São Paulo, Brazil | 1973-02-06 | 2020-11-01

Neilton Veiga Júnior, better known as Tom Veiga, was a studio manager and executive producer of the program "Note e Anote" at Rede Record, which was presented by Ana Maria Braga. Before working on the show, he worked as a courier and as an ambulance driver, as well as helping organize events. Veiga met Ana Maria Braga around 1995. He organized artisan craft fairs that Ana Maria Braga would publicize in her show, "Note e Anote". After being invited to join the team, Veiga became a stage assistant. In March 1997, while Ana Maria Braga was stuck in traffic with her then husband, Carlos Madrulha, she told him she "needed a puppet to make a smoother transition", given that "Note e Anote" aired right after a children's show. She and Madrulha discussed possibilities and eventually settled on a parrot, as it is one of the few animals that can talk. The choice for the name was inspired by a real parrot owned by Ana Maria Braga, also called "Louro José". The name is a tribute to her father, Natale Giuseppe "José" Maffeis. On March 6, Louro José starred on national television. Many people were tried for the role of puppeteer, but no one seemed to fit the part well. Seeing a then 23-year-old Tom Veiga playing with the puppet, Ana Maria Braga temporarily put him in the role. In the first months, Veiga worked as both a stage assistant and puppeteer. When he was made effective as the parrot, he celebrated, saying: "my life has changed completely".