Chalino began to earn money through his compositions and would be gifted with guns and 'presents' by his customers. He began to compose songs for his fellow inmates and anyone that had a story worth telling. In 1984, Armando was shot and killed in a hotel in Tijuana, which inspired Chalino to compose his first corrido, or ballad. They were married until Chalino Sanchez's death in 1992. They married with their son, Adán Sánchez, on the way and had a second child, Cynthia Sanchez. Ĭhalino met Marisela Vallejos through his cousin, Rosalba in 1984 they married in a simple and intimate wedding. He also helped his older brother, Armando, run an immigrant-smuggling operation. He washed dishes, sold cars, and, according to his friends, dealt small quantities of marijuana and cocaine. He began in Oregon and later moved to Los Angeles to live with his aunt in Inglewood, California. The same year, Chalino himself crossed into the United States as an undocumented migrant worker. During his time in Tijuana, he worked as a "coyote" (an immigrant smuggler), bringing immigrants into the United States. After committing this act, Sanchez left for Tijuana with his gun and a Jesús Malverde chain. Two years later in 1977, a 17-year-old Chalino saw the man at a party and allegedly shot him in revenge, killing him.
In 1975 when he was 15, his sister was raped by "Chapo" Perez, a rich and dangerous man. His birth name is Rosalino, but he later changed it to his nickname Chalino. His sister, Juana, called him a curious and mischievous child who always dreamed about becoming a singer. Chalino grew up poor and lived a difficult life. His parents were Santos Sanchez (?–1964) and Senorina Felix (?–1991). Rosalino Sánchez Félix was born on "Las Flechas", a small ranch in Sinaloa, Mexico.