 Santaella was born on October 4, 1924 in New York City, though she was raised by her mother and relatives in Puerto Rico.She graduated from Modern Business College in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1942, and studied pre-med thereafter at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.Upon returning to New York and working as a licensed accountant, Santaella earn a bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1957 before completing her legal education at Brooklyn Law School in 1961.