Reni Santoni

Birth Name: Reinaldo Santoni

Date of Birth: April 21, 1938

Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: August 1, 2020

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: Puerto Rican [Spanish, smaller amounts of Corsican and Sicilian Italian, possibly other]

Reni Santoni was an American actor and writer. He appeared in the films Enter Laughing, Dirty Harry, Cobra, and Private Parts (1997), and on the shows Sanchez of Bel Air, Seinfeld, Midnight Caller, and Murder One.

Reni was the son of Puerto Rican parents, Esther Sierra Uson and Teodoro/Theodore Santoni Gonzalez. He was married to Lisa James, and had a son.

Reni’s paternal grandfather was Renardo “Renaldo” Santoni y Díaz (the son of Bartolomé Santoni y Battistini and Gumersinda Diaz Brignoni). Renardo was born in Puerto Rico. Bartolomé was born in Corsica, France, the son of Angel Santo Santoni Massei and Gratia Maria Battistini Alessandri. Gumersinda was born in Puerto Rico, the daughter of Antonio Diaz y Arce and Carmen Brignoni Estin. Carmen’s father, Jose Francisco Brignoni Pravia, was Sicilian, and Carmen’s mother, Maria Isabel Estin, likely also had an Italian father.

Reni’s paternal grandmother María González y Cumba (the daughter of Genaro “Jenaro” González and Eulogia Cumba). María was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico.

Reni’s maternal grandfather was Marcelino Sierra Acosta (the son of Leonardo Sierra Baez and Victoria Acosta Luyanda). Marcelino was born in Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Leonardo was the son of Isidro Sierra Figueroa and Rosa Baez.

Reni’s maternal grandmother was Amalia Uson Cortes (the daughter of Jacinto Uson and Martina Cortes). Amalia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Sources: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com

Genealogy of Reni Santoni – https://www.familysearch.org