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Official Site  |  The Portuguese Heritage Society, Incorporated  |  www.phslusitano.com  |  Site Oficial

CREST: Although it may sound comedian at first, the origin of the blue and white crest, and positioning, is that the blue and white on the crest represents Porto F.C.’s kit, with the red added to complement S.L. Benfica supporters, and the green on Long Island added to complement Sporting C.P. supporters.

CROSS: In the center background of the crest you can see the four arms of the Portuguese Cross, otherwise known as the Order of Christ Cross, which became famous on the sails of Portuguese Ships during the discoveries period. It was adapted onto the shield to symbolize the voyage that our members underwent from Portugal to the United States.

SOCCER BALL & LONG ISLAND: The soccer ball represents the history of our club in local sports, mainly soccer, but encompasses trap, bowling, billiards, etc. in which the club partakes. Long Island is displayed in green on top of the ball with a star pinpointing Mineola’s location on the map. 

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1. 84 Roslyn Road, Mineola

The dream of what becomes a community and cultural center of influence always starts out with the most simple and modest of ideas. Our club shares its beginnings with what were at the time two young futebol players in Mineola. Both had just immigrated from Portugal to the United States and both had sports backgrounds with some of the highest ranking sports clubs in Portugal. In the early 1970’s Antonio Portela, a track star with F.C. Boavista, and Rui Tavares were friends and teammates with an independent futebol club in Mineola. They played a very short stint with the team in the Long Island Soccer-Futebol League before leaving to start their own team. The two young athletes believed that the sprouting Portuguese population in Mineola needed a Portuguese team to represent them on Long Island’s largest futebol stage. Finding 30 players was not too hard, and in the summer of 1974 the Lusitano Soccer Club kicked off its inaugural season.

2. 207 Willis Avenue, Mineola

The club’s ranks grew quickly and the need for a larger meeting area was needed to support the newer functions of the club, i.e. fundraising, picnics, and various other social events. In 1976 the LSC joined to form their first congress and adopted the articles of incorporation and Rules & Regulations that would build the foundation of the club, which exist until today. The membership numbers were handed down by age, with the oldest member being member number 1 and accumulating from there. Amadeu Moreira, member number 1, would be elected the club’s first president and lead the first directorship to incorporate the club in 1977.

3. 133 Willis Avenue, Mineola

The Lusitano survived many years with the same basic principals, to create a place for young Portuguese to gather and play in the name of sportsmanship. The club participated in Trap, Soccer, Bowling, Pool, and various Card competitions and won over 30 tournaments as a result. In 1995 however the club had expanded into an organization of more than 600 members, with events deviating ever more from sports and toward culture. As those first several players began to age from their 20’s to their 40’s the club’s dynamic shifted. In 1994 the directorship and general assemble elected to start a new organization which would reflect the change in directives for the club. A decision was made to create a new club which would absorb the LSC as a sporting division, but above all concentrate on community, social, and cultural purposes in the community. The membership collected donations from organizations and members in and around Mineola to purchase their current location on 133 Willis Avenue. In 1995 the new club incorporated under the new name Portuguese Heritage Society and presented itself to the community as the P.H.S. – Lusitano. The PHS now created a new face for the cultural center to present to the folks of Mineola, while the Lusitano Soccer Club continued to dominate the local-sports market.

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