Member of the year for the Florida Horseshpe Pitching Assn. He was tournament Director for the Big Sun Senior Games of Ocala at the Villages and did this for four years. 2002 was Florida Horseshoe State Tournament Director for the Senior Games for five consecutive years.  He also was State Champion in his age group and qualified for the National Senior Games twice. He supervised the installation of 12 new courts with blue clay in Ft. Myers, FL for the 2006 Senior Games.  He was tournament director for the Senior Games at The Villages for the next six years. He worked with Joanne Simpson and Lou Robison at the Villages and Beverly Hills, teaching them how to run sanctioned tournaments using the HSmaster program. 2004 moved to On Top Of The World in Ocala, FL. and started a horseshoe club, which later in 2007 became a FSHPA charter club. He is one of the few to start two new clubs in the state of Fl. He was elected second vice president of the FSHPA but had to resign due to serious health reasons. He also helped with computer stats at several State Tournaments. 2006 helped Joe Deshaies of the Brooksville horseshoe club with the horseshoe computer program and was tournament dorector for one tournament. Mike's help allowed them to continue holding sanctioned tournaments. 2007 started the FSHPA charter club at The Top Of The World, a sanctioned league and held three NHPA sanctioned tournaments during the 2007/2008 season. Mike has been an FSHPA member for nine years and a NHPA member for approximately twenty nine years. Mr. Tatonetti has been unwavering in his time, hard work and own finances in support of horseshoes.  In the last nine years Michael is at the top of the list in bringing new members to the FSHPA. Michael's dedication to organized horseshoes makes him well deserved of this award.