How Hard Work and Community Built the Portuguese American Dream in South Norwood-August 3, 1979

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It is noon and stiflingly hot inside the bakery as John Preto wraps up a grueling 12-hour workday. Gleaming display cases hold freshly baked Portuguese and Italian bread, while warm air still drifts from the back room where massive ovens ran all night. Since 1:00 a.m., John Preto and Tony Martins have transformed 700 pounds of flour into fresh loaves and rolls, loading them onto trucks at 8:00 a.m. for delivery to area schools and stores. Operating seven days a week, Preto has achieved remarkable success in the 11 years since arriving in the United States, acquiring a rental three-family house alongside the building at 1140 Washington St. where he runs Brothers Bakery and lives upstairs.

Serving as a pillar for newcomers, Mario Rodrigues and Maria Rodrigues frequently help recent arrivals find housing, employment, and community connections. “Most of them come from northern Portugal where they were farmers. They think if they come here, they can make a better life and that is true,” Mario Rodrigues explained. Newcomers typically choose Norwood through word-of-mouth connections. Known for an incredible work ethic, Portuguese immigrants easily secure employment at major local industrial employers such as Kendall Mills, Bird & Son, and Masoneilan. Many take on two or three jobs, encourage their wives to enter the workforce, readily accept overtime, and diligently save to purchase homes, vehicles, and furnishings.

Local residents frequently point to previously neglected properties revitalized by Portuguese homeowners, including the daCosta house on Dean Street—which was honored by the town beautification committee the previous year—the Rodrigues house on St. James Avenue, and restored properties along Tremont Street, Concord Avenue, and Sturdevant Avenue. John Preto, father to a nine-year-old son, noted that young Portuguese couples tend to have smaller families due to economic realities, stating, “They would like more children but it is so expensive.” A few blocks north on Washington Street, the Portuguese-American Club serves as a vital community storefront social center. While members previously explored purchasing the larger Lithuanian Club on St. George Avenue, the asking price proved too high; however, given ongoing neighborhood complaints regarding noise and public drinking at the “Lith Club,” nearby residents expressed they would be “delighted” if the Portuguese community took it over.

Despite their successful integration, community leaders voiced concern over the high concentration of neighborhood bars. “We are trying to do something about that. The Portuguese bring their children up very strict and we do not like them seeing all those bars,” Mario Rodrigues stated, emphasizing community standards and pride in homeownership. Cultural preservation and youth engagement thrive locally, with the Balch School offering classes in the Portuguese language to ensure children maintain their heritage, while local young men have formed a semi-pro soccer team playing Sunday matches at Junior High South.

Portuguese make mark in neighborhood. Maria and Mario Rodrigues are longtime Portuguese-American residents who help newcomers from Portugal settle in the South Norwood community, while new business in a new country finds John Preto established as a businessman and good neighbor in the South Norwood Portuguese community, carrying forward the rich traditions of hard work, family dedication, and civic pride that continue to shape the vibrant history and enduring legacy of South Norwood across generations of residents, workers, community leaders, and local shop owners.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger