Formigão

Formigão was a valentão of Recife in the early 20th century, known primarily for his involvement in the 1907 train incident alongside two of the city's other feared figures: Adama and Eleutério de Souza.

In 1907, these three men were responsible for disturbances on a train returning from a religious festival. Such incidents were common in this era—valentões and capoeiristas often traveled together to festivals, pilgrimages, and celebrations, and confrontations could erupt on the journey home. The religious festivals of Pernambuco drew large crowds and provided opportunities for rivalries to flare up.

Little else is documented about Formigão beyond this single incident. His name (meaning "big ant" in Portuguese) was likely a street nickname given for some physical or behavioral characteristic. He belonged to the network of tough men who dominated Recife's streets during the final years of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th, a period when valentões walked openly armed through neighborhoods like Santo Antônio, São José, and Afogados.

The era of the "brabos" (tough men) in Recife came to an end around 1912, and the fate of Formigão after this period is unknown.