João-Lagalhé

João-Lagalhé was a capoeirista in Rio de Janeiro who killed the "famous" César-Maneta on the Praia do Peixe (Fish Beach) in 1870, continuing the vendetta cycle that had convulsed the capoeira maltas that year.

Plácido de Abreu documented his act in "Os Capoeiras" (1886): "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 where João-Lagalhé struck 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. To kill a "famous" capoeirista in such a public location required either exceptional skill, the element of surprise, or both.

What happened to João-Lagalhé after he killed César-Maneta is unknown. Abreu wrote that "these reprisals have continued until today", implying the vendetta cycle did not end with César-Maneta's death. Whether João-Lagalhé became the next victim, fled, or somehow escaped the cycle is lost to history.

His name suggests "João" as a first name (one of the most common in Portuguese) and "Lagalhé" as either a surname or nickname. The origin of "Lagalhé" is unclear—it may be of French origin (many French-derived surnames exist in Brazil) or a local variant of another name.

João-Lagalhé's documented act—killing the famous César-Maneta in a public fish market—represents a single violent moment preserved in Plácido de Abreu's chronicle. Beyond this act, his life remains a blank.