West Palm Beach community mourns unexpected death of Clematis Social GM 'King of Clubs'

Paige Feigenbaum
Updated ·4 min read
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A longtime Clematis Street nightclub manager died suddenly on Feb. 27, generating a wave of condolences on social media from a huge downtown West Palm Beach following.

Juan “Nito” Longinos Jr., 40, was known as the “King of the Clubs,” and even got a king of clubs playing card tattooed on his finger shortly before his death. For the past nine years, he worked as the general manager and business partner of Clematis Social, a nightclub in downtown West Palm Beach.

He previously worked as general manager at Sunset Cigar Lounge in Jupiter, property manager at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, Jupiter (now called Trump National Golf Club Jupiter) and assistant manager at Dirty Martini in Palm Beach Gardens.

Clematis Social General Manager Juan 'Nito' Longinos, Jr., 40, who was known as the 'King of the Clubs,' on Clematis Street, died in February.
Clematis Social General Manager Juan 'Nito' Longinos, Jr., 40, who was known as the 'King of the Clubs,' on Clematis Street, died in February.

“My brother was a character. He’d walk into a room and fill it with energy, so it’s going to be hard to have these events (like Easter Sunday) without him," older brother Cesar Longinos said. "He brought the love and happiness.”

Employees of Clematis Social told the Longinos family that in the nights since Nito’s passing, the energy has not been the same. A neon sign of Nito’s mantra, “Good people. Good food. Always in a good mood,” now hangs in the club to keep his spirit alive.

“That mantra described him to a T in my opinion,” Cesar said. “You never saw him mad. He controlled his anger and his emotions and always had a smile on his face.”

For the past nine years, Nito Longinos worked as the general manager and business partner of Clematis Social, a nightclub in downtown West Palm Beach.
For the past nine years, Nito Longinos worked as the general manager and business partner of Clematis Social, a nightclub in downtown West Palm Beach.

Between 200 to 300 supporters gathered for a candlelight vigil in front of E.R. Bradley’s Saloon on Feb. 29. T-shirts with his mantra printed on it were sold to help the Longinos family pay for the funeral and burial costs, and a GoFundMe campaign set up by a relative quickly exceeded its fundraising goal. His family did not release his cause of death.

On social media, the community shared how Nito touched their lives.

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Those who knew him said he will be remembered for giving the jacket off his back on a chilly night and digging into his own wallet to help others, whether it was $20 to an employee for gas, $100 to a homeless person in need or a performance fee for an up-and-coming deejay he believed in.

Local artist Joshua Isla of Portrait Therapy Studios presented the family with a drawing of Nito that now hangs in his parents' home. A producer of the film "Stinger 2" put a title card at the end of the movie that reads, “In Loving Memory of Nito Longinos.”

Local artist Joshua Isla of Portrait Therapy Studios presented the family with a drawing of Nito Longinos that now hangs in his parents' home.
Local artist Joshua Isla of Portrait Therapy Studios presented the family with a drawing of Nito Longinos that now hangs in his parents' home.

According to the family, more than 50 customers have flocked to Black Madonna Tattoo in West Palm Beach to get inked in Nito’s memory. Juan got a crown and the words “Nito Baby” tattooed on his arms and mother Sylvia Longinos got a mom and baby monkey tattooed on her wrist.

Juan 'Nito' Longinos graduated from Jupiter High School in 2001

Born in Belle Glade and raised in Jupiter since second grade, Nito graduated from Jupiter High School in 2001, where he played on the football and wrestling teams. He went on to earn an associate's degree in business management from Santa Fe College in Gainesville before returning to Palm Beach County to work in club promotions.

“He’ll never be forgotten in this area. Jupiter and Tequesta are hurting just as much as we are. So is West Palm,” said his father, Juan Sr. “I could walk the streets right now and people will mention his name. It opened up my heart to be a better man. He left too soon. (The world) needs more Nitos.”

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Said older brother Cesar Longinos of the passing of Nito Longinos: 'My brother was a character. He’d walk into a room and fill it with energy, so it’s going to be hard to have these events (like Easter) without him.'
Said older brother Cesar Longinos of the passing of Nito Longinos: 'My brother was a character. He’d walk into a room and fill it with energy, so it’s going to be hard to have these events (like Easter) without him.'

Sylvia said her son would want to be remembered as a legend and icon with a big heart and for his big bear hugs.

Nito did not take life for granted. In an excerpt from a text message he sent to a friend, he wrote, “Nothing is promised and we could die at any moment, but it feels good to want to be happy and enjoy life. Find joy in the simple things. They matter the most.”

The family held a viewing March 6 at Aycock-Riverside Funeral Home in Jupiter. Nito was laid to rest March 7 following a packed service at St. Peter Catholic Church in Jupiter.

Nito, who owned a home in West Palm Beach at the time of his passing, is survived by his mother Sylvia, father Juan, Sr., brothers Cesar and Marco, sister-in-law Rachael, and three nieces — Alessandra, Fairyn, and Caidance — as well as his four-month-old Boston terrier puppy Bo, who his parents are now caring for.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm mourns unexpected death of Clematis Social GM Nito Longinos