Pepe Esteve el Betlemero was the owner of one of the puppet nativity scenes that were set up in the town of Alcoi during the Christmas celebrations. In the first decade of the twentieth century, Pepe Esteve expanded his show by developing the role of Tirisiti and bought three more nativity scenes. The nativity scene was a family affair during the Christmas season: Pepe Esteve and his two children were in charge of handling the puppets and performing, while his wife, Consol Carbonell, dressed the puppets and ran the cash register. But this was not enough to support the four members of the family who worked in the textile industry in Alcoi the rest of the year. After the Spanish Civil War and a new era of splendor, the family was no longer able to carry on the business and decided to sell it in 1953, when Pepe Esteve was almost 90 years old.