[1] Originally, Chómpiras was a pickpocket and cat burglar who worked with an associate named Peterete (Ramón Valdés).
Together, they were known as Los Caquitos (which is roughly translated as "The Little Thieves", "caquito" being a diminutive of "caco" which is Spanish for "thief" or "hoodlum") and appeared on Chespirito's comedy programs in the 1970s, usually preceding an episode of El Chavo del Ocho or El Chapulín Colorado that did not last the full half-hour.
The characters weren't very fleshed out (no pun intended) originally, but as Chespirito began writing new sketches for the hour-long show, some of which lasted the entire hour, their backstories became more expanded.
Botija was single at first, but got married very quickly to a woman called Chimoltrufia (Florinda Meza) who had moplike hair, a chipped tooth and constantly chewed a piece of gum.
Also, one hotel guest began appearing regularly, her name was Maruja (María Antonieta de las Nieves) and she attracted the attention of a lot of men, especially Sgt.
For several episodes they tried other lines of work, but in 1993 a new hotel opened, run by Don Cecilio (Moisés Suárez) and they got their old jobs back.
To explain Vivar's absence, it was written into the show that Botija was away at a weight-loss clinic, which was also the actor's real-life health situation.
During the earliest shorts, the fate of several characters from Los Caquitos were revealed, with Chompiras, Botija Doña Nachita, Licenciado Morales, and Sargento Refugio having passed away (reflecting how, aside from Botija actor Edgar Vivar, each of those characters' actors have passed away), while Chimoltrufia and Maruja ended up strained, and Don Cecilio had to close his hotel.