after all, the costs of doing so were very high, and only the richest and most powerful organizations could afford such privilege.

for the majority of rio's samba schools, this is still the case today and, for the most part, the smallest blocs and samba schools are limited to parade in the streets in other parts of the city.

yet, that didn't stop the core group behind the union - motivated to make the biggest spectacle the island's resources allowed, they made their debut in the carnival of 1954, in a parade dedicated to the brazilian air force.