Paul Borra was born in Piemonte, Italy, son of Giacomo Borra (1839-1886) & Francesca Beretta (1845-1880). He had two full siblings, Teresa Martina Giulia Borra (1866-1866) and Giovanni Borra (1869-1870), and four half siblings: Theresa Emilia Borra-Bolocca (1874-1952 NM, F.A.G. 16480023), Giovanni Borra (1882-1889 Italy), Antonio Borra (1883-1940 CA, F.A.G 190264205), and Francisco Borra (1886-1889 Italy). In short, his only 2 siblings that lived to adulthood were Theresa and Antonio and they all immigrated to the NM/CA areas and stayed in communication.

Paul arrived in the Port of NY in 1891. In 1983, he married Maria Lucia Giachino in Osage City, KS where they got by living with her parents. In 1903, Paul Borra is seen in the Osage paper as buying and selling stock; making his seed money. By 1910 census, the growing family resides in Gibson, McKinley, NM and they run a boarding house and Maria does the cooking. In about 1915, Paul buys a whole city block in Gallup McKinley, NM; a successful coal-mining boom town on the up-swing.

On the 1920, 1930, 1940 censuses, the family resides in Gallup, McKinley, NM as the Proprietors of a Hotel and Bar. Within their time there, they will own the Famous Hotel & Club Famous bar (which will pass hands to another couple and renamed the Henry Hotel, but will end up back in the Borra's ownership), and the Delmar Hotel & Delmar Club. Prospects were good. Paul and Maria took their 8th and youngest son on a trip back to Italy to visit family in 1921. He was the first man in town to own a car. He also bought a home in Los Angeles, CA in which he may have hoped to retire in. We know from family photos that he certainly traveled there for family reunions with his Borra siblings.

Gallup city management boasted in the paper of all the new development that would soon occur, but then...the market crashed and progress came to a halt. The Borra's attempted to sell off some of their land and their Delmar Hotel, but times were bad and things only got worse. In November of 1940 a fire broke out and ruined the top floor of the Delmar Hotel. They kept it on the market, but it would not sell. In 1942, Paul Borra fell ill and died shortly thereafter in Gallup, NM. Although Paul was not able to depart with his affairs in order the way he would have wished, this wonderful man left a legacy of perseverance, entrepreneurial-ship, and how to be a devoted father in addition to tangible assets. In 1943, Maria was able to sell off much of their land and property including the half-burnt Delmar Hotel. They kept the Henry Hotel and Club Famous in the family for some time to come.

Paul and Maria were blessed to have eight children.