In the 1970s, an Italian priest sold 12,000 piranhas to Europe; 55 years later his proceeds have funded 350m bridges and an 800m airstrip

Giovanni Gallo, an Italian Jesuit priest, moved to Marajó Island in Brazil in the 1970s. He organized the preservation and export of 12,000 piranhas to fund community infrastructure projects. These projects included bridges, a cemetery, a dock, and an airstrip for local residents. Gallo also founded the Museu do Marajó, which showcased local history and archaeology.