Heriberto Santos:
Heriberto, also known as El Jefe, Herbie or Papa, is the second generation of bakers in the Santos family. A second generation Cuban, of Northern Spaniard decent., Herbie was born on June 4, 1924, in La Esperanza, Cuba, to Rosa and Nicholas Santos. The oldest of two children, he has a younger brother, Genaro. Heriberto came to the United States, via Ellis Island at the tender age of twelve. He lived in the Bronx with this Aunt and Uncle, Rosa and Jose, and worked in the family bakery.
In 1942, at the age of 18, he became a US citizen and joined the Army to fight in the European campaign of World War II. The young soldier saw action in Germany, Poland, France, Austria and Russia and was involved in the Liberation of Auschwitz.
Returning to the Bronx at the end of the war, found Heriberto right back were he started - at the family bakery - where he remained until 1949 when he branched out and opened his own business. From Wilkins Avenue in the Bronx, to its present location on West Forest Avenue in Englewood, New Jersey, one thing remains constant about this family bakery - Herbie is on duty everyday!
At the age of 87, and still in good health, El Jefe still comes to work daily, rain, sleet or snow. Unless he's traveling to his second bakery, Palmer Bakery in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, where he enjoys not only dabbling in the bread and good food of the Caribbean, but gets to do it on the beautiful island that is so reminiscent of his native Cuba.
Behind every great man is a great woman.
The saying definitely holds true at La Esperanza! On October 6, 1951, Heriberto married Margarita Granja, a Gallega, also from Hunt's Point in the Bronx.
Born on March 8, 1930, in Staten Island, New York, to Genoveva and Enrique Granja from Galicia, Spain, Margarita was the 7th of 8 children. She spent her early childhood in West Virginia and returned to New York as a young girl. She graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx and later attended college to pursue a degree in education. At nearly 82, Margarita is still a whirl-wind of energy and high spirit!
Whether called Margarita, Margie, Rita or Mama, this is the woman behind El Jefe and second in command at La Esperanza. Although she worked as a Special Education teacher before retiring in 1989, she always has kept her finger on the pulse of La Esperanza. Together, the couple has built a small family "empire", complete with two daughters, [Elena, 1956 and Gena, 1962], sons in law (Frank and Peter) and four grandsons (Matthew, Joshua and Jacob and Alejandro). Those branches of the family tree are the ones carrying on the business today.
But at the helm are: Heriberto and Margarita
The driving forces at La Esperanza.
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