Nemesis is the riveting account of Nem's ruthless ascent, his sway over its anarchic outlaw culture, and ultimately--his downfall. Struggling to come up with funds to pay for the hospital bills necessary to save a sick baby's life, a twenty-four-year-old Nem is forced to take a loan from a local mafioso, a decision that plunges him into the heart of Rio's criminal underworld. Over the next sixteen years, as he grows in stature, Nem will try to bring welfare and justice to a playground of gang culture and destitution.

Drawn from years of in-person interviews and told with humanity and warmth--Nemesis is an unflinching, dramatic investigation into the rise of a crime lord in Rio and the menacing conditions of life inside the favela.