Torres Avelino

Portuguese politician and con man. With only a fourth grade education, this child, one of 14 in his family, worked as a resin tapper until he was 15. He went on to be a store clerk in the family business, becoming manager at 18. By age 24, the clever and industrious young man headed a sawmill, then sports clubs, and, in 1980, was elected to the city council. In 1983, he ran for mayor of the town Marco de Canaveses, and won. He was re-elected but in 2004 he was convicted for embezzlement and sentenced to three years in prison. His sentence was suspended, but he lost his mandate as mayor. He was defeated in his October 2005 bid to become mayor of Amarante. Link to Wikipedia biography (Portuguese) Read less