José Santa was born on 25 December 1902 in Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal. He was an actor, known for The Comeback (1930). He was married to Mary Loreto de Oliveira. He died on 5 April 1968 in Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal.
Santa Camarão was a stevedore in Lisbon, Portugal, when he first watched a boxing match at Coliseu dos Recreios. The winner of the match sent a defiance to the public: he would give his match purse to anyone in the audience who would beat him. Santa's friends pushed him up into the ring, he was easily knocked down by the professional boxer, but stood up and next with a single punch, won by TKO.