Cayetano Santos Godino was born on October 31, 1896, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was one of eight boys in his family. His parents, Fiore Godino and Lucia Ruffo, were immigrants from Italy. They came to Argentina hoping for a better life. However, both of them struggled with alcoholism, and Cayetano’s father had health issues that affected the family. Fiore contracted syphilis before Cayetano was born, which led to many health problems in Cayetano's childhood.

Growing up, Cayetano showed early signs of troubling behavior. He often hurt animals, killing cats and birds, and took pleasure in starting fires. His violent actions and disinterest in learning made it difficult for him to stay in one school; he was frequently moving from place to place. At the age of seven, he got into trouble for hurting a much younger child named Miguel de Paoli. An official saw what happened and brought them both to the police station, where their mothers came to collect them later.

The following year, at eight years old, he attacked another child, a girl named Ana Neri, hitting her with a stone. Although a police officer intervened, Cayetano was released because he was too young to be held responsible. When he was ten years old, his parents became increasingly frustrated with Cayetano’s behavior, especially concerning his compulsive habits. In a difficult situation, his father decided to report him to the police, leading to a two-month stay in jail.

In 1906, when Cayetano was just ten, he committed his first murder, although it went unnoticed at that time. He killed a three-year-old girl named Maria Rosa Face and later confessed to it, but at the time, the act did not draw attention. The authorities received a complaint about her disappearance, but the investigation did not lead to any answers.

Cayetano Santos Godino's crime spree began with his first known murder in 1906 when he killed a three-year-old girl named Maria Rosa Face. This murder went unnoticed at the time. His violent behavior escalated over the years, leading to multiple attacks on children and arson.

On January 17, 1912, Cayetano set fire to a warehouse on Corrientes Street. When the police arrested him, he expressed a disturbing fascination with firefighters. A few days later, on January 26, 1912, the body of 13-year-old Arturo Laurona was found in an abandoned house.

On March 7, 1912, he set fire to the dress of a five-year-old girl named Reyna Vainicoff, who later died from her injuries. By late September 1912, he attempted to ignite a railway station. That fire was extinguished without severe damage.

Cayetano's violent acts continued. On November 8, 1912, he tried to choke an eight-year-old boy named Roberto Russo. He was arrested for attempted murder but was released until the trial. Less than a week later, he assaulted a three-year-old girl named Carmen Ghittoni, causing her minor wounds. On November 20, 1912, he kidnapped two-year-old Carolina Neolener, but she was rescued by a neighbor.

The most shocking of his crimes occurred on December 3, 1912. He enticed a three-year-old boy named Jesualdo Giordano into a country house with promises of sweets. Inside, he attempted to strangle Jesualdo and then he tied him up. After deciding to use a nail, Cayetano broke into Jesualdo's skull. He hid the body, which was discovered by the boy's father shortly after. Cayetano was arrested early the next morning, December 4, 1912, and he confessed to his actions.

He was sent to a reformatory in January 1913, where he continued to display violent behavior. Medical reports labeled him as insane, leading to further complications in his legal case. He was eventually moved to jail in November 1915, and in March 1923, he was transferred to Ushuaia Penitentiary.

Cayetano spent years in prison. In 1933, he was hospitalized after being beaten by fellow inmates. From 1935 until his death on November 15, 1944, he suffered from various health issues and received no visitors. His death was surrounded by speculation, and when the prison was demolished years later, his bones were found to be missing. To this day, no remains have been discovered.