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Birmingham News labeled him as "A definite burst of New York attitude mixed in with a bit of Southern hospitality”. Steve Mingolla began his career as a doorman at the world famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, CA over twenty years ago. Since then, he has performed in over forty states including Alaska and Hawaii; from comedy clubs and cruise ships to fund raisers, corporate events, theaters, civic auditoriums and The United States Military.
Steve’s act is always clean and never mean. After all, he’s The Nice Guy. His show is peppered with voices and characters covering a broad spectrum of topics on every day life. “I’m a happy guy, I smile all the time. And people always ask; why are you always smiling? So I tell them; I stopped watching the news...”
With all the pollution, disease, war, famine, fatigue and fear in the world - there are still those who see the beauty, who act with kindness and live life with hope & gratitude. Those who choose to laugh. These are the people who carry the planet, Steve Mingolla’s people. If you are one of those people, go see his show. No matter where you live, it’ll be worth the drive.
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They call him The Nice Guy. Because that's just who Steve Mingolla is. By all accounts, he is nowhere close to being a saint...even though his show is miraculous. And although you won't be saved, this show is always guaranteed to be clean and never mean.
After switching majors 3 times in the 2 years he attended Texas Tech University, Steve began to wonder where his life was headed. He had always believed there was something better out there for him other than tending bar at a local restaurant. And he wasn't going to find it in Lubbock, TX. It was at this pivotal time in his life, when Steve's father (Chief Master Sergeant Joe Mingolla of The United States Air Force) was to be stationed at Hickam AFB near Honolulu, Hawaii. As a student, Steve was permitted to go as long as he remained in school. He literally peed his pants and then immediately signed up for SCUBA diving lessons that last semester at Tech. Mingolla's Hawaiian adventure was about to begin. However, due to a fast falling GPA, transferring to The University of Hawaii was out of the question. So, they suggested that he try their smaller institution.
Now living in Hawaii, Steve was forced to enroll at Kapi`olani Community College. This beautiful campus is located on the slopes of the World Famous Diamond Head Crater near Waikiki Beach, which at the time shared property with Magnum PI Studios. Majoring in Restaurant and Hotel Management with a minor in Acting, Steve believed this would be his final destination. The acting really took hold and he was hooked. He immediately fell in love with the stage and all it had to offer. After some pretty good reviews portraying Mrs. Bellotti in the play "Hot L Baltimore", he landed his first acting gig playing a dead guy in a 5-0 Police Training video. The following semester, The University of Hawaii was holding a talent contest. Always the cut-up in class, Steve's acting coach encouraged him to enter as a comedian where he won 2nd Place. "The first bit I ever did was an impression of Popeye the Sailor and what was he smoking in that corn cob pipe". The thrill of making an audience laugh was all it took. Stand up comedy would forever change his life.
The year was 1985. Comedy clubs had already exploded across the mainland and it's popularity had reached the islands. While in college, Steve waited tables at the Shorebird Restaurant in the Outrigger Resort Hotel on Waikiki Beach. And his dream of being a comic was still just that, a dream. But as serendipity would have it, in the lobby of that same hotel, a club called The Comedy Store was about to open. Fate had intervened and Steve landed a job as doorman. Watching and learning from professional comedians every week and doing a few one-nighters around the island, Steve was given a shot as house MC. This, he knew, was his destiny and college was no longer an option.
In 1986, he packed his bags and moved to Hollywood. At the infamous Comedy Store located on the Sunset Strip, Mingo (as he was called) parked cars, took reservations and worked the door. He was in Heaven, hanging out with and learning from greats such as Dennis Miller, Louie Anderson, Rose Anne Barr, Arsenio Hall and the late Sam Kinison (just to name drop a few). One night, after an open mic spot at Igby's Comedy Club in Santa Monica, Dennis Miller offered a perspicacious critique of Steve's set. He said; "Stevie, I've been doing comedy for almost 14 years. I can say F#@k any time I want...you can't! You're a nice kid and it's uncomfortable hearing those kinds of words coming out of your mouth". It took a few years to sink in, but Mingolla eventually realized that you don't have to tell dirty jokes with explicit language to be successful in this business. And as it turns out you won't be, if you're going to be The Nice Guy.
Steve's show covers anything and everything that's funny about life. That, along with his arsenal of characters and voices gives his show a Universal appeal. The silliness of it all often makes him giggle while performing and his laughter is contagious. Steve Mingolla still views the World with a child-like innocence. He see's the good in people and lives life with hope, gratitude and kindness. "People often ask why I'm always smiling. So I tell them, I don't watch the news".
Steve has performed all over this planet. He's been in numerous television commercials including Cheerios and Very Fine juice, syndicated radio shows like John Boy and Billy and is a successful voice over artist. He performs for corporate events, benefits, military, theaters, civic auditoriums, cruise ships and as audience warm up for "The Inventure Prize" on PBS. TV appearances include; TNN's "Liars and Legends", The Comedy Channel, Comcast Comedy on Demand, and Showtime's Comedy Club Network.