| Mike Pingitore | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Date: | October 14, 1888 |
| Birth Place: | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Death Place: | North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Banjo |
| Years Active: | 1919–1948 |
| Associated Acts: | Paul Whiteman |
[1] Michael "Mike" Pingitore (or Pingatore; October 14, 1888– October 30, 1952) was a member of Paul Whiteman's Orchestra.[2] Whiteman discovered him playing tenor banjo and he became part of the rhythm section for his newly-formed band for the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles (later known as the original Whiteman band),[3] playing there for its entire existence (1919–1948) except for a brief period in 1923 due to illness. Pingitore played banjo on Art Mooney's "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", which was a number one hit on the Billboard magazine pop chart in 1948.[4] He was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2005.[5]
