📸 Photo

SNOWING IN BALI

Beto, Marco's idol, who seemingly had everything: parents who loved him, good looks, money and as many gorgeous girls as a rock star. He was also an exceptional all-round sportsman, with tennis, surfing and hang-gliding his main pursuits. His father was a Rio property mogul. If the family flew to Aspen to snowboard, or Europe for a holiday, they’d take little Marco, paying for everything and slinging him spending money.

Marco was the funny guy in the group, the poor one. And then they go to Aspen to snowboard, and let's bring Marco because he's fun, so funny, makes jokes all the time.

– Rafael

My friend Beto was always using cocaine, but he was a strong guy, blond guy, much more beautiful than me. I'm nothing compared to him; he's a very beautiful guy and very rich. More than 100 girls want to marry him. But listen, the guy did everything for me. When I turned 16, he gave me a green Volkswagen. I had no licence, but I could drive. I was his driver for two years. I drove Beto up the mountain when he was hang-gliding and after he flew I went to get him on the beach. Beto said if I crashed the car, 'No problem, papa will buy you a new one.' This family brought me to Europe, America, to everywhere, because before I have no money, no money and no family. The problem was like that.

– Marco

But Beto's largesse came at a heavy cost. Four years younger and indebted, Marco did anything to please his best friend. Beto soon had his hilariously funny, pliable young acolyte, at just 14 years old, running up into Rio's dangerous favelas – mountain slums full of criminals and drug dealers – to get him cocaine. The kid did it like a grateful puppy.