Recent interview with Junior the owner of Pointe 202 Sauna

[Tomcal]

At the age of 13, ready to “win in life”, Júnior Barbosa (47) left the small town of Cedro (Ceará) heading for São Paulo and, later, for Rio de Janeiro.  He slept on the beach, in squares, went hungry, became a prostitute, was a street vendor, sold “hotspots”, did a little of everything until he became one of the biggest businessmen in the gay nightlife in Rio de Janeiro.

 For over 20 years, Barbosa has owned one of the best-known saunas in Rio de Janeiro – and the only one in Copacabana – but the path has been arduous.  His three-story house is a stronghold of young men and visitors from all over the world, including famous people.

 In a chat with the staff of GAY BLOG BR, Barbosa recounted the difficulties of the past and his trajectory until he became a successful businessman in his segment in Rio.

A vida no Ceará era muito difícil…

Era, pois vim de uma família humilde, e éramos em seis irmãos. O sonho de todo nordestino é morar em São Paulo, só que quando cheguei, passei perrengue pior do que no Ceará. Quando cheguei, morei na casa de uma tia. Sofri humilhação e descaso. E comecei a trabalhar com tudo que aparecia: fui balconista, faxineiro, passei roupa nas confecções do Brás etc.

E chegando ao Rio de Janeiro, como foi?

Eu acabei me envolvendo com a prostituição na Avenida São Luís e um agenciador perguntou se eu não queria ir para casa de uma amiga dele, travesti, no Rio de Janeiro. Na época eu não sabia o que era uma travesti. E vim para o Rio, morando no Baratão 200 [edifício na rua Barata Ribeiro com 507 apartamentos onde, no passado, ficou famoso por aparecer na televisão em programas de investigações policiais]. Acabei sendo explorado por ela também, e eu era quase um “escravo”. Comecei a trabalhar para pagar o aluguel dela e todos os seus gastos. Além disso, ela quase não me deixava sair do apartamento e eu ainda dormia no chão. Foram só três meses, mas de intenso sofrimento.

 

[msclelovr]

Remarkable! For those who, like me, don’t speak Portuguese…I just ran this through Google Translate:

Life in Ceará was very difficult…

 I was, because I came from a humble family, and we were in six brothers.  Every northeaster's dream is to live in São Paulo, but when I arrived, I had worse trouble than in Ceará.  When I arrived, I lived in an aunt's house.  I suffered humiliation and neglect.  And I started to work with everything that appeared: I was a clerk, a janitor, I ironed clothes in Brás, etc.
 

And arriving in Rio de Janeiro, how was it?

 I ended up getting involved with prostitution on Avenida São Luís and an agent asked me if I wanted to go to a friend of his, a transvestite, in Rio de Janeiro.  At the time I didn't know what a transvestite was.  And I came to Rio, living in Baratão 200 [a building on Rua Barata Ribeiro with 507 apartments where, in the past, he became famous for appearing on television in police investigation programs].  I ended up being exploited by her too, and I was almost a "slave".  I started working to pay her rent and all her expenses.  Also, she barely let me out of the apartment and I still slept on the floor.  It was only three months, but of intense suffering.