Marcelo Nascimento da Rocha, known as Julião, one of the country’s most famous scammers, who claimed to be the owner of the Gol airline, guitarist for the Engenheiros do Hawaii, recruiter for the Brazilian national team, journalist and police officer, died this Wednesday. He was 49 years old and died of cirrhosis of the liver.
His story gave birth to the book “VIPs – Histórias Reais de um Mentiroso”, by Mariana Caltabiano, who also published a documentary of the same name, available in its entirety on YouTube.
It also inspired the fictional feature film “VIPs”, by Toniko Melo, which stars Wagner Moura in the role of Marcelo. The film competed for Best Foreign Film at the 2012 Academy Awards, but did not make the final list of nominees.
His moment of greatest notoriety occurred when he gave an interview in 2001 on Amaury Jr.’s show, on Rede Bandeirantes. In the interview, Marcelo posed as Henrique Constantino, the son of Gol’s founder, and even talked about the airline’s expansion plans.
He also presented himself as leader of the PCC, the capital’s First Command, during his incarceration in Bangu, a prison in Rio. At the time, his name was Julião. During a rebellion within the unit, he even declared that the PCC and Comando Vermelho were “one family.”
Arrested in 12 different states, after escaping nine times, the embezzler was serving almost 35 years in prison in Cuiabá, where he was arrested again in 2018, after being suspected of defrauding a series of work certificates that he had presented to the court to reduce his sentence.
“Brazil met a Marcelo, the VIPs. An icon, recognized for all the bad things he did in life. He became a film, a book, a documentary,” published lawyer Roberto Bona Junior. “But what few people knew was the real Marcelo. The one who, in addition to being a simple customer, was a great friend. Joyful, generous, always available for his friends. Marcelo was a great proof that resocialization is possible. He went from the status of a famous criminal to that of a producer of great artists. Wherever he arrived, the doors opened. Alcione, Zé Ramalho, Jota Quest, among many others who were great names that he produced.”
“He served his sentence in a closed and semi-open regime, totaling ten years. Recently he worked freely in law firms and in events. My condolences go to the family,” Caltabiano wrote on social networks upon hearing the news.
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