José Eduardo Barreto Conceição (1957–1985), better known by the nickname Zé Pequeno (and formerly as Dadinho), was a
Brazilian drug trafficker. He was a major criminal figure in the
Cidade de Deus favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was b ...
of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
during the 1970s and 1980s. He rose to posthumous fame, thanks to the success of the 2002 Brazilian film ''
City of God'', in which he was played by
Leandro Firmino
Leandro Firmino (born June 23, 1978) is a Brazilian actor. He is best known for his role as drug lord Li'l Zé (Zé Pequeno), Li'l Zé in the Academy Award nominated film ''City of God (2002 film), City of God''. He also had a main role in on ...
(as an adult) and
Douglas Silva (as a child). Starting out as a petty thief, Zé Pequeno became notorious in the
favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was b ...
for his cruel methods. He had a longstanding rivalry with
Mane Galinha, and was eventually killed by the Valzinho gang in 1985.
References
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20th-century Brazilian criminals
1957 births
1985 deaths
Murdered Brazilian gangsters