Santiago Ayala
Santiago Ayala Marrero was born on March 17th, 1945, in Santurce PR to Antonio Ayala Nevarez and Josefa Ayala Marrero. He was the youngest of 7 children, 6 boys and 1 girl. Santiago's mother Josefa died shortly after giving birth to him. He was raised in Bayamon Pr by his father's sister Fela. "Chago" as he was affectionately known, loved to play baseball and play the trumpet.
At an early age, Chago wished to live with his Dad Antonio who was a mason and traveled the Carribean and US working. During this time, his Aunt Fela settled into the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. eventually Chago would end up in The Castlehill section of the Bronx living with Fela's son Quique who owned a home there with his wife Ada. Yearning for a piece of the American dream, Chago taught himself English by reading the New York Daily News and Reader's Digest. Quique's wife Ada was able to help him land a job as a maintenance Tech at Metropolitan Hosp in Manhattan where she was a Nurse. Chago would eventually take the Police Officer's exam and become a Police Officer at the Health and Hospital's Corp.
After becoming a police Officer, Chago would move to Red Hook Brooklyn where his Aunt Fela and Chago's brothers, Pedro, Carlos, and Francisco lived. This is where he met his 1st wife Margarita Ghilloty who would later become the mother of his 3 children, Richie the eldest, Daniel the middle child and Alex the youngest. Chago would retire from the city and eventually move to Palm Bay Florida where he lived until his passing from complications with Multiple Myloma in 2019. Santiago is forever entombed at St Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Palm Bay Fl.
Santiago’s life, in a printed book
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Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz
Achilipu El Gran Combo
Dad and Kassandra
The world Santiago knew
Family milestones in gold, history for context
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