igr ated ▁from ▁the ▁Az ores ▁to ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁Area . ▁The ▁patri arch ▁of ▁the ▁family , ▁Manuel , ▁began ▁making ▁his ▁own ▁fire works ▁out ▁of ▁his ▁home ▁and ▁firing ▁shows ▁for ▁local ▁Portuguese ▁community ▁festiv als . ▁As ▁his ▁business ▁began ▁to ▁grow , ▁the ▁entire ▁family ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁fire works , ▁en abling ▁him ▁to ▁pass ▁his ▁trade ▁and ▁" cook book " ▁down ▁generation ally . ▁ ▁Manuel ' s ▁son , ▁Alfred , ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁when ▁W W II ▁broke ▁out ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁chem istry ▁and ▁py rote chn ic ▁skills ▁he ▁had ▁gained ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁enter prise . ▁After ▁his ▁release ▁from ▁the ▁service , ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁shoot ▁local ▁fire works ▁shows ▁throughout ▁California . ▁ ▁Company ▁formation ▁Alfred ' s ▁son , ▁Bob ▁Sou za , ▁followed ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁foot steps , ▁eventually ▁creating ▁Py ro ▁Spect ac ular s ▁by ▁Sou za ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁Bob ▁was ▁a ▁two - time ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Py rote chn ics ▁Association ▁and ▁the ▁recip ient ▁of ▁its ▁lifetime ▁achiev ement ▁award . ▁His ▁son , ▁Jim ▁Sou za , ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁president ▁and ▁CE O ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁Py ro ▁Spect ac ular ▁by ▁Sou za ▁is ▁currently ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁py rote chn ics ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁producing