Castor de Andrade

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Castor de Andrade
Brazilian
Spouses
  • Wilma Andrade;
  • Ana Cristina Bastos Moreira[1]
Children4[1]
ParentEusébio de Andrade e Silva

Castor Gonçalves de Andrade e Silva (12 February 1926 – 11 April 1997) was a well-known bicheiro

Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro
, which has run the Rio de Janeiro Carnival ever since and has served as the legal cover for the "jogo do bicho cartel".

In 1993, Castor de Andrade and 13 other major bicheiros were arrested. They were each sentenced to six years of prison, but Castor obtained a habeas corpus and was released in the same year. In March 1994, a subsequent operation managed to break Castor's stronghold. Documents revealed the names of the many policemen, politicians, judges, public servants, and other prominent people who were profiting from his illegal activities. After his death in April 1997, the heirs to his fortune began fighting each other over the inheritance, and this led to the murder of his son, Paulo de Andrade, in October 1998.

Biography

Illicit gambling empire

Castor was born in 1926 to a family who was very involved in the

the neighborhood of Flamengo. This, however, did not prevent him from graduating in law.[4][5]

Castor inherited the jogo do bicho office of his grandmother and father and with his uncles transformed it to an illicit gambling empire – taking over more and more pontos (points-of-sale) where the lottery dealers collect money and keep record of the bets.[3] He would eventually expand to slot machines and video poker as well.[5] He rose to power despite his reputation. After the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, various generals paid homage to him. The military regime was unable to crack down on the illegal lottery.[6] The Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro of that time, General Waldir Alves Muniz, received an instruction to "avoid problems with Castor de Andrade". Ex-president João Figueiredo one day broke the protocol, departing from a group of authorities who surrounded him to personally greet the bicheiro.[5]

Castor de Andrade and his son

drug trafficking, to be explored together with the illicit lottery.[5] He managed a metal-working business that over the years had produced war material for the Brazilian armed forces, and he owned gasoline stations and a used car agency.[8]

Soccer and Carnival

Castor de Andrade was the major sponsor of

América tied. The referee later granted another penalty, this time in favour of Bangu. Castor's team won 3 to 2.[10]

Since the 1970s, most of the big

Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro (LIESA - Samba Schools' Independente League of Rio de Janeiro) in Rio de Janeiro in 1984. He served as LIESA's first president. Because of the new league, the samba schools started receiving more financial assistance and the standard of the parades could be maintained.[11] LIESA served as the legal cover for the "jogo do bicho cartel".[2]

Trials

Taking advantage of the attention of the media and public opinion during the Carnival of 1993, Castor gave a 5-minute speech angrily condemning the persecution of bicheiros in a full

On March 30, 1994, Castor suffered a new mishap. Prosecutor Biscaia launched a new action against the jogo do bicho in Rio de Janeiro, bursting the stronghold of Castor in

Bangu and seizing 17 cash books, 140 account books,[15] and 166 computer disks.[16] He is cited as having said, right after his bunker was busted, "What police is this?".[17] Castor de Andrade was one of the first bicheiros that started bribing policemen, and policemen from all police forces received money from him. A special screened unit of the BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion), the special forces of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, was used during the operation against Castor.[17][18]

The police investigations revealed that big names had been profiting from the illegal activities of bicho's Mafia. Among them, former president

Public Ministry and Judiciary, and even well-known politicians who received financial help for their compromised political campaigns."[20]

There were also suspicions that Castor and his people had a partnership with Colombian Cali Cartel. Preliminary findings showed Rio bicheiros responsible for transporting cocaine in Brazil and shipping it overseas.[19] In Porto Seguro, Castor had set up a fishing company that was used for cocaine trafficking.[8][20] He allegedly helped the Sicilian Mafioso Antonio Salamone to settle in Brazil. Castor gave him a cover job at Bangu Textiles, which he owned. Salamone became a naturalized Brazilian because of de Andrade's influence.[21]

Arrest and incarceration

After his conviction, Castor disappeared. Seven months later, he was found while visiting the Auto Show at the Anhembi Convention Center in São Paulo on October 26, 1994. He was disguised with a fake goatee and his hair and moustache were painted in black. Rogério de Andrade and Ana Paula de Andrade e Silva, his two nephews, were accompanying him. He later admitted to the police that he loved cars since he was a child and could not resist the temptation to visit the Auto Show.[22]

He was sent to Polinter prison, along with fellow bicheiros Capitão Guimarães, José Petrus, alias Zinho, and Fernando Iggnácio, Castor's son-in-law. Following charges that their cells were filled with luxuries, authorities decided to inspect their cells. The inspectors concluded that the jail looked like "a five-star hotel". The cells were equipped with a mini-bar, a TV, a video player, a sound system with a CD player, cellphones, an air-conditioner, a microwave oven, and a freezer. There were "strong evidences that the bicheiros made renovations and improvements in the internal part of the jail, such as the installation of new floor coverings, azulejo-tiles and sanitary ware."[23]

Because of heart problems, he was put on

Copacabana
. But he went out to the streets frequently, without being bothered.

Death and legacy

On April 11, 1997, disrespecting as usual his house arrest, Castor was playing cards in the house of a friend, in Leblon, alongside Ipanema the most upmarket district in Rio, when he suffered a deadly heart attack.[5][24][25] His body was laid out in the samba school he was associated with, the Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel.[26] During the Carnival of 1998, the samba school Caprichosos de Pilares started their parade with a minute of silence to honor him.[27]

Shortly before he died, Castor divided his estate in two parts: his son Paulo "Paulinho" Roberto de Andrade, inherited the jogo do bicho interests, while his son-in-law Fernando de Miranda Iggnácio received the slot machines and video poker. A vicious struggle over the inheritance developed in the family. Paulinho Andrade was murdered in October 1998,[28] on the orders of Castor's nephew Rogério Costa de Andrade.[29] Subsequently, Rogério and Fernando Iggnácio became involved in a war about the illicit gambling interests.[30][31][32]

On February 11, 2021, a docuseries following Castor de Andrade's life titled Doutor Castor was released by Globoplay.[33]

Footnotes

  1. ^ A "bicheiro" or "banker" is the mobster who operates the jogo do bicho ("the animal's game"), a popular Brazilian illegal gambling game.

References

  1. ^ a b (in Portuguese) Castor de Andrade morreu em 1997, O Globo, September 18, 2006
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ a b (in Portuguese) Um Rei à Bangu. Castor de Andrade do futebol do samba do jogo do bicho, Revista Placar, March 14, 1980
  4. ^ a b c d (in Portuguese) O Chefão de Bangu: Castor, acima do bem e do mal Archived 2008-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, Revista Placar, August 2, 1985
  5. ^ a b c d e "Deu galo na noite em que Castor morreu" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2002-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) , Istoé, April 16, 1997
  6. ^ "The Animal Game". Time. March 25, 1966.
  7. ^ (in Portuguese) Violência e narcotráfico no Rio de Janeiro, by Ricardo Veléz Rodrigues
  8. ^ .
  9. ^
    Globo.com
    . April 17, 2009.
  10. ^ (in Portuguese) Um olhar sobre o passado. O Globo. March 28, 2004.
  11. .
  12. ^ (in Portuguese) Miranda, Ricardo."Impunidade na cabeca". Archived from the original on 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2008-01-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Istoé. March 5, 2003.
  13. ^ a b "Contraventores já foram condenados há 14 anos" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-03-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). O Globo. April 13, 2007.
  14. ^ (in Portuguese) de Castro Cavalcanti, Maria Laura Viveiros. "Conhecer Desconhecendo: a Etnografia do Espiritismo e do Carnaval Carioca." Pesquisas urbanas: desafios do trabalho antropológico. By Gilberto Velho and Karina Kuschinir. Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar, 2003. p. 130.
  15. ^ (in Portuguese) da Escóssia, Fernanda. Os dois teriam recebido dinheiro para a campanha presidencial em 1989; os dois negam Archived 2011-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Folha de S.Paulo. April 8, 1994.
  16. ^ (in Portuguese) Patrões do "jogo do bicho" investiam nas eleições Archived 2011-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Folha de S.Paulo. April 9, 1994.
  17. ^ a b (in Portuguese) Araújo, Vera; Marco Antônio Martins. Homens do Bope fazem segurança do bicho. O Globo. 17 July 2008.
  18. ^ Frossard (2007), p. 189.
  19. ^ a b Mafia: Never ending mud, News from Brazil, May 31, 1994
  20. ^ a b (in Portuguese) Biscaia, Antônio Carlos. "A volta dos bicheiros", O Globo, March 22, 1998
  21. Carta Capital. N. 441, April 25, 2007. (For an English translation, see Rio-Sampa: “The Italian-Colombian Connection”
    )
  22. ^ (in Portuguese) A inútil confusão armada Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine. Veja. November 2, 1994.
  23. ^ (in Portuguese) Corregedoria de polícia do Rio investiga denúncia de mordomias na carceragem da Polinter, onde bicheiros estão presos Archived 2011-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, Folha de S.Paulo, September 14, 1995.
  24. ^ (in Portuguese) Infarto mata o bicheiro Castor de Andrade, Agência Folha, April 11, 1997
  25. ^ (in Portuguese) O histórico da disputa entre Rogério Andrade e Fernando Iggnácio. O Globo. December 11, 2010.
  26. ^ (in Portuguese) Ex-mulher de Castor rouba apartamento. Folha de S.Paulo. April 12, 1997.
  27. ^ (in Portuguese) Samba e jogo - O folclore, as prisões e as mortes do jogo do bicho no Carnaval do Rio Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine. Correio Braziliense. April 16, 2007.
  28. ^ (in Portuguese) Ataque ao espólio de Castor Archived 2008-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, Epoca, November 9, 1998
  29. ^ (in Portuguese) Justiça do Rio condena Rogério de Andrade a quase vinte anos de prisão Archived 2010-02-06 at the Wayback Machine, Tribunal de Justiça do Rio Grande do Sul, May 24, 2002
  30. ^ (in Portuguese) Entenda a guerra da família Castor de Andrade, O Globo, October 26, 2006
  31. ^ (in Portuguese) Máfia dos caça-níqueis: histórico de mortes e brigas em família, O Globo, May 24, 2007
  32. ^ (in Portuguese) Sá, Fátima. Golpe nos caça-níqueis Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine, Veja, October 25, 2006
  33. ^ "Globoplay lança documentário com a história do bicheiro Castor de Andrade".

External links