César-Maneta

César-Maneta was a "famous" capoeirista in Rio de Janeiro whose notoriety was such that Plácido de Abreu singled him out by name in "Os Capoeiras" (1886)—unusual in a list that otherwise focuses on victims rather than killers.

His nickname "Maneta" typically means "one-armed" or "one-handed" in Portuguese. However, there is no direct evidence in Plácido de Abreu's account or other sources confirming César actually had a physical disability—nicknames in the capoeira maltas often had origins unrelated to their literal meaning. What is certain is that he earned a reputation that made him famous in the violent world of the capoeira maltas.

César-Maneta's documented act was the killing of Alemãozinho ("Little German") near the old Teatro Lírico do Campo in 1870. This murder was part of the vendetta cycle that began with the death of Pinta Preta da Lapa on January 7, 1870, followed by the killing of Caboclo Jacó at Paula Matos. By killing Alemãozinho, César-Maneta continued the chain of reprisals that had convulsed the capoeira gangs of Rio de Janeiro.

Plácido de Abreu recorded his fate: "after this came the death of the Alemãozinho [Small German], next to the old Lyrical Theatre do Campo, by the famous César-Maneta that, shortly after was also murdered on the Peixe Beach, by João-Lagalhé".

The Praia do Peixe (Fish Beach) where César-Maneta met his end was located near the Candelária Market, in the area of modern Praça XV—a bustling commercial zone where fish was sold and small boats docked. It was a public, well-trafficked location, suggesting his death was either a brazen public killing or the result of a confrontation in plain sight.

César-Maneta's story encapsulates the brutal logic of the capoeira maltas: kill, and be killed. His fame did not protect him; it made him a target. The vendetta cycle continued after his death, with João-Lagalhé presumably becoming the next mark.