Al and Frank Santariga: A Legacy of Paranormal Investigation
The Santariga brothers represent a multi-generational immersion into the unexplained, combining formal artistic training and parapsychological certification with a lifetime of field experience. Their collective work spans the breadth of high strangeness—from Sasquatch and Dogman cryptids to UFO phenomena and haunting investigations.
Al Santariga (The Squatchfather)
Al Santariga is a prominent investigator and researcher with a background rooted in the visual arts. A graduate of the Center for Media Arts in NYC with a degree in Visual Arts (Photography), he has utilized his professional eye to document decades of paranormal activity.
• Founder & Leadership: He is the driving force behind several major research organizations, serving as the Founder and Director of the Bronxville Paranormal Society, the New York State UFO Project, the New York State Sasquatch Organization, and the New York State Dogman Project.
• Specializations: His expertise covers the full spectrum of the paranormal, identifying as a Cryptozoologist, Ufologist, and Experiencer. He previously served as the New York State and Region 3 Director for the North American Dogman Project.
• Media & Public Presence: Al has appeared in numerous independent documentaries and network television programs. His media work also includes co-directing a mountain biking commercial and appearing in a Country Music Television (CMT) video. He was a co-host of the Beyond the Realm digital radio network and has been profiled in publications such as The Gothamist, The Danbury News-Times, and New York’s Outdoor News.
• Intuitive Background: Coming from a family of "sensitives"—including a psychic mother and practitioners of various traditions—Al claims a comprehensive range of psychic abilities (the "Clairs"), including clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience.
Frank R. Santariga
Frank Santariga is a distinguished independent investigator and one of the first parapsychologists in the United States. His career is defined by a rigorous, data-driven approach to the study of haunting phenomena and aerial anomalies.
• Academic & Professional Pedigree: Frank received his certification from the American Parapsychological Research Institute in Sherman Oaks, California.
• Mentorship & Practice: Early in his career, he was mentored by James McDermot, the former director of the Institute. Together, they collaborated on extensive case files throughout the New England area. Following McDermot's retirement in 1979, Frank established his own independent practice.
• Authorship & Expertise: With over 30 years in the field, Frank has authored the book Paranormal Family & Friends. Member of Michigan Mufon.Though largely retired from full-time field research, he remains a consultant and lecturer, offering expert insight into complex cases of ghost phenomena and UFOs.
Shared Family Roots
The brothers' work is deeply influenced by a unique family lineage of intuitive abilities:
• The Mother: A psychic.
• The Grandmother & Aunt: Practitioners of white witchcraft.
• Sister: A sensitive and intuitive.
• The Extended Family: Includes practitioners across various traditions, creating a household environment where the paranormal was a lived reality.
Together, the Santariga brothers bridge the gap between early 20th-century parapsychological study and modern-day cryptid and UFO research, maintaining a significant presence in the Hudson Valley and the broader New York research community.