Juan Bautista Garcia
Encyclopedia
Juan Bautista Garcia born Jean Baptiste Romanacce, was a Corsica
n immigrant to Puerto Rico
whose life and family became the inspiration for one of Puerto Rico's most successful television shows in history, Los Garcia
.
.
His mother died when Bautista Garcia was only eight years old, and Bautista Garcia had to begin working to earn a living. His parents were very rich; Bautista Garcia as a child could not manage the family's fortune and thus he actually became a homeless person for some time. At the age of thirteen, he got on a vehicle driven by bulls, and arrived in San Juan
.
Bautista Garcia became a YMCA
resident in San Juan. At the YMCA, he learned various skills, such as plumbing
, painting and other jobs. Bautista Garcia became a noted artist in Puerto Rico's capital, although he never gained national or international fame with his paintings.
Juan Bautista Garcia got married to Josefina Santiago, with whom he had several children. Soon, he met television and radio producer Tomas Muniz
, one of the most well known producers in Puerto Rico then. During the 1940s, Bautista Garcia travelled across the island with Mr. Muniz, helping him with the production of concerts, plays, and other events. Sometimes Bautista Garcia would help Muniz for free, other times for such goods as animals, and, less often, for money. Eventually, the money he did earn allowed him to buy a residence for him and his family at the Valencia urbanization in Rio Piedras, a large San Juan suburb. Tomas Muniz's sisters became his neighbors at Valencia, and Bautista Garcia met Mr. Muniz's son, Tommy Muniz
, who also gained a lot of appreciation towards Bautista Garcia.
One fact that got Tommy Muniz's attention was that the Bautista Garcia's had weekly meetings, held on Sundays, and that sometimes as many as thirty family members would reunite. Rafo Muniz
, Tommy Muniz's son, befriended Godofredo Garcia, whose character he would go on to play at the series.
Towards his later years, Tomas Bautista Garcia was hired by a college in San Juan to paint a mural on its interior. Since Tommy Muniz's children as well as those of Tomas Muniz's adoptive sisters attended that school, Tommy Muniz saw the paintings and he became inspired by them.
As a consequence, the television series, Los Garcia was connceptuated by Muniz and later on, shown on television since 1975, shortly after Juan Bautista Garcia had died. Tommy Muniz played Juan Bautista Garcia in the series.hi
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
n immigrant to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
whose life and family became the inspiration for one of Puerto Rico's most successful television shows in history, Los Garcia
Los García
Los García was a Puerto Rican television comedy sitcom from the 1970s. Shown weekly on Ricavision channel 7, it depicted the life of a fictional family called Los García. The family was based on a real life family...
.
Biography
Juan Bautista Garcia's father died before he immigrated to Puerto Rico in 1906, at the age of two. Bautista Garcia and the rest of his family settled in the southern city of GuayamaGuayama, Puerto Rico
Guayama is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded on January 29, 1736 and located on the Southern Coastal Valley region, bordering the Caribbean, south of Cayey; east of Salinas; and west of Patillas and Arroyo. Guayama is spread over 9 wards and Guayama Pueblo...
.
His mother died when Bautista Garcia was only eight years old, and Bautista Garcia had to begin working to earn a living. His parents were very rich; Bautista Garcia as a child could not manage the family's fortune and thus he actually became a homeless person for some time. At the age of thirteen, he got on a vehicle driven by bulls, and arrived in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
.
Bautista Garcia became a YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
resident in San Juan. At the YMCA, he learned various skills, such as plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
, painting and other jobs. Bautista Garcia became a noted artist in Puerto Rico's capital, although he never gained national or international fame with his paintings.
Juan Bautista Garcia got married to Josefina Santiago, with whom he had several children. Soon, he met television and radio producer Tomas Muniz
Tomas Muñiz
Tomás Muñiz Souffront was a well known Puerto Rican radio and television producer. He is sometimes respectfully called by the general public in Puerto Rico as Don Tomás Muñiz, to differentiate him from his namesake and son, Tommy MuñizAs a young man, Tomás Muñiz worked as a real estate agent, and...
, one of the most well known producers in Puerto Rico then. During the 1940s, Bautista Garcia travelled across the island with Mr. Muniz, helping him with the production of concerts, plays, and other events. Sometimes Bautista Garcia would help Muniz for free, other times for such goods as animals, and, less often, for money. Eventually, the money he did earn allowed him to buy a residence for him and his family at the Valencia urbanization in Rio Piedras, a large San Juan suburb. Tomas Muniz's sisters became his neighbors at Valencia, and Bautista Garcia met Mr. Muniz's son, Tommy Muniz
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
, who also gained a lot of appreciation towards Bautista Garcia.
One fact that got Tommy Muniz's attention was that the Bautista Garcia's had weekly meetings, held on Sundays, and that sometimes as many as thirty family members would reunite. Rafo Muniz
Rafo Muñiz
Rafo Muñiz is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, director and, more notably, producer of television shows and concerts.The son of legendary comic actor and producer Tommy Muñiz and brother of Pedro Muñiz; who is also a producer and actor, Rafo began acting as the young neighbor of M\"Miguel" in ...
, Tommy Muniz's son, befriended Godofredo Garcia, whose character he would go on to play at the series.
Towards his later years, Tomas Bautista Garcia was hired by a college in San Juan to paint a mural on its interior. Since Tommy Muniz's children as well as those of Tomas Muniz's adoptive sisters attended that school, Tommy Muniz saw the paintings and he became inspired by them.
As a consequence, the television series, Los Garcia was connceptuated by Muniz and later on, shown on television since 1975, shortly after Juan Bautista Garcia had died. Tommy Muniz played Juan Bautista Garcia in the series.hi