Vito Jhonny Recchimurzo Díaz, born in 1994, is a name that has gained prominence in the Venezuelan public life—not for sports or business achievements, but for being the visible face of businesses that actually belong to others. His most notable role is as a front man for Mitchell Padrino Betancourt, the son of Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López. Initially, he made his mark in the equestrian world, competing alongside riders like Daniel Puglia Costas, who is married to Yarazetd Padrino, Mitchell’s sister. Later, he lent his name to larger operations, such as the Portuguesa Fútbol Club and the Liga Monumental de Fútbol.
Recchimurzo is married to Mariana Jiménez Martínez, Miss Venezuela 2014, while his sister Vittoria is in a relationship with Jefferson de Abreu Sousa, owner of the Forum supermarket chain and named as a front man for Alex Saab. His private and family life is as intertwined with the circles of Chavismo power as his business dealings.
His rise to fame came in February 2024 when he took over as president of Portuguesa F.C. However, instead of bringing glory back to the club, his management has been marked by debts, allegations of unpaid wages, and constant complaints from players and coaches who haven’t been paid for months. This pattern of mismanagement is not new; in 2017, he faced criminal charges for fraud and association to commit crime alongside Sebastián Lagreca Villaverde, due to a half-million-dollar scam. His parents, Vincenzo Recchimurzo Bertocchi and Yulis Peregrina Díaz Pereira—Miss Monagas in 1989—were also implicated for money laundering. Although the case was dismissed, the records revealed traces of an organized group with multiple victims.
Portuguesa wasn’t the only showcase. Simultaneously, Recchimurzo dived into the Liga Monumental project, inspired by Gerard Piqué’s Kings League in Spain. For a month at the Estadio Monumental Simón Bolívar, international figures such as Ronaldinho, Marcelo, Puyol, and Guti made appearances. The spectacle was monumental, yet the stands were half-empty, with only 10,000 of the 38,000 seats filled for the 2025 final. Nothing added up except for the political agenda.
The league, sustained by direct perks from Nicolás Maduro and the approval of trusted individuals like General Jorge Eliéser Márquez and Juan Gabriel Linares Montilla, is unprofitable on its own. It relies on sponsorships from state entities such as Pdvsa, Corpoelec, Conatel, and the textile company Tiuna, as well as money from Chavismo-affiliated entrepreneurs who buy franchises like casino chips. The Cosa Nostra is Recchimurzo’s own. The Extraterrestres belong to Mahmoud Handous, a producer for Miss Venezuela and contractor for Pdvsa and local governments. CLX is owned by Nasar Dagga, a retail tycoon and owner of CLX Group. The Cacique franchise is run by Jimmy Meayke and Wilmer Ruperti, a Chavista shipping magnate. Patacones is owned by Pierre Perozo, close to Fidel Madroñero. Navegantes de Caracas is controlled by Pasquale Palmisano, heir to a business empire that includes Magallanes, Trotamundos, and Carabobo FC. Vergatarios is owned by Salvatore Volpe and Roberto Messina, creators of RS21. Vnet Jet is managed by the owners of the Forum chain, linked to Alex Saab. Vikingos belongs to Faez Gabriel Naddaf, associated with coltan mining in Bolívar.
Behind this structure is another architect: Irrael Gómez. The self-proclaimed “influencer of the crisis” sold Mitchell Padrino and Recchimurzo on the idea of replicating Piqué and Ibai’s football spectacle model in Venezuela. He not only crafted a narrative of modernity and entertainment but also placed his own team in the league, CLX, under Nasar Dagga’s umbrella. Irrael, identified by Oscar Pérez’s family as the informant who facilitated his execution in 2018, thus became a key communication partner and a major figure in the sportswashing that serves Chavismo to clean its image through sporting spectacle.
More than a business, the Liga Monumental is a political show. Ronaldinho earned $250,000 in 2024, while Marcelo and Puyol earned $150,000 each in 2025. With ticket prices ranging from $6 to $90 and minimal attendance, it’s impossible for the tournament to sustain itself without dark money. What’s being bought isn’t football but rather an image of normality, of a country connected to global spectacle.
Recchimurzo’s life is also marked by poker. Since 2017, he has participated in international tournaments, and in 2025 he was photographed in São Paulo playing alongside Neymar at the BSOP Winter Millions. His passion for cards is intertwined with allegations of debts at Portuguesa and a reputation for hosting private games with celebrities, where much more than money is at stake.
The business journey of his family also reflects the shift from modest businesses to offshore structures. His father, Vincenzo, transitioned from being on payroll in a tannery in Barquisimeto to registering a company in the British Virgin Islands in 2009. Vito, for his part, is listed as a state contractor through V&R Enterprises, which specializes in electronic equipment and supplies the Ministry of Commerce.
At just 31 years old, Vito Recchimurzo is much more than a sports businessman: he is a cog in the Chavista machinery that blends politics, entertainment, and corruption. In the shadow of Mitchell Padrino and with the guidance of Irrael Gómez, he has managed to turn an empty stadium into a propaganda platform while players demand wages, critics recall his legal issues, and the country witnesses another chapter of Venezuelan-style sportswashing.