had more affinity with his escort than his civilian family. He spent most of his time under their protection and were usually his companions in his personal interests. A sports fan, he also spent much of his time trying to keep fit, undertaking regular exercise such as hunting, fly fishing, underwater fishing, scuba diving, and playing basketball. They were also his companions on special events, such as his birthday or during national holidays, which they would regularly exchange gifts and engage in one-sided discussions with Castro where he would recall his life stories. The members of the Escort Castro was closest to was the former Mayor of Havana Jose "Pepín" Naranjo who became his official aide until his death in 1995 and his own personal physician, Eugenio Selman. Outside of his escort, Castro was also close to Manuel "Barbarroja" Pineiro, the head of the American Department of the DGI, Antonio Núñez Jiménez, and the Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez. Marital history The Cuban government has never published an official marital history of Castro, with most information coming from defectors and scarce details published in state media and pieced together over the years. In his earlier years in power, he showcased some of his family life, in particular his eldest son Fidelito in order to portray himself as a normal "family man" to the apprehensive American audience, but eventually abandoned that as he became more concerned about his personal safety. Throughout his rule, Castro never named an official "First Lady" and when the need for such a public female companion was necessary, Celia Sánchez or Raúl's wife, Vilma Espín, would play such a role of la primera dama. Overall, Sánchez described Castro as a compulsive lover or "womanizer"; he has been officially married twice but has carried on numerous affairs, including many one-night stands. Popular with women and often recognized as a sex symbol in Cuba, Castro never had difficulty in finding love and seduction, and Sánchez denies that Castro ever engaged in any unusual or un-consensual behaviour. Castro was also described as a poor father; often absent from their lives, he had little interest in the activities of his children and was more interested in his work. Raúl, who had much more stronger paternal feelings towards his family, was often the one who played the role of surrogate father to Castro's children, in particular Fidelito and Alina. Castro's first wife