Born in Brooklyn on June 9, 1931, the same day his father died. His mother Rose (née Sarno), sold olive oil and eventually became a nightclub owner and singer in New York City and Havana. She later married Puerto Rican-born Daniel Santos, and Joe took his name.
In 1958, Santos met and married Maria Montero while he was in Cuba.
Santos was a football player at Fordham University, and even turned semi-pro, before finding a new avenue in acting. He struggled in show Business, and worked blue-collar jobs until his friend Al Pacino helped him get a role in the 1971 movie The Panic in Needle Park.
From 1974–1980, Santos played LAPD Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Dennis Becker, the friend of the easy going ex-convict-turned-private investigator Jim Rockford (played by James Garner) in The Rockford Files, and Lt. Frank Harper in the TV series Hardcastle and McCormick (1985–86).
In 1980, Santos played Norman Davis in the NBC comedy Me and Maxx. In 1984, he portrayed Domingo Rivera on the ABC comedy A.K.A. Pablo.
He had brief parts in several lesser-known films, and made a number of guest appearances on television shows throughout his acting career, frequently in the stock character role of a police officer. He also appeared on The Sopranos as Angelo Garepe in seven 2004 episodes. From 1978-80 Santos appeared on the CBS game show The Match Game, always sitting in the top left seat. He appeared in numerous episodes and was usually comic foil to Brett Somers.
Santos had a heart attack in March 2016 and died a few days later at the age of 84.
