Antônio Petrus Kalil

Who is Antônio Petrus Kalil?

Antônio Petrus Kalil was one of the operators of the jogo do bicho, a popular illegal lottery in Brazil. Known as Turcão, Kalil was reported to have run the game in several towns.

Kalil was one of 14 bicheiros, who were sentenced to six years' imprisonment in May 1993 for operating a criminal enterprise. Kalil's brother Jose, known as "Zinho," was also convicted. Denise Frossard, the judge in the case, wrote in 2007 that the 1993 sentences were 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.