CLOSE
MENU
MENU

History

scroll to explore
  • Bullets

    1980

    The Mariel Boatlift has a dramatic effect on our city with many newcomers settling in Hialeah. After
    1980, Hialeah becomes an overwhelmingly Hispanic city. Today, about 94% of residents speak Spanish.

  • Bullets

    1980

    Miami-Dade College opens their Hialeah Campus in a small second floor office of a shopping center
    on Palm Springs. Today, their new campus is a massive compound with its own art gallery.

  • Bullets

    1980

    Amelia Park is established in the northern edge of Hialeah. Although technically part of Miami-Dade County, it has become a staple for Hialeah residents.

  • Bullets

    1980

    The legendary nightclub Casanova’s opens in east Hialeah. One of the most popular clubs in the US during the 80’s. It attracted top Disco & pop performers like The Village People, KC & the Sunshine Band to pop acts including the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna.

  • Bullets

    1980

    The popular 24-hour Chico’s Restaurants opens just after the Mariel’s Boatlift and right as the new Mango Hill neighborhood starts to rise on the west side of Hialeah. This area will eventually become the most densely populated part of Hialeah.

  • Bullets

    1981

    Cuban American politician, Raul Martinez, is sworn in as our mayor. This marks a turning point in the
    city’s political landscape. The Hispanic vote becomes the most dominating force not only in politics but also economics & civic issues.

  • Bullets

    1982

    The popular Molina’s Ranch Cuban restaurants opens on the east side, often considered the gold standard of Cuban cuisine, Molina’s has been serving classic Cuban dishes for over 40 years now.

  • Bullets

    1984

    The Hialeah & Opa-locka (now closed) open air flea market opens. At its peak, it had over 900 vendors and more than 100K visitors a week.

  • Bullets

    1984

    Gus Machado takes over an old car dealership right on 49th street. It would later become the largest Hispanic owned Ford dealership in the state of Florida. Gus Machado is a symbol of the American dream, he also become one of our most generous businessmen in our city’s history.

  • Bullets

    1988

    The first Nicaraguan restaurant opens in Hialeah, Los Hermanos Mendoza. A delicious Fritanga style restaurant right on Palm Avenue, for many years it was the center of Nicaraguan American culture in our city. Nicaraguans make up the third largest ethnic group in Hialeah.