As the United States marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Portuguese-American community joins the nation in remembering the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives, including five Portuguese citizens killed at the World Trade Center in New York City.
The five Portuguese victims were António Augusto Tomé Rocha, 34; António José Carrusca Rodrigues, 35; Carlos S. da Costa, 41; João Alberto da Fonseca Aguiar Jr., 30; and Manuel John da Mota, 43. Their individual stories reflect the lives of Portuguese immigrants and their families who had established careers and communities in the United States.
António Augusto Tomé Rocha, known as Tony, was 34 and lived in East Hanover, New Jersey. He was a vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald and was working at the World Trade Center when the North Tower was struck. He left behind his wife and young children. His name is among those commemorated at the National September 11 Memorial in New York.
António José Carrusca Rodrigues, 35, lived in Port Washington, New York, and was an officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He was among the Port Authority personnel who died at the World Trade Center while responding to the catastrophe.
Carlos S. da Costa, 41, was an assistant building services manager with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was working on the 88th floor of the North Tower. His story has become particularly associated with the extraordinary acts of courage that occurred inside the towers that morning.
After the aircraft struck, Da Costa had an opportunity to evacuate but instead joined colleagues Frank De Martini, Pablo Ortiz and Peter Negron in helping people trapped on upper floors. The group used tools to open blocked doors and clear escape routes. Accounts of their actions estimate that they helped save at least 50 people before the North Tower collapsed.
Da Costa was originally from Canas de Senhorim, in Portugal’s Viseu district, and had lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from childhood. His sacrifice represents one of the most remarkable Portuguese stories to emerge from September 11.
João Alberto da Fonseca Aguiar Jr., known as J.J., was 30 and lived in New Jersey. An investment banker with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, he worked on the 86th floor of the South Tower. According to accounts preserved by the Voices Center for Resilience, Aguiar had begun descending through the building and reportedly reached the 76th floor before the tower collapsed.
Manuel John da Mota, 43, was also among the five Portuguese killed. A professional connected with the design and decoration of some prominent Manhattan restaurants, Da Mota was at the World Trade Center for a business meeting that morning.
Today, the names of the victims remain permanently inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, alongside those of thousands of others who died that day. The official memorial records, among them, João Alberto da Fonseca Aguiar Jr. and the other victims whose individual lives together form the human history of September 11.
Portugal Stands With the United States
The connection between Portugal and September 11 extended far beyond the five lives lost. Portugal also expressed its solidarity symbolically in Lisbon. Only weeks after the attacks, the Portuguese capital unveiled a monument honoring the victims of September 11.
Monument built in Lisbon to honor the victims of 9/11.
Created by Portuguese sculptor Augusto Cid, the metal-and-granite structure evokes the damaged façade of the World Trade Center. It stands on Avenida dos Estados Unidos da América in Lisbon. Contemporary accounts date its inauguration to October 2001.
Its inscription dedicates the monument as a tribute from the people of Lisbon to the victims of the attacks in New York and Washington. The memorial became one of Portugal’s most visible expressions of solidarity with the American people following 9/11.
The tragedy also reached deeply into the wider Portuguese-American community of New York and New Jersey. Portuguese Americans worked throughout the World Trade Center complex and across the emergency services, construction trades and businesses of metropolitan New York.
Twenty-five years later, September 11 remains not only an American tragedy but also part of the history of the Portuguese diaspora. In the months and years following the attacks, members of the community also participated in recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Portugal, a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and one of America’s oldest allies, stood closely with the United States following the attacks.
Today, marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro remembered the victims: “The world changed 25 years ago. On this painful day for the USA and for all countries that cherish and defend freedom, we remember the many, including Portuguese citizens, who lost their lives on 9/11,” the Prime Minister noted on social media.
Luís Montenegro also said that it is important to highlight “the strength of our convictions, the vitality of our values, and the importance of our alliances. For democracy. For security. For freedom.”
The Lajes Air Base on Terceira Island in the Azores also became part of the Portuguese-American response to the new international security environment created by September 11. The Azores’ geographic position in the middle of the Atlantic has demonstrated the strategic importance of the Archipelago in bilateral defense.
This historic commitment remains particularly significant 25 years later. Portugal continues to emphasize the importance of the transatlantic alliance between Europe and North America. At the NATO Summit in July 2026, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro highlighted the strengthening of the transatlantic relationship and the shared commitment of European allies, Canada and the United States to collective defense and security.
Carolina Matos/Editor
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