page_title: Lampião
section_title: Notable band members
hierarchical_section_title: Lampião / Notable band members
caption_attribution_description: Português: Os cangaceiros acima foram nominados por Jararaca, a quem a fotografia foi mostrada enquanto ele convalescia, preso em Mossoró, pouco antes de morrer
context_page_description: "Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, better known as Lampião, was the most famous bandit leader of the Cangaço. Cangaço was a form of banditry endemic to the Brazilian Northeast; it had origins in the late 19th century but was particularly prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s. Lampião led a band of up to 100 cangaceiros, who occasionally took over small towns and who fought a number of successful actions against paramilitary police when heavily outnumbered. Lampião's exploits and reputation turned him into a folk hero, the Brazilian equivalent of Jesse James or Pancho Villa.
context_section_description: Lampião was active for a number of years and thus many men and women passed through his band. More notable ones included:
  Antônio Ferreira - Lampião's eldest brother, died in an accident in 1926.
  Levino Ferreira - Lampião's brother, killed in battle with police in July 1925.
  Ezequiel Ferreira - Lampião's youngest brother, killed in battle with police in April 1931.
  Luis Pedro - a lieutenant and member of the band for over a decade, he returned to die by Lampião's side even though he may have been able to escape. He accidentally killed Antônio Ferreira in 1926 when a gun went off during a wrestling bout. When told of his brother's death Lampião said that Luis must take his place.
  Corisco (Cristino Gomes da Silva Cleto) - feared for his cruelty. There was speculation that he would take control of the band after Angicos, where he had not been present. Seeking vengeance for Angicos, Corisco interrogated Joca Bernardes the informant who had betrayed Lampião, who shifted the blame on someone else, Domingos Ventura. Corisco then murdered this entirely innocent person and his whole family, including two women. He was killed by police in 1940.
  Dadá (Sérgia Ribeiro da Silva), the wife of Corisco. She lost a leg as a result of injuries sustained in the fight in which Corisco was killed; she died in 1994.
  Ângelo Roque - a trusted lieutenant who was also not present when Lampião was killed. He operated until 1940 when he surrendered to police after being assured that he would not be executed for his crimes. He was initially sentenced to 95 years in prison, which was later reduced to 30 years and then commuted in 1950.
  Volta Seca ("Dry Gulch" Antônio dos Santos) - joined the bandits aged 14 as a message-carrier. He was later interviewed in prison and his accounts were an important source for the history of Lampião's activities. He composed and sang a number of songs about, or associated with, Lampião's bandits; many years later, in 1957, these were recorded for a sound documentary by Todamérica.
caption: Lampião's band, plus 4 prisoners (taken to extort ransoms), photographed in Limoeiro soon after their attack on the town of Mossoró in 1927 - Lampião (No. 5) is flanked by his brother Ezequiel and his faithful lieutenant Luis Pedro
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