Tio Patinhas
Ângelo Maria Longa (December 12, 1909 – March 16, 1986), popularly known as Tio Patinhas ("Scrooge McDuck" in Brazil), was an illegal lottery operator in the widely popular jogo do bicho (the animal game) in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the wealthiest and most influential bicheiros
and contraventores of the city of Rio de Janeiro during the 1970s and 1980s.
Tio Patinhas operated numerous pontos (points-of-sale betting) across Rio's South Zone, Downtown, Vila Isabel, and Tijuca neighborhoods. He played a central role in the hierarchical structure of the jogo do bicho, particularly as a key figure in the “cúpula do jogo do bicho”, a mafia-style organization created to stabilize and professionalize the illegal lottery system and to reduce conflicts between bicheiros. Tio Patinhas was also known for his role as a "descarga," a financial bicheiro who ensured the payment of large prizes, acting as a safety net for smaller operators.
