Bernal owned and operated more than a dozen Spanish Language religious radio stations in Texas, which carried a satellite-fed programming schedule through his La Nuevo Cristiana ministry.
Bernal’s mother was a divorcee, and early on she moved to Kingsville, Texas, where Paulino, his older brother Eloy, the younger Luis, and three sisters picked cotton, cucumbers, and other crops to help support the family.
After his mother purchased a guitar for the children, Bernal soon learned to play the cantinas with an elderly accordionist, where he picked up tips to help buy food for his family.
They were hired to play a dance in nearby Premont – Bernal on accordion, Eloy on bajo sexto, and a friend, Adan Lomas, on drums.
In March 1955, Marroquin gave the Bernal their chance as headliners, and a 78 rpm record was released with the cancion ranchera Mujer Paseada on one side and the romantic bolero Desprecio on the other.
Shortly thereafter, Conjunto Bernal relocated to McAllen, Texas, across the border from Mexico in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
He ran the recording company, hosted a regional TV music show, and generally concentrated on the promotional aspects of the business.