Manuel was born at Mission San Jose.
Descended from Spanish nobility on his father's side and a member of the Bottilier family, of French noble bloodlines on his mother's side. He was married three times and the father of twenty two children. There were no children to his second marriage to Guadalupe Castro, daughter of Angleo Castro (uncle of General Castro.) His third wife was Rosario Armas y Higuera, a widow with seven children. There was one son born to this marriage named Estolana.

One of the last Spanish Dons in California, an esteemed Castillian gentleman. He died at Rancho San Antonio where his 40 room adobe was built. He was born in the pueblo of San Jose de Guadalupe, near Mission Santa Clara. Manuel served as a soldier to the King of Spain, and was a bear and Indian fighter. He owned with his friend, in 1839, over 48,000 acres of land in San Benito County, called Rancho Santa Ana y Quien Sabe and also owned, where he built his forty room hacienda, 4,493 acres of land known as Rancho San Antonio. Each year he had three day fiesta's. When he died, his funeral was the greatest that the Mission town had ever known. Don Manuel's casket rested on poles borne by six men walking three to a side, making the long walk from the Mission San Juan Bautista to the cemetery. The mourners followed in couples, two by two, each person carrying a lighted candle. When the casket neared the cemetery, the end of the procession had not yet left the Mission. His Cape and other items are in the museum at Mission San Juan Bautista. Much has been written about him in California history.

An interesting tidbit: March 3, 1839, Madam Mauricia Tapia appeared in court before Jose T. Castro with the following:
"I have to advise you that Madam Mauricia Tapia appeared before me saying that her husband, Gabriel Espinoza, has played cards with Lieutenant Manuel Larios who beat him out of a mare, a bridle and a pair of spurs, and this being for herself and family a grievious wrong, she demands that said articles be returned to her as the legitimate owner. Furthermore public notice has been posted requesting that no one have dealings with him in gambling for he is absolutely vicious in the habit. It seems to be just to interdict in his favor."

His will was written December 9, 1865 and he died December 11, 1865 of brain fever.