Antônio Petrus Kalil known as Turcão ("Big Turk"), came to public prominence in Brazil as one of the operators of the jogo do bicho

Jogo do Bicho

Jogo do Bicho is an illegal gambling game in Brazil, prohibited by federal law since 1946. Very popular throughout the country, the "game" is actually a lottery-type drawing operated on a regional basis by mobsters known as contraventores , bicheiros or banqueiros...

("the animals' game"), a popular illegal lottery. Kalil ran the game in a number of towns, including Niteroi

Niterói

Niterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants and an area of ², being the sixth most populous city in the state and the highest Human Development Index. Integrates the Metropolitan Region of Rio de...

, and was one of 14 bicheiros—or "bankers" as the game's operators are known—who were sentenced to six years' imprisonment in May 1993 for operating a criminal enterprise. Kalil's brother Jose, known as "Zinho", was among those convicted. Denise Frossard

Denise Frossard

Denise Frossard Loschi is a judge and politician from Brazil. She studied law and served as a magistrate in Rio de Janeiro. She has been a law professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation...

, the judge in the case, wrote in 2007 that it was the first time the existence of a mafia-type organization had been recognized in Brazil. According to Frossard, Kalil was one of the organization's bosses in 1981.