Silvio Santos, whose real name was Senor Abravanel, was born to Sephardic Jewish immigrants. His father, Alberto Abravanel, was born in Thessalonica, Greece, in 1897.
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His mother, Rebecca Caro, was born in Smyrna, Turkey, in 1905. Both of his parents eventually settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they lived until their deaths. Alberto Abravanel passed away in 1975, and Rebecca Caro passed away in 1988. They are both buried side by side in the Caju Jewish Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro.
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Image Credit: UOL
In 1976, Santos began his quest to establish his television network, and by 1981, he had succeeded in launching TVS in São Paulo. This network rapidly expanded to become what is now known as SBT, a television giant in Brazil. Under his leadership, SBT became synonymous with innovative programming, and Santos hosted the second-longest-running Brazilian television program, Programa Silvio Santos, which first aired in 1963.
In addition to his media ventures, Santos was an active participant in politics, even running for president in 1989. His media empire, Grupo Silvio Santos, grew to encompass 44 companies by 2008, with interests ranging from agribusiness to banking and hospitality.
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