George Santos

Birth Name: George Anthony Devolder Santos

Date of Birth: July 22, 1988

Ethnicity: Brazilian [Portuguese, Flemish Belgian, Italian, other]

George Santos is an American politician and businessperson. A Republican, he has served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York, since January 3, 2023.

He is the son of Fátima Aziza Caruso Horta Devolder, a migrant worker, housekeeper, cook, and nanny, and Gercino Antônio dos Santos, Jr., a house painter. His parents were Brazilian emigrants, from Rio de Janeiro.

George has said that his father is Catholic and his mother was Jewish, and regularly described himself as both a Catholic and a non-practicing Jew. He has stated that his maternal grandparents were Ukrainian Jews who fled/survived the Holocaust, among similar statements about them being Jewish and/or WWII refugees.

Research conducted by newspapers and genealogists in December 2022 indicates that his maternal grandparents were Brazilian natives, who were not Jewish, and that his statements about his mother’s family’s Jewish and Eastern European history were invented.

He has also said that he has paternal Angolan ancestry.

George’s maternal grandfather was Paulo Horta Devolder (the son of Leonard Antoine Ludovicus Thomas Horta Devolder and Maria Victória Alexandra/Alexandria Da Fonseca). Paulo was Brazilian. Leonard was born in Flanders, Belgium, the son of Marinus Johannes/Marin Jean Horta, who was born in Brugge, and of Ludovica/Louise Marie Devoldere, who was born in Tielt. He moved to Brazil in 1884, and founded a school in Petrópolis. George’s great-grandmother Maria was Brazilian, and was the daughter of Manoels Joao da Fonseca and Mariana Carolina Mendes.

George’s maternal grandmother was Rosalina Caruso Horta (the daughter of Vicente Caruso and Alzira Sant’anna Horta). Rosalina was born in Rio de Janeiro. Vicente was the son of Domingos Caruso and Philomena Sangenita. Alzira was the daughter of Joaquim Jose Sant’anna and Maria Rosa.

Sources: Family histories of George Santos questioning his statements – https://forward.com
https://forward.com
https://www.cnn.com
https://nymag.com

Obituary of George’s mother – https://www.dignitymemorial.com

Genealogy of George’s maternal grandfather, Paulo Horta Devolder – https://gw.geneanet.org