SAUNDRA SANTIAGO

Saundra Santiago made her first appearance on Guiding Light on January 8, 1999. She originated the role of Carmen Santos, a powerful woman whose vendetta against her son's murderer drastically alters the course of many who reside in Springfield. Saundra was born on April 13 1957,in Bronx, New York, but was raised in Homestead,Florida.

She attended the University of Miami where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She also received a Master of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University. Saundra also performs her own nightclub act.

Saundra has appeared on numerous television shows, Miami Vice, The Sopranos, New York Undercover, Law and Order, To Sir with Love II, Edna Buchanan, With Hostile Intent, and also film appearances, High Life, Nick and Jane, Carlito's Way, Beat Street, End of August. Saundra's Broadway Credits include, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Smile, A View From the Bridge, as well as Theater Credits, Hello Again, Bedfellows, The Young Girl, the Monsoon, Spike Heels,and Evita.

Saundra married musician Roger Squitero on November 21, 1999. The couple honeymooned on Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico.

Saundra Santiago has created a new, wonderful character, named Carmen Santos, and has brought her to Springfield. Saundra Santiago's character makes the devil himself look like an angel. The power, motivation, and enthusiasm she has brought to Guiding Light is absolutely outstanding. Many people were skeptical about a mob family entering Springfield, and being run by a woman, but what you are about to read will make you realize the whole meaning of the mob family, and the talent that Saundra has brought to the show. So put on your glasses and a bullet proof vest, and read all about, Ms. Carmen Santos, in distress.

Welcome to the Life of Carmen Santos

Carmen Santos came into the lives of many people in Springfield, on January 8th, 1999. She was the mother of Danny Santos and the deceased, Mick Santos. Carmen wanted revenge on the person who killed her son, and set out to find the murderer. Her other son, Danny, also began his search and found out a girl named, Michelle Bauer, had been responsible for his brother's death. He told his mother, and she ordered him to kill her. Little did she know, her son had other plans in mind for Michelle.

Within the weeks that Danny was searching for his brother's murderer, he befriended Michelle, and had strong feelings for her. Instead of killing Michelle, the two of them pretended that Danny killed her, and then the two of them eloped.

When Danny brought Michelle home to momma, she was furious. She wanted Michelle dead right then, and wondered why she wasn't already dead. When Danny told Carmen that the two of them had married, Carmen flipped out. But she couldn't do anything to Michelle, because the she was married to Danny, and she was now family, and family doesn't kill family.

Carmen was furious, and wanted Michelle and Danny to be divorced, but didn't know how to break them up. Soon, Carmen's daughter, Pilar, came to Springfield. Carmen was upset that her daughter was back in Springfield, because she didn't want Pilar involved in the family business.

Soon, Carmen fell in love. Something this didn't think she could ever do again, after the death of her husband. She fell in love with Ben Warren. Ben and her were great together. No two people deserved each other more. Her family was furious with her for getting involved with Ben, and Danny moved out of the house because of him. Carmen found out, from Pilar, that even though Ben was living with her, he was still keeping his apartment that he used to live in. When she found out he was a father to Drew Jacobs, she wasn't happy, and confronted him about the apartment, in his apartment.

While there, Carmen and Ben fought, and made up, and as she was going to lie down on the couch, she found her daughters diary stuffed in the side of the couch. She opened it, and began to read it. She became very furious, when she found out that her daughter was in love with him. Little did she know, it was a set up by Pilar, to get Ben out of their lives.

Carmen confronted Pilar and Ben, and Pilar told her how much she loved Ben, and how she wanted him. Carmen became outraged by this. On the day that Drew won custody of Max, Carmen was suppose to meet Ben at Tower's downstairs. When he never showed she became curious. She went home to see if he was there, and Grandma Santos said he was at the apartment, and Pilar was going there too.

Carmen became curious, and went to Ben's apartment. When she opened the door, she saw Ben on top of Pilar. Pilar came running at her, saying Ben was attacking her. Carmen pulled out a gun, and shot Ben. Thinking she had killed him, Pilar and her left the crime scene. Pilar told Carmen that this was a setup, and Carmen became very angry, but used this as a way to get Michelle out of their lives. She planted bloody gloves in Michelle's room, and the cops came and found them. Michelle was arrested, and taken to jail. Everything was going great, until Carmen learned that there were two shots. That means that someone else, besides her, shot Ben, and killed him. She needed to find out who the other shooter was.

As Carmen began talking with Matt Reardon, she learned about Vanessa's condition. She sooned figured out that it was Vanessa that shot Ben the second time. She made a promise to keep Vanessa quiet. When Vanessa woke up from her coma, Carmen was about to give Vanessa a sedative to make her go into a coma again, when Edmund walked in. He later gave Vanessa the sedative, and used it to get what he wanted from Vanessa.

Carmen had payed off a witness to say that she saw Michelle, outside of Ben's apartment, the day of his murder. Michelle found this witness, and the witness told Michelle, that she hadn't seen her and it was set up. The witness, Ruth, was about to call the DA, but Carmen walked in and stopped her. She made Ruth testify against Michelle at Michelle's trial.

Ruth testified against Michelle on stand, so that she could save herself, and her little boy. This was a bad turn of events for Michelle, because with this witness, she and her lawyer thought they could get Michelle out of jail.

Carmen then pulled one of her dirty tricks. She was called up on stand and was asked questions. When asked questions about Michelle, she told everyone how she didn't think Michelle could do this to Ben, because of it being her best friends father. When asked why she didn't think Michelle could do it, she told them cause Michelle was nice, and forgiving, and wouldn't do that. But Carmen was up to her old tricks, and had given the prosecuting lawyers a piece of paper, that told them to ask her about Mick Santos' death. When Carmen was aked about her son's death, she reacted badly, and said this wasn't right, they couldn't do this to her. But then she testified that Michelle had killed her son Mick, so that she was capable of killing someone, and could do it again.

Michelle was accused of murder, and sentenced to prison. This made Carmen very happy, but she had one thing to worry about. This was her daughter, Pilar. Pilar knew the truth, so Carmen had to shut her up. She put her in a psychward, and locked her up. But little did Carmen know, that the psychward wouldn't hold Pilar long. Pilar's boyfriend, Bill Lewis, disguised himself as a doctor, and broke Pilar out. When Carmen went to visit Pilar at the hospital, she found out that Pilar was no longer there. She became very aggitated, and violent, and the psychward ended up locking her up. Father Ray came and signed papers, so that Carmen would stay in the psychward.

But that didn't hold long, and Carmen was once again out and running loose. She needed to find Vanessa, because if she ever came to, she would spill everything. When she found Vanessa, she wanted to kill her, and get rid of her. But things didn't work out the way she had planned, and Vanessa had Carmen at gunpoint. Carmen finally confessed to shooting Ben, and setting Michelle up for his murder. Michelle and Vanessa were cleared of Ben's murder, and Carmen was locked in jail.

Throughout all this time, Carmen was forming a relationship with Prince Edmund. Their relationship would go back and forth, and Edmund would see all different sides of Carmen. For right now, they have a relationship, for how long, nobody knows.

While Carmen was in jail, she learned that she was going to be a grandmother, but that she can't do anything because she is locked in jail.

After Carmen was jailed for the murder of Ben Warren,the Feds offered her a deal of turning states evidence against the other crime families.At first Carmen was hesitant to go thru with it, Danny convinced her that she should do it

Carmen wanted to spend one last night with her children before she went into the witness program.Danny convinced Frank Copper that Carmen was on the up and up about this,so he relented and allowed Carmen to visit with her family at the Bauer's.

Michelle and Claire returned back to the Bauer house after Carmen had arrived,Carmen asked Michelle if she could talk to her in private. Michelle and Carmen went outside and Carmen told Michelle she had something she wanted to give her. Carmen was opening her purse went Carmen was shot. Everyone come running out of the house and Claire checked Carmen and told them to call 911.Carmen asked Danny if this is what he wanted aand Danny said over and over again how sorry he was and that he loved her. Claire gave Carmen a shot and then told Danny how sorry she was.

Many of us have our doubts about Carmen's demise.Did Carmen and Claire set this whole process up and want us to think she was dead ? There are many unanswered questions that have to be answered. Until they are answered I am waiting for my Mob Mama to come home and claim what is hers...