EXHIBIT
31.1




CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO


SECTION
302(a) OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002





I, Edward
B. Kornfeld, certify that:





1. I have
reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Porta Systems Corp. (the
“Issuer”);





2. Based
on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of
a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect
to the period covered by this report;





3. Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Issuer as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;





4. 
 I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e), and
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Issuer and have:





a)
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that
material information relating to the Issuer, including its consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to me by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;





b)
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal
control over financial reporting to be designed under my supervision, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles; and





c)
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Issuer’s disclosure controls and procedures
and presented in this report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
report based on such evaluation; and





d)
Disclosed in this report any change in the Issuer’s internal control over
financial reporting that occurred during the Issuer’s most recent quarter (the
Issuer’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Issuer’s internal
control over financial reporting; and





5. I have
disclosed, based on my most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the Issuer’s auditors and the audit committee of the Issuer’s
board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):





a)
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect the Issuer’s ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and





b)
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
who have a significant role in the Issuer’s control over financial
reporting.





Date: May
14, 2009




/s/
Edward B. Kornfeld *





Edward B.
Kornfeld


Chief
Executive Officer




*
              The
      originally executed copy of this Certification will be maintained at the
      Registrant’s offices and will be made available for inspection upon
      request.