Bernardo Bello Pimentel Barboza is a Brazilian bookmaker who became a prominent figure in investigations into Rio de Janeiro’s illegal gambling networks. Brazilian authorities have described him as one of the leaders of a faction involved in the traditional jogo do bicho and the exploitation of illegal gaming machines.
According to the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPRJ), Bello was investigated in several criminal cases involving money laundering, organized crime and violent disputes connected to control of gambling territories. In a 2023 operation known as Banca da Vila, prosecutors alleged that an organization associated with Bello sought to maintain control over areas of the jogo do bicho and illegal gaming-machine operations.
Bello's rise within Rio's gambling world was connected to the Garcia family, one of the traditional families associated with the city's illegal gambling business. According to Brazilian media reports, his relationship with the family helped him gain influence over territories and operations that later became the subject of intense disputes. He also served as president of Unidos de Vila Isabel, linking his public profile to one of Rio's best-known samba schools.
One of the most important cases involving Bello concerns the 2020 killing of Alcebíades Paes Garcia, known as “Bid,” a rival in the gambling business. The MPRJ accused Bello of being the intellectual author of the killing and alleged that the motive was a dispute over control of gambling and illegal gaming-machine territories. In November 2025, the MPRJ announced that an appellate court had upheld the decision sending Bello to a jury trial in connection with Bid's death.
Bello was arrested by Interpol in Bogotá, Colombia, in January 2022 following the Brazilian investigation into Bid's killing. He remained detained in Colombia for approximately four months before obtaining habeas corpus and returning to Brazil to respond to the case outside prison. Brazilian authorities later considered him a fugitive in other proceedings.
His name has also appeared in investigations concerning other alleged killings connected to disputes within Rio's gambling networks. In April 2025, the MPRJ reported an investigation into the deaths of José Luiz de Barros Lopes, known as “Zé Personal,” and Jocimar Soares de Oliveira. Prosecutors said investigators were examining evidence indicating that the crimes were connected to Bello and people associated with him.
The MPRJ has additionally investigated financial structures allegedly used to conceal proceeds connected to illegal gambling. In one investigation, prosecutors described companies that allegedly served to receive, move and conceal money derived from gambling operations associated with Bello and other figures.
Bello's story illustrates the continuing transformation of Rio de Janeiro's traditional illegal gambling networks. While the jogo do bicho remains legally classified as a criminal contravention rather than the same category as many serious crimes, disputes surrounding territorial control have generated investigations involving allegations of organized crime, corruption, money laundering and violence.
It is important to distinguish the allegations from established judicial findings. Bello has been formally accused in several proceedings, including the case involving Bid, and a Brazilian court has maintained the decision sending that case to a jury. The accusations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and they should not be presented as final convictions unless and until a court reaches such a decision.
SOURCES
Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) — Operation Banca da Vila and investigation involving Bernardo Bello. MPRJ
Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) — Jury trial maintained in the case involving Alcebíades “Bid” Garcia. MPRJ
CNN Brasil — Background on Bernardo Bello and his investigations in Rio de Janeiro. CNN Brasil
Folha de S.Paulo — Profile and legal proceedings involving Bernardo Bello. Folha de S.Paulo
MPRJ — Investigation into deaths connected to disputes over Rio's illegal gambling territories. MPRJ
