Roberto Mongardi was born in Moshi (Tanzania) in 1955 and family was in East Africa for four generations. After Nyerere's Arusha declaration in 1967 his father left East Africa to go back to Italy for good.

One of his brothers and Roberto were at St Mary's in Nairobi from 1963 to 1967. 

His elder brother Massimo played hockey with Adrian Luckhurst and they were both in Champion house.

His brother Massimo died in Rome in 1987 due to a sudden brain aneurysm.

Now lives in Pesaro (Italy)