The real name of Dada Maravilha was Dario José Dos Santos. His first steps as an athlete got them in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, fleeing police, He devoted much of his life to the "bad life", stealing to eat; his mother died in a fire when "dada" had little 5 year old. He had an infamous childhood.

His first signing was by the police as achieved the age of majority, when he was caught stealing, in the correctional comprised of the equipment, his skills emphasized athlete, He is jumping like a cat and ran like an arrow.

A little time to obtain his release was signed by Atletico Mineiro. It was not a great player, but it was an extraordinary striker, he knew and at the rebuke of the press and fans on their shortcomings came to defend himself by saying: "I did not learn to play, and I wasted too much time making goals ". His goals were not a show, then she would say "no ugly goals, ugly is not to score goals ".

Legend has it that scored more than 900 goals but Brazilian official statistics grants 545 official, nobody can take away what you are 10 goals scored in one match. record number.
He had a peculiar sense of humor, and their statements are arguing, He spoke of himself in the third person: "I know three things which are suspended in the air: The hummingbird, a helicopter and Dada in the area ".

“There are only three powers in the universe: God in heaven, Pope in the Vatican and Dadá in the area ", "With Dadá in the field, no white marker ", The most controversial was certainly his statement being questioned about his activities before playing the matches: "I masturbate before games that remain light as a feather".

In a match against Uberlandia, Belo Horizonte whole was losing 2-0 at half time, on entering the locker room an amateur he whistled a "given" a folk language and asked him to masturbate to exit light for the outcome of the meeting, neither slow nor lazy Dadá got into the shower and delayed the meeting, and more "light" his team turned to the marker 2-3, what if, the 3 the goals scored "Dada Maravilha", so he gained a new totem: "Dada hand job".

Dada defended the jersey 17 equipment throughout Brazil, and the eccentric amount of targets are annotated, his name is written in golden letters in Brazilian football, to the side of Romario, Skin, Arthur Friedenreich; although it did not play a single minute, It was part of those elected by Zagallo to lift the world cup in Mexico 70, to the side of Pele, Tostao, Gerson, Rivelino, Jaizinho y cia.