In São Paulo, the small time crook Epaminondas sells ice-creams, but loses his job after giving free ice-creams to poor children. Epaminondas owes eight months of rent of his house and has many debts in the stores in the neighborhood. When he is ready to be evicted, the officer discovers that he was his father's best friend in the law school. His father offers the position of janitor of an empty mansion and Epaminondas accepts the job. When he arrives, the neighbors believe he is the new owner of the manor and he has credit everywhere. He pretends to be wealthy, hires a butler and a staff of servants, buys new furniture and the whole art gallery and gets a bank loan using only promissory notes. But when the day to pay his debts comes...