Saundra Santiago (born April 13, 1957) is an American actress….who is best known for her role as Detective Gina Calabrese on the hit 1980’s television show Miami Vice…..while also spending three years playing the role of crime boss Carmen Santos on the long-running CBS soap opera Guiding Light. She appeared simultaneously in a recurring role on The Sopranos as Tony Soprano’s next door neighbor, Jeannie Cusamano, and as her twin sister, Joan. Saundra also had a role in the movie Beat Street (1984) as Carmen Carraro, the girlfriend of Ramo the graffiti artist….and appeared as teacher Louisa Rodriguez in the made-for-TV film sequel To Sir, with Love II (1996), opposite Sidney Poitier.
Additionally, on television, Santiago joined the cast ABC soap opera One Life to Live in the role of Carlotta Vega after leaving Guiding Light. She remained with the show until it ended in 2011. She was a guest star on Law & Order in the 1992 episode “Prince of Darkness” ….and in the 2004 episode “Veteran’s Day”. In 2009, she returned to One Life to Live, taking over the role of Carlotta Vega. In 2011, she took a guest role as Patti D’agostino in the Person of Interest episode Witness. In 2014, she portrayed Marciela Acosta, the wife of gang leader Javier Acosta, in the Fox TV Series Gang Related. In 2016, she played the role of Carmen Baez the mother of Detective Maria Baez in “Stomping Grounds”the 13th episode of the 6th season of the CBS police procedural drama Blue Bloods.
In this video herewith, Saundra Santiago sings the National Anthem at Game 3 of the 1986 MLB World Series between the Red Sox verses the Mets.
