Who is Adilsinho: appointed as head of the cigarette mafia defends ‘new dome’ of the animal, is a patron of Salgueiro, held a million-dollar party at a hotel and has already created a football club | Rio de Janeiro

Cigarette mafia: police appoint bookkeeper Adilsinho as head of criminal scheme

This Monday’s RJ2 (1st) showed that the criminal group has expanded and now controls at least 45 of the state’s 92 municipalities.

Over the past few years, Adilsinho’s name has also been associated with:

• Animal game;
• Samba schools;
• Soccer team;
• Luxurious party at Copacabana Palace.

Adilsinho is appointed as the controller of part of the Jogo do Bicho in an important area of ​​the Metropolitan Region of Rio. Recently, according to TV Globo, he expanded his business by taking over areas of the South Zone, Center and North Zone of the capital, which were controlled by the bicheiro Bernardo Bello, who is on the run and has lost strength in the scene.

In the world of misdemeanors, Adilsinho defends the creation of a “new summit” of the animal game. Just like the old bicheiros, he wants a samba school to call his own. Last month, he assumed the honorary presidency of Salgueiro.

A dialogue intercepted by the police indicates, according to investigators, Adilsinho’s power in the animal world and his influence in the illegal cigarette business.

“Game of animals, a misdemeanor, it’s family. It’s mafia. Biggest mafia in Brazil. No one comes in from outside”, says one of the men identified as an accomplice of the group.

“The guy has a hell of a morality. He (Captain Guimarães), when he entered (the misdemeanor), recalled Adilsinho, went around killing all the animals (laughs)”, responds another.

In the conversation above, seized by the police on the cell phone of José Ricardo Simões, accused of involvement in the death of Marquinhos Catiri, Adilsinho’s rival, he also talks about the ambition of the cigarette mafia and says that the illegal product is of no interest to old-school bicheiros, as Captain Guimarães.

“Captain Guimarães doesn’t get involved in that, no, in cigarettes. It’s all Duque de Caxias,” he says.

Caxias is a reference to Adilsinho, according to the police. The bicheiro controls part of the game in the municipality of Baixada.

Cigarette mafia: Police appoint member of Jogo do Bicho as head of criminal scheme

Investigations by the RJ Civil and Federal police point to Adilsinho as the man behind the monopoly on the sale of illegal cigarettes in Rio.

The details of how the gang he was accused of leading operates were revealed by two recent investigations – by Gaeco, an agency of Rio’s Public Ministry, and by the Federal Police.

In operations “Smoke Free”, in November 2022, and “Fumus”, in June 2021, almost 70 arrest warrants were issued by the courts. Among the targets were Adilsinho and Cláudio Coutinho de Oliveira.

Adilsinho’s lawyer stated that he reiterates his client’s innocence.

The recipe for Adilsinho’s notoriety also includes luxury and football. In 2010, Adilsinho founded a club, Clube Atlético Barra da Tijuca, an association that competed in lower divisions of the state championship.

In the team, in addition to being a founder, Adilsinho served as a player and official penalty taker.

Target of PF operation threw party at Copacabana Palace for 500 people during the pandemic

In the invitation to the 51st birthday party, the soundtrack from the film “The Godfather”, which portrays the Italian mafia, was used (see the report above, from June 2021).

Celebrities such as Ludmilla, Gusttavo Lima, Alexandre Pires and Mumuzinho were hired to sing at the event. The party cost R$4 millionaccording to TV Globo.

When contacted by TV Globo, the defense only stated that it “reiterates Adilsinho’s innocence”.