LONG ISLAND CITY – The new Consul General of Greece in New York, Konstantinos Koutras, recently visited the main New York offices of the National Herald, accompanied by Consul Manos Koubarakis, and spoke with Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris.

Koutras congratulated Diamataris on the 101^st anniversary of the founding of the newspaper and expressed the emotion he felt when he saw the street sign in front of the offices on 30^th Street, which is written in both languages: Εθνικός Κήρυξ – National Herald Way.
The meeting took place two days after Koutras’ arrival in New York and assumption of his post, exemplifying his interest in the Greek-American media. Koutras replaced Georgios Iliopoulos, who departed from New York on May 2nd in order to assume his duties as Ambassador of Greece to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ATHENS – A delegation of the Order of AHEPA led by Supreme President John Galanis and including Daughters of Penelope Grand President Connie Pilallis, Supreme Vice President Andrew Zachariades, Executive Director Basil Mossaides, as well as several governors of Greek AHEPA chapters, was in Athens on May 12 for the occasion of a presentation of the book 1900 at the Grand Ceremonies Hall of the Hellenic Armed Officer’s Club, an event organized by AHEPA Hellas.
Written by Panagiotis Tripontikas and Stefanos Milesis, 1900 is a naval and historical story that brings to light the efforts of a generation of Navy men attempting to carry out a voyage in the year 1900: the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean aboard the “Navarchos Miaoulis,” a Hellenic Navy ship unsuitable for transoceanic missions.

It was an educational mission, led by Pavlos Kountouriotis, who commanded 215 sailors on board. Running on sails and charcoal, the ship sailed into the ports of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, with thousands of enthusiastic Greek-Americans waving Greek flags in support. The success of the Transatlantic voyage and enthusiastic reception boosted the morale of the Greeks, who had suffered a defeat in the 1897 Greco-Turkish War.
At the time, most Greeks who had settled in the United States had emigrated from Turkey, and the sight of a ship bearing the Greek flag filled them with particular pride.

It is not a captain’s journal, the authors say, but rather an adventurous, touching portrayal of a journey which glorified the Hellenic Navy on both sides of the Atlantic.

The book was presented to an audience of several Parliament Members, dozens of officers of the Hellenic Navy and other branches of the military and mayors of the areas of Greece from which the 215 sailors hailed.
AHEPA Hellas Governor Giorgos Plokamakis, along with members of the U.S. delegation, spoke about the book, which depicts the Miaoulis’ voyage as representing a nation searching for the moral strength to stand on its own feet, to be uplifted.

And Kountouriotis managed to achieve just that, against all odds. He was congratulated by American officers and in Greece, and a few years later, Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos appointed him Fleet Captain, achieving more glorious victorious as such.

When the Miaoulis arrived in New York, it was greeted by President William McKinley and New York City Mayor Robert Van Wyck. The Greek newspaper Atlantis printed regular updates about the ship’s voyage in the States.

Governor Plokamakis honored Supreme President Galanis and Grand President Pilallis they, in turn, honoured two descendants of those sailors and 91-year-old Thanasis Savvakis, engineer of the Greek destroyer “Adrias,” and a granddaughter of Macedonian Fighter Pavlos Melas.

LOS ANGELES – For the last 16 years Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jim Gianopulos’ innovative leadership has been instrumental in producing Oscar-winning movies such as Avatar, Titanic, Sideways, and The Martian.

In 2000, he became co-Chairman of Fox Film (formerly 20th Century Fox and 21st Century Fox) along with Tom Rothman, and he is now sole chair.

With the distinction of having served so long at such a large and influential movie studio, Gianopulos has enjoyed an extensive and illustrious career in the film industry, and shared his thoughts in an interview with The National Herald.

GREEK ROOTS

The Gianopulos family story is one of survival and success. His father, Nikos, came to the United States as an illegal alien right after then end of WWII and the Greek Civil War.

But for Nikos even to arrive here, he had first to miraculously survive the sinking of the Greek Navy cruiser Elli that was hit by an Italian submarine in August 1940 while anchored on the island of Tinos.

His survival was solely a matter of luck and timing, as he was on a higher part of the vessel when the torpedo hit the Elli’s bottom. A few months later, Italy invaded Greece after Ioannis Metaxas refused to surrender.

When Nikos Gianopulos arrived in the United States in 1951, he created the American Ship Repair Co. that provided replacement parts to international commercial fleets. The company has remained a family owned business ever since.

HELLENISM AND THE HERALD

Nikos created the company even though he did not speak English at the time. He received all his news, in Greek, from this newspaper’s sister publication Ethnikos Kyrix-National Herald.

”My father anxiously awaited for the evening edition of the National Herald, every day,” Jim Gianopulos said. He remembers that they always spoke Greek in the house.

”It was not until I went to Kindergarten that I spoke English on a regular basis.” His father had an interesting approach. He told Gianopulos that “you will always be an American but you have to be Greek first.” Gianopulos’ mother, Maria, hailed from Constantinople.

Gianopulos went to law school and his first inclination was to specialize in admiralty law, relevant to the family business. But he did not find it exciting and turned his attention to entertainment law, as he had great interest in music and film.

HOLLYWOOD
Was Gianopulos’ career goal to become a CEO of a major studio? ”I think that goal is a little too ambitious for anyone, it is a gigantic feat to become a studio head of one of the 6 historic studios in Hollywood.”

His first international position came as part of the joint venture between Columbia Pictures and RCA. ”The video business was growing and they needed someone to set up offices around the world.” Then came the Paramount Business affairs position with responsibilities on Pay TV and film financing.

BRAVEHEART AND TITANIC

His next career step was with International Distribution Department for Fox Studios. It was at this position that Gianopulos distinguished himself as an visionary leader, and he is associated with two Academy Award-winning films, Braveheart and Titanic, during his tenure there.

Braveheart was based on the story of the Scottish rebel William Wallace. The decision to make the film about an unknown hero was based on Mel Gibson’s involvement, ”he said.

“Most people did not know the story of Wallace, but because they knew Mel Gibson we decided to proceed.” The risk paid off with five Academy Awards.

Titanic was an even bigger risk. Not only had the movie been done before, but also everyone knew the story’s ending. Again, one of the main reasons Gianopulos decided to proceed with the movie was talent. This time, in filmmaker/director James Cameron. The two knew each other since Cameron’s Terminator film.

Titanic’s estimated budget of $75 million, the highest at the time, was another obstacle and they decided to bring in Paramount as a partner to reduce the risk.

But an unusual arrangement was made. Gianopulos said that ”when you brought in a partner it was customary to offer them the film’s foreign rights. At the time the majority of the revenue was originating from the United States.

But we made a strategic decision in 1992 that we needed to expand to foreign markets. Had we given away the foreign rights it would had been contrary to the strategy we were trying to establish. Thus Paramount got domestic and we retained foreign rights.”

The gamble paid off as Titanic was the number one movie in every country, grossing $2 billion in foreign receipts.
It also won 11 Academy Awards tying for the most awards won by a single film.

That shift in strategy has been validated in a big way. Today almost 75% of box office receipts come from abroad, up from 66% in 2010. Meanwhile the U.S. market has remained stagnant the last 10 years. Titanic was recently re-released in 3D and collected $200 million of which $140 million came from the Chinese market.

AVATAR

Another incredible success at Fox is the epic science fiction film Avatar, praised for its groundbreaking special effects. Exceeding $2 billion in gross receipts, it became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Following Avatar’s success, Cameron signed a deal for three sequels, with Avatar 2 expected to be released next year. “In order for a sequel to be successful you need to take the elements that worked from the original movie, but you have to take it to a different place. Introducing new characters and new ideas will give a fresh perspective,” Gianopulos said.”

GREECE’S CRISIS
Regarding Greece’s financial crisis, which is on Gianopulos’ mind, he told TNH that: “Greece’s entrance in the EU presented a tremendous opportunity, but at the same time it was its Achilles’ heel. The availability of funds gave opportunities for investment, and at the same time consumer loans became available very easily and people used it them improve their living conditions. But they borrowed at much higher levels, that they were not sustainable in the long run. The Greek crisis shares a lot of similarities with the mortgage crisis in the United States.”

The film industry in Greece is going through a crisis as well, and the lack of tax incentives is deterring foreign production companies from filming there.

The lack of facilities’ infrastructure it is also problematic. Should Greece invest in building infrastructure? Gianopulos’ opinion is ”That the capital needed to attract film productions on a regular basis is probably not feasible for Greece. Greek filmmakers are very talented and with the proper support they can definitely increase their productivity significantly. My recommendation is for Greece to invest in technology startups. Video games, special effects, and computer science are all areas that do not need the huge capital needed for traditional filmmaking. And some of the technologies can be adopted by other industries.”

SECRETS OF SUCCESS
What qualities does Gianopulos believe are needed to achieve and sustain great success? ”A leader has to have the humility to recognize that he cannot achieve greatness by himself and that he needs to assemble a very talented team of executives around him. Also very important is to have great relations with talent in front and behind the camera. And as a leader, you should set an example to your employees with your work ethic. It is essential that your employees embrace the company’s vision.”

Because there is no formula to create a great movie, it is essential to ”take risks and not to be afraid to fail. But do not make the same mistake too often.”

Where does Jim Gianopulos go from here? “”I want to keep creating great movies and follow honorable business practices doing so.”

The Afya Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps countries around the world who are in desperate need of medical supplies and equipment. Through donations of surplus medical supplies and equipment mostly from the Tristate Area, Afya (which means “good health” in Swahili) works with the people on the ground to ensure the most efficient distribution of supplies, equipment and humanitarian aid possible.

Afya’s focus in the past has been on developing nations in the Caribbean and Africa, and on areas affected by natural disasters, but most recently, Afya has been helping the island of Lesbos deal with the man-made refugee crisis.

Afya Founder and Executive Director Danielle Butin traveled to Greece with her team in January to see for herself how the foundation could help. She said to TNH: “if you had told me one year ago that we would be helping a European country, I would never have believed it.” She went on to describe the devastation on the small island whose infrastructure during the economic crisis is barely enough to sustain the resident population, and is now overwhelmed by the thousands upon thousands of refugees who have washed up on its shores.

Trained as an occupational therapist, Butin saw what she described as “an entire landscape of need,” from the coast guard to the hospitals, clinics, and even the police, all the first responders needed basic supplies and equipment that could be provided through the Afya Foundation and its partners in Project Spora.

She spoke specifically about the Vostanio Hospital in Mytilene, where she asked a doctor “what do you need?” and a moment passed before he responded: “14,000 sterile gloves.” Something as basic as hospital gloves that Americans take for granted can make a huge difference in the day-to-day running of the hospital, caring for patients, residents and refugees alike. Butin observed, “No one had asked them what they needed, so it took a moment to think.” She called the people that she met on Lesbos “angels and heroes” for their tireless efforts to help the refugees in spite of having little resources themselves to do it.

Butin asked Panagiotis Proventzas, the head manager of the Vostanio Hospital for a list to be compiled of all the supplies and equipment needed by the various departments, and he returned with a large stack of handwritten notes. “Helping the helpers,” Project Spora supports the people on the ground who are working directly with the refugees, getting them the equipment and supplies they need, like defibrillators, wound care kits, and warming blankets for the rescue boats.

Project Spora, from the Greek word for sowing of seed, will help bolster the Greek health infrastructure, “sowing seeds of hope for dislocated refugees and selfless Greek humanitarians.” The project has already filled, shipped, and delivered three containers of supplies and equipment for the beleaguered island. The Greek Orthodox Church has been instrumental in facilitating the transport of the containers through customs from the port of Piraeus to Lesbos, and Butin expressed her gratitude for the continuing help of the Church in supporting this worthy project.

The partnership with business, political, and religious groups is already seeing progress, but more needs to be done to spread the word about Project Spora, especially among the Greek-American community, which has seen the toll the refugee crisis is taking on the Greek islands, but may not know how best to help.

Butin also mentioned an upcoming fundraising event to be held on June 16 at Moderne Barn, a restaurant in Armonk, NY owned by Nick Livanos, whose family is from Lesbos. The funds raised will help fill more containers to be shipped to Greece to help ease the burden of the largest humanitarian crisis the world has seen in recent years. More information is available on Afya’s website: afyafoundation.org.

NEW YORK— Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was honored at the Cielo Gala on May 6 at Cipriani in New York.

The annual benefit gala for the Latino Commission on AIDS paid tribute and recognized the leadership of Dr. Daskalakis with the Esperanza Award. Esperanza in Spanish means hope. The self-proclaimed gay health warrior is tireless in his efforts to expand HIV testing to high-risk communities in New York City.

Commission President Guillermo Chacón said, “Dr. Daskalakis has been a fearless warrior in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and a defender of public health throughout his career. His dedication and initiative to engage patients and those at risk of HIV are personal qualities that give us hope that we will overcome the AIDS epidemic.”

The Esperanza Award recognizes leaders in medical research, public health, and treatment dedicated to fighting HIV and AIDS. The award was established in 1996. Previous honorees include the late Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, the first Latina President of the American Public Health Association and women’s health advocate.

When asked about receiving the award, Daskalakis said, “I am overwhelmed by the honor of receiving the Esperanza Award from the Latino Commission on AIDS. The work of the Commission embodies the core of my philosophy of how we will end AIDS in New York City, New York State and beyond: with love and respect. Hand in hand with our community, represented by the Commission, we are all warriors who will prove that love is the most potent antiretroviral. I am humbled and inspired by this great honor.”

Daskalakis discussed with TNH his being a first-generation Greek-American, his parents both from Evrytania, his father from Megalo Chorio and his mother from Karpenisi. The shared vision for fighting HIV and AIDS is what led the Latino Commission to honor Daskalakis.

After posing for photos on the red carpet, the honorees and celebrity guests, including Victor Martinez, Program Manager, Long Beach Center of Bienestar, a community service and advocacy organization, who was awarded the Dennis de León Voz de Compromiso Award, and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, enjoyed a cocktail reception, silent auction, and dinner, all to raise funds for the battle against HIV and AIDS.

The hosts for the event were Sibila Vargas, NBC4 New York news anchor, and actor J.W. Cortes. The theme of the event was Designing a World Without AIDS. The Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra led by Oscar Hernandez provided the live music along with Mariachi band Flor de Toloache and Swiss singer/songwriter Bastian Baker. Jamar Rogers, a finalist on season 2 of The Voice, who is living with HIV, also performed at the gala. The awards presentation followed dinner.

The annual Cielo Gala raises funds to support the Latino Commission on AIDS creating and promoting HIV and AIDS service programs and initiatives aimed at increased awareness, prevention, and treatment education for Hispanic/Latinos, as well as to build capacity among other HIV/AIDS organizations serving Latino communities throughout the United States and the Territories.

NEW YORK— The NYPD is looking for a man with a cane who stole a painting from a church in Upper Manhattan.

Police say the robbery occurred at Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Washington Heights at about 12:30 p.m. on May 8.

Police released a surveillance video that shows the suspect entering the church using a cane, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around the religious painting before fleeing.

There has not been any announcement from the Archdioceses.

Peter Liacouras, seventh president of Temple University in Philadelphia from 1982-2000,  passed away on Thursday after a long illness following a stroke he suffered in 2010. He was 85 years old. Liacouras transformed Temple University with his vision of a world-class institution with star sports teams and a classic American college experience for its students, replete with the charming green quads. Once a commuter school on North Broad Street, Temple gradually flourished under Liacouras’ nearly two decades as president. At times, his leadership was controversial, as he pushed for more diversity in the school’s faculty and student body to better reflect the diversity of the city of Philadelphia, the university’s home. Partially paralyzed by a stroke which also robbed him of speech, Liacouras was still able to watch Temple’s football team beat Penn State last fall in a historic win 74 years in the making.

“He spent his entire adult life working at Temple, hoping to help make it a better place,” son Greg said Friday. “No one fought harder, but in the end, he died peacefully, surrounded by his family.”

The son of Greek immigrants who ran a South Philadelphia grocery store, Liacouras never forgot his working class roots.

“In his short-sleeve shirts . . . he looked like he ran a pretty good neighborhood restaurant rather than a pretty good local college,” the Daily News reported upon his retirement.

Dr. Liacouras is survived by his wife, Ann Myers Liacouras, daughter Lisa, sons Greg, Stephen, and James, two sisters, three grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad St., at 11am on Friday, May 20.

Elizabeth Virginia Dimitry Ruth is something of a missing figure in Greek-American historical accounts. As a member of one of the first prominent Greek families in the United States, the extended Dimitry/Dragon families, Elizabeth Ruth does see passing mention in survey accounts.  But, “ah there’s the rub,” as they say, this is exactly the problem–Ruth is only mentioned in passing. While Ruth is continuously described by contemporary writers as among the first professional women writers who published at least one novel and one book of poetry (each to critical acclaim), one would have thought, by now, she would have already been the subject of a dissertation or an extended journal article dealing with her as a neglected but in truth notable Southern women writer. This is far from the case.

Exploring the life of Ruth also takes us into an area only now beginning to be revealed the ultimate passing of Greek-American communities as self-identified cohesive entities. For the most recently arrived Hellenes, business men and academics mostly, this day has long come and gone. While the denial of one group of Greeks with Hellenic identify by another self-identifying group of Greeks is an old game among us it is now beginning to take on new force. And in this period of church 100th anniversary church historical volumes, community-based genealogical societies and the growing establishment of archival rooms in churches across the nation and even the construction of museum buildings this thought is not one easily accepted. Egoism, boosterism, and the dread Greeks feel at revealing themselves to all perceived outsiders prevents this thought from being considered. Nonetheless it is still the case that there are fewer self-identified Greeks attending specifically Greek events and organizations than at any time since the mass migration of the 1880 to 1920 era. Ignoring what is happening will not make it go away.

Unexpectedly, “who were the Greeks in North America” is the question slowly entering the common gaze. Families long considered as Greek in American historical accounts such as those from the New Smyrna Colony, the extended Dimitry/Dragon families, or the Colvocoresses have all slowly faded from the consciousness of Greeks of the massive waves of immigration. Gone are the days when AHEPA conventions, of say the 1940s, would host descendants of the Dimitry or Colvocoresses families to speak about their ancestors’ trials and accomplishments.

And just like some natural law of science as the Greeks descended from the 1880 to 1920 era (and even more so those of the post -World War II) have forgotten, these earlier Greek arrivals to American shores so have the descendants of those persons come forward—in ever greater numbers—to publically assert their own Greek heritage. New publications and the social aspects of the Internet have each in their own way come to serve a new dynamic where the average person realizes the historical accounts offered by the dominant culture ignores them. Unsatisfied they write and document their own family histories. I have been astonished with how Facebook has come to serve as a unifying forum for the extended Dimitry/Dragon families not only as a source for providing detailed history from one individual or branch may possess but also as a highly successful venue to raise funds to care for ancestral gravesites.

So how does all this involve Elizabeth Ruth? As one of those long-ago Hellenes, Ruth’s life can service as a cautionary tale of what we may expect from future historians concerning our own ultimate place within Greek-American history.

Andrea Drussakis Dimitry (1775-1852), a native of Hydra, was a veteran of the War of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans.  He is buried in the tomb together with his wife Marie-Anne-Celeste Dragon (1777-1856), the daughter of Greek-born Miguel (Michel) Dragon (1739-1821) and Marie-Francoise Chauvin Beaulieu de Montplaisir (1755-1822). Alexander Dimitry (1805-1883), son of Andrea and Marie-Anne is buried in a different location within the same St. Louis No. 1 cemetery.

Professor Alexander Dimitry was one of the most distinguished intellectuals of his day.  Over the course of his life Dimitry was an American diplomat, linguist and scholar. Dimitry was fluent in classical Greek and Latin. He spoke English, French, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. He graduated with distinction from the college, Georgetown College, DC. In 1842 he established the St. Charles Institute in Louisiana, which he headed as the first state superintendent of public education in 1847. During his period as superintendent (1847–1851) he organized Louisiana’s public school system. In 1854, Dimitry was a translator in the U.S. Department of State; in 1859 he was sent as Minister to Central America by President James Buchanan.

Alexander Dimitry met and married Mary Powell Mills Dimitry (1816-1894) in Washington DC. Mills came from a family with lineage to the oldest colonial settlers in the nation. Her father Robert Mills (1781-1855), among many other accomplishments was the designer of the Washington Monument.

Born, according to her tombstone, on September 21, 1839, Elizabeth was known among her many brothers, sisters and close family friends as Eliza. By virtue of her birth and family’s social standing Eliza Dimitry associated with the most respected citizens of what was then called Washington City. On December 31, 1856, when no more than seventeen, Eliza married Enoch Fenwick Ruth. Ruth, who had commanded an Arkansas company in the Mexican War, obtained the rank of Captain and later became Commissioner of Indian Affairs. During their eleven year marriage the Ruths had four children: Elizabeth Dimitry Ruth, Genevieve Dimitry Ruth, Margaret “Madge” Ruth, and Fenwick Dimitry Ruth. In 1867, Captain Ruth died in Washington, DC.

After the death of her husband, Eliza Ruth settled in New Orleans. While the prospects for a widow in this era were grave Ruth established and for many years kept a flourishing private school for boys and girls. Supplemental to her school duties Ruth became one of the pioneer professional women writers in North America, writing under the name of Virginia Dimitry Ruth. By all available accounts Ruth proved to be an energetic contributor to Southern literature in prose and verse writing regularly for the national press as well as seeing her works of fiction and poetry published to wide acceptance. In this regard various accounts frequently couple Ruth along with her brothers, fellow writers (and unlike herself editors of magazines) John Bull Smith Dimitry (1835-1901), Thomas Dabney Dimitry (1850-1936) and Charles Patton Dimitry (1837-1910) whose novel The House on Balfour Street (New York 1868) saw numerous editions.

Elizabeth Virginia Dimitry Ruth died on September 22, 1891, on her son-in-law’s plantation in Carencro, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Elizabeth Ruth was buried at the Saint Peter Catholic Cemetery in Carencro.

Elizabeth Ruth’s life has many lessons to teach. Of how the prejudices of a particular time period can hide notable individuals. It goes well beyond women of one era being largely ignored by the male writing class. How did she perceive herself? What did she in fact write? The lives of these earlier Greek arrivals to American shores now seem to bear portents to our own fate as real Greeks from Greece down-grade us to use-to-have-been persons of some Hellenic descent. How will the future understand us? Who will tell our tales?

The Parthenon – that quintessential expression of the artistic greatness, political power, and intellectual dynamism of classical Greece – has suffered not only the ravages of time, but also vandalism, fires, and military attacks.

Built as a temple to Athena, it also has served as an Orthodox and Catholic church, Muslim mosque, fortress and munitions storage facility.

In 1687, when Europe’s Holy League was fighting the Ottoman Turks, Venetian forces under General Francesco Morosini laid siege and bombarded the Acropolis where the Turks had retreated. An artillery shell hit the Parthenon, which the Turks had converted to a munitions depot, and reduced it to ruins. Morosini also attempted removing works of art, causing further damage. The Turks retook the Acropolis and turned it into a bazaar selling souvenirs to Western travelers.

A century after this catastrophe the Parthenon suffered its worst injury, this time in the hands of Britain’s Lord Elgin. Lord Byron called it “vandalism”, writing in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, the antiquities of Greece “defac’d by British hands.”

Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, was appointed in 1799 British Ambassador at the Porte, the Ottoman seat of power in Constantinople. He proved a skillful diplomat and lent British support to Ottoman Turkey in its war against France. He also proved a consummate and systematic looter of the Parthenon aiming to adorn his Scottish villa.

Lord Elgin, with technical advice from an obscure Italian painter (Giovanni Lusieri), a controversial firman (it exists only in translation), and baksheesh generosity towards the Turkish officials in Athens for their liberal interpretation of the alleged authorizing document, embarked on a systematic pillaging of the Parthenon and its treasures that lasted for over ten years.

His agents caused much destruction as they cut up integral parts of the Parthenon and shipped boatloads of them to England. In 1816 faced with financial hardships due to a messy divorce he sold the treasures to the British Museum.

The vicissitudes that buffeted the Parthenon affected all antiquities – monuments, sculptures and other art objects, epigraphs, manuscripts –  and by the time of the Greek War of Independence their condition was dismal.

The newly-founded state, recognizing the importance of these treasures as a potential resource for enabling Greece to regain its historical footing and take its rightful place among the modern European nations, created the Department of Antiquities, a grossly understaffed and underfunded entity unable to deal with the immensity and criticality of the situation.

The Greek Diaspora in the face of Constantine Bellios, a wealthy merchant living in Vienna, proved helpful in this area also. Bellios suggested to influential Greek scholars and politicians the formation of an independent organization that would deal with the problems and opportunities presented by the antiquities.

As a result the Archaeological Society at Athens was founded in 1837 with the aim of locating, restoring, studying, and exhibiting the antiquities, and without government funding undertook many projects starting with the restoration of the Parthenon and the excavation of the Acropolis.

The achievements of the Ancients have influenced all aspects of our modern civilization in profound, widespread, and, sometimes, unexpected ways. Angelos Chaniotis, Professor of Ancient History and Classics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, has aptly observed, “The importance of dreaming and religious healing in sanctuaries of Asclepius for Sigmund Freud is well known. What is less known is that the ancient inscriptions, on which the work of psychoanalysts was based, were found during the excavations of the Archaeological Society at Epidaurus. These inscriptions record dream experiences…. Archaeology sometimes works in strange ways. Exactly as, according to chaos theory, the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil may set off a tornado in Texas, the discovery of a monument, a site, an object, or an inscription is part of a complex process of reconstructing the past, that has an impact on areas as diverse as psychoanalysis and history of religion, art and literature—think of the influence of the Cycladic idols on Picasso and Moore—or the identity of a nation and the collective memory and cultural awareness of those who respect human values. For nearly 180 years, the Archaeological Society at Athens has been a leader in this process of exploring the remains of the past in Greece, from the Neolithic period to the Byzantine Empire.”

The work of the Greek archaeologists has been significantly leveraged by non-Greek well-known scholars and philanthropists: Heinrich Schliemann excavating Mycenae lent credence to the historicity of Homer’s works; Sir Arthur Evans discovered the Minoan civilization in Knossos; German archaeologists unearthed Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games; and The American School of Classical Studies at Athens has pursued major excavations and restorations at the Agora in Athens, Corinth, Pylos and Nemea with generous support from The Rockefeller and Hewllett Packard foundations.

On the other hand, Greek archaeologists – some towering scholars with stellar contributions to the science and practice of archaeology – are not as well known in the Greek American community. Among them: Kyriakos Pittakis, one of the founders of Greek archaeology and epigraphy, being passionate about the antiquities famously opted to supply bullets to the besieged Turks in the Acropolis during the War of Independence so they would not destroy the monuments to recover the lead for making bullets, reassembled the Erechtheion which the Turks had converted to a harem, collected valuable inscriptions, and excavated Mycenae restoring the iconic Lion Gate;

Christos Tsountas, who discovered the Cycladic Civilization, inaugurated the study of the Neolithic Civilization, and made the Society one of the greatest innovators of archaeological research; Stephanos Koumanoudis, who greatly extended the Society’s work to sites and monuments other than the Acropolis, including the Agora, later taken over by the American School of Classical Studies; Spyridon Marinatos, who in 1967 undertook the excavation on Thera (Santorini, the island presumed to be Plato’s Atlantis).

The site, an important seaport at the time of the Minoan Civilization, was destroyed by a volcanic eruption around 1500 BC. Using advanced and multidisciplinary scientific approaches, Marinatos discovered the town, buried similarly to Pompei, with intact houses, their furniture and stunning wall paintings.

Seven years into the project, Marinatos had a tragic end at the very site when a wall collapsed and buried him under the prehistoric debris; and Manolis Andronikos of the University of Thessaloniki, who in 1977 unearthed at Vergina the tombs (replete with objects of great historical importance) of Macedonian kings, including that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.

These archaeological achievements, important in defining the national identity of modern Greece, have an enormous economic benefit. Greece’s “heavy industry” (tourism) has been built on the legendary Greek philoxenia; the extraordinary variability and beauty of the country; and the opportunity for visitors to experience the evidence of an unparalleled cultural past that is the cornerstone of our modern Western civilization.

The Archaeological Society at Athens has been a leader in this effort with over 1000 projects (several of them now UNESCO World Heritage Sites), often under extremely difficult circumstances (World Wars I and II) and almost never with adequate funding.

In 2015 a group of eminent international scholars – Founding Board members are Gregory Nagy (Harvard), Angelos Chaniotis (Princeton), Nanno Marinatos (University of Illinois at Chicago), Ronald Stroud (Berkeley), and Michael Cosmopoulos (University of Missouri at St Louis) – announced the formation of the Archaeological Society Foundation, a private non-profit organization with the purpose “to raise the funds that will allow the Society (at Athens) to continue discovering and protecting Greece’s cultural heritage”.

In the current economic crisis in Greece the need for international support for the Society is particularly acute, and hopefully Greek American philanthropy will respond.

Earlier this Spring, the Foundation presented its inaugural program at the Institute of Fine Arts in New York. The speakers–Board members and Dr. Dora Vassilicos of the Archaeological Society at Athens-gave an introduction to the history of the Archaeological Society and its research (Professors Nagy and Chaniotis) and presented two old excavations of the Society, in Thera (Professor Nanno Marinatos) and Mycene (Dr. Vassilicos) and two new exciting field projects at the Mycenaean palace in Iklaina, Messenia (Professor Cosmopoulos) and at the sanctuary of Poseidon in Onchestos, Boiotia (Professor Ioannis Mylonopoulos, Columbia University). The presentations are posted on the Foundation’s website: archsocwordpresscom.wordpress.com.

GARFIELD, NJ – The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey at the its annual Grand Banquet on May 16 awarded 106 stewards of the communities, clergy, members of Parish Councils, the Brotherhoods, the Philoptochos Societies, choir members, and members of the GOYA Chapters.

The Grand Banquet was held within the framework of the Metropolis’ Clergy-Laity Assembly and Philoptochos Convention which took place on May 16 and 17.

Metropolitan Evangelos said the banquet was attended by “855 priests, presidents and members of the Parish Councils, of the Philoptochos Societies, GOYA members, donors and benefactors of the parishes and the Metropolis, as well as representatives of the Federations of Hellenic Societies and Pan Gregorian Enterprises of New Jersey.

The Clergy-Laity Assembly was acknowledged as successful and spread the messages of unity, solidarity, and devotion to the communities, the Metropolis, and to the Church in general.

During his opening speech, Rev. Protopresbyter Kosmas Karavellas referred to the special guests and pointed out that they were honored by the presence of Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Maximos, who represented Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the new Consul General of Greece in New York, Konstantinos Koutras, Consul Manos Koubarakis, and National Philoptochos President Maria Logus.

Immediately following, students Amelia Antzoulatos and Alexander Horn sang the Greek and American national anthems, respectively.

Metropolitan Council Vice President James Fount as mentioned the Metropolis’ achievements and pointed out that May 11th marked the 13th anniversary of Evangelos’ enthronement. He said the achievements are due mainly to the tireless efforts and self-sacrifice of the honored guests, as well as the priests, the councils, and the parish members.

Evangelos announced that this was the first Clergy-Laity Assembly that Philoptochos President of the Metropolis Anne Michals did not attend, due to health reasons, and asked for prayers for her speedy recovery. He also pointed out that this year marks the 25th of Bartholomew’s enthronement, making him the longest-serving patriarch.

Consul General Koutras expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and for the love one feels when attending events such as this one and that the “heart of Greece beats strongly thousands of miles away from the homeland.”

Metropolitan Maximos noted that “here as communities you are able to portray enviable activity and social spirit,” and cited the lyrics of singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos “the communities of the Greeks create other galaxies…” He said the honorees are worth emulating because they “sanctify their life for the Church” and emphasized the notion of holiness.

Archbishop Demetrios reminded the audience that they “belong to a successful Metropolis, about which the Archdiocese and the Ecumenical Patriarchate boast.”

You have the Pan Gregorian of New Jersey, the Hellenic Federation, an extremely powerful Cypriot community, an amazing Philoptochos Society and rising action in the field of Education. You are developing Byzantine music, you are laboring and God provides the money so that you may continue your work and service.”

Demetrios also spoke about the upcoming the Great and Holy Council in Crete and the 43rd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Nashville, TN.

In regards to the presidents and members of the GOYA Chapters who were awarded, he pointed out that they “honor the future of the Church.”

The archbishop spoke about the preservation of national identity and the Greek language for younger generations and stressed that within large ethnical groups which originate from France, Germany, Austria and other European Union countries, the bonds are lost by the third generation.

Superstar pop singer Anna Vissi will be appearing at the Melrose Ballroom in a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds for the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, helping to cure the rare genetic blood disease thalassemia.

The mission of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is “to increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those impacted by thalassemia, a class of genetic blood disorders, most of which require regular blood transfusions and aggressive management of chronic iron overload, the predominant cause of early death.” T

he foundation funds medical research to advance treatment and curative approaches, supports and advises patients and their families, and advocates on their behalf, while educating medical professionals and the general public.

Maria Hadjidemetriou was diagnosed with thalassemia at age 2 1/2 and as she said in an interview, “Receiving two units of blood transfusion every 14 days is the easy part of the disease. I need to bring awareness to our community.”

A supporter of many charitable causes, Anna Vissi has a personal connection to thalassemia, since a childhood friend passed away from the disease. The renowned singer plans to speak about the experience on the evening of the benefit concert.

On Sunday, at SVL Souvlaki Bar in Astoria, Vissi met with Hadjidemetriou who besides being a thalassemia patient is also the Executive Board Member of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation. P

resident of the Intercollegiate Hellenic Society (IHS) and co-owner of SVL Souvlaki Bar Costas Gurlakis, and Vice President of IHS Margaret Skourlis also met with Vissi. Jack Trantides and Popi Vassilakis of Central organized the benefit concert to raise money for this worthy cause.

Proceeds of online ticket sales will go to the charity to help raise awareness and save lives. Christina Shailas, President of the Cypriot Young Professionals of the Cyprus-US Chambers of Commerce, and Peter Katsiaris, co-owner of SVL Souvlaki Bar were also present at the meeting to welcome Vissi back to New York where fans are eager to attend her concert and support a worthy cause.

Thalassemia is a group of genetic blood disorders. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. It consists of two different proteins, an alpha and a beta.

If the body doesn’t produce enough of either of these two proteins, the red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen. The result is anemia that begins in early childhood and lasts throughout life.

Beta thalassemia is more common in people of Mediterranean descent, though different forms affect people from all over the world. The different forms of thalassemia require different types of treatment, and some mild forms are sometimes misdiagnosed as iron-deficiency anemia.

More severe forms require lifelong blood transfusions for patients who also need chelation to remove the excess iron that may be building up in their system. Trials of a drug to treat thalassemia are in phase 3 of the study which will test the effects of the drug compared to a placebo.

The Intercollegiate Hellenic Society (IHS) has been in existence for over three decades. Since its establishment, the organization has been committed to bringing together young Hellenes to support causes important to our Hellenic roots, and the general Hellenic student body.

Tickets to benefit the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation may be purchased by calling Maria Hadjidemetriou at 917-623-2931, for a table, by calling Popi at 917-682-2887.

Festival season is now in full swing. After the celebration of Easter, Greeks and non-Greeks alike across the country are ready for the fun and food that is a highlight on the community calendar. Along with the souvlakia and loukoumades, music and dance are often part of the celebration, upholding the traditions of our Greek culture and heritage. This weekend, there are several festivals to attend, including the Greenville Greek Festival at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Greenville, SC, the St. Nicholas Greek Food Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Bethlehem, PA, the 33rd Annual Dionysos Greek Festival of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Britain, CT, and the Greek Jewish Festival on the Lower East Side of New York City.
The Greenville Greek Festival at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Greenville, SC features a huge menu of traditional Greek foods. From classic festival favorites like gyros, souvlakia, and loukoumades, there are dining options including a sit down dinner in the Hellenic Center, and a drive-through for those who prefer to take their Greek food to go. The outdoor coffee shop will serve pastries and coffee. Beginning at 5pm on Friday and continuing through Sunday, Greek music and dance will be performed at the amphitheater. Tours of the cathedral with explanations of church history and icons will take place every 20 minutes during the festival. The festival hours are Thursday 11am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 10:30am to 10pm, and Sunday 11:30am to 8pm. Drive-through hours are Thursday and Friday 10:30am to 7pm. Admission to the festival is $1.The St. Nicholas Greek Food Festival takes place this Thursday through Sunday at 1607 W. Union Boulevard, Bethlehem, PA. Those attending will enjoy gyros, moussaka, pastitsio, souvlaki, and baklava, as well as traditional Greek music and dancing. The kids tent offers activities to entertain the children. Tours of St. Nicholas Cathedral will also be available. The hours are Thursday noon to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 9pm, and Sunday 11am to 6pm. More information can be found on the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Bethlehem, PA website.

The 33rd Annual Dionysos Greek Festival of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 301 West Main Street in New Britain, CT, runs this weekend from Friday through Sunday. Artemis Nemphos, church treasurer, the festival’s volunteer chairperson, and parish member council since 1980 observed, “Greek people love their music, their food, and they love to celebrate.” He added, “You do not have to be Greek to have a good time.”
More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which is known for the quality of its food. As Nemphos noted, “We don’t skimp on anything. Everything is made fresh and on site.”
Favorites such as lamb and moussaka will also be on the menu, two of Nemphos’ personal favorites. The moussaka is according to Nemphos, “out of this world.” Harry Sitilides, in charge of advertising for the festival, has been attending for 20 years. He said, “There is just something about authentic Greek food. You cannot find the food we sell here during the festival in many restaurants. The food here is special.”
Music and dance are also part of the festival. Children in traditional costume will be performing traditional dances from the island and mainland of Greece on a 40 by 50 foot dance floor. Vendors will be on hand, selling various items, including jewelry. Raffle tickets, $2 each, will be on sale. The funds raised during the festival will go to the church. The St. George Greek Orthodox Church festival hours are Friday 11 am to 11 pm, Saturday 11 am to midnight, and Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm.
The Greek Jewish Festival on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, hosted by Kehila Kedosha Janina, the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, takes place on Sunday, May 22 at Broome Street between Allen and Eldridge Streets from noon to 6pm. Festival goers will enjoy kosher Greek food, traditional Greek dancing, an outdoor marketplace, and tours the restored synagogue. While only in its second year, the festival attracted a good crowd in its first year and organizers expect an even better turnout this year.

The Greek Division of Ronald McDonald House New York (RMHNY) held its Niki Sideris Annual Memorial Walk-a-Thon to raise funds for the home away from home for families fighting childhood cancer. The event, celebrating its 21st year, drew a sizable crowd under sunny skies. Participants of all ages, wearing the event t-shirt, walked for the worthy cause. The day began with registration at 9am and then the walk itself at 11am. The procession kicked off at Ronald McDonald House on 73rd Street between 1st and York Avenues and made its way around the block passing by Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The Walk-a-Thon returned to Ronald McDonald House where a reception with food and drink awaited all the participants. Father John Vlahos, Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, gave the blessing. The National Anthem of Greece and the Star-Spangled Banner were performed by talented singer Matina Panagos. Executive Committee Member Spiros Maliagros served as master of ceremonies, thanking everyone for their commitment and support for the Greek Division of RMHNY. Maliagros mentioned a poignant story about a young man named Leonidas who returned to RMHNY years after having beaten his childhood cancer to thank those who had helped his family with the wonderful care and support provided by RMHNY.

Michael Bapis, Chairman of the Greek Division since 2014, and partner and managing director of the Bapis Group at HighTower, spoke about the importance of supporting the home away from home for families fighting childhood cancer and noted that over 10,000 Greek, Cypriot, and Greek-American families have received help through the efforts of the Greek Division of RMHNY. Mrs. Catherine Pappas and Presbytera Tina Vlahos co-chaired the Walk-a-Thon and received thanks from Executive Committee Member Sofia Milonas who presented them with gifts for their hard work. Spiridoula Katechis was also thanked for her tireless efforts with the Greek Division and the organization of the Walk-a-Thon. Also present at the event, Consul General of Greece, Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Cyprus Vasilios Philippou, and Richard Martin, Acting Chief Operating Officer and Director of Development at RMHNY, who thanked everyone for their participation and encouraged everyone to continue to raise awareness and support for the cause. The street in front of RMHNY was closed to traffic for the event which concluded with entertainment provided by the Loupakis School of Champions, whose young gymnasts performed impressive feats of strength and skill in their gymnastics demonstration. The Greek American Folklore Society dance group performed with dancers from Bryant High School.

Founded by the late Mrs. Niki Sideris in 1979 to aid Greek, Cypriot, and Greek-American families with children undergoing cancer treatment, the Greek Division of Ronald McDonald House is the only ethnic division of the charity and now helps children from all over the world receive the care and services they need to battle against the various forms of the terrible disease. The social services and caring environment at Ronald McDonald House New York, the largest facility of its kind in the world, are a valuable asset in the fight against pediatric cancer. The temporary home away from home helps children and families develop support systems to see them through difficult times. The Greek Division also holds an annual Christmas party in December.

ATHENS – A delegation of the Order of AHEPA led by Supreme President John Galanis and including Daughters of Penelope Grand President Connie Pilallis, Supreme Vice President Andrew Zachariades, Executive Director Basil Mossaides, as well as several governors of Greek AHEPA chapters, was in Athens on May 12 for the occasion of a presentation of the book 1900 at the Grand Ceremonies Hall of the Hellenic Armed Officer’s Club, an event organized by AHEPA Hellas.
Written by Panagiotis Tripontikas and Stefanos Milesis, 1900 is a naval and historical story that brings to light the efforts of a generation of Navy men attempting to carry out a voyage in the year 1900: the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean aboard the “Navarchos Miaoulis,” a Hellenic Navy ship unsuitable for transoceanic missions.

It was an educational mission, led by Pavlos Kountouriotis, who commanded 215 sailors on board. Running on sails and charcoal, the ship sailed into the ports of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, with thousands of enthusiastic Greek-Americans waving Greek flags in support. The success of the transatlantic voyage and enthusiastic reception boosted the morale of the Greeks, who had suffered a defeat in the 1897 Greco-Turkish War.
At the time, most Greeks who had settled in the United States had emigrated from Turkey, and the sight of a ship bearing the Greek flag filled them with particular pride.

It is not a captain’s journal, the authors say, but rather an adventurous, touching portrayal of a journey which glorified the Hellenic Navy on both sides of the Atlantic.

The book was presented to an audience of several Parliament Members, dozens of officers of the Hellenic Navy and other branches of the military and mayors of the areas of Greece from which the 215 sailors hailed.
AHEPA Hellas Governor Giorgos Plokamakis, along with members of the U.S. delegation, spoke about the book, which depicts the Miaoulis’ voyage as representing a nation searching for the moral strength to stand on its own feet, to be uplifted.

And Kountouriotis managed to achieve just that, against all odds. He was congratulated by American officers and in Greece, and a few years later, Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos appointed him Fleet Captain, achieving more glorious victorious as such.

When the Miaoulis arrived in New York, it was greeted by President William McKinley and New York City Mayor Robert Van Wyck. The Greek newspaper Atlantis printed regular updates about the ship’s voyage in the States.

Governor Plokamakis honored Supreme President Galanis and Grand President Pilallis they, in turn, honoured two descendants of those sailors and 91-year-old Thanasis Savvakis, engineer of the Greek destroyer “Adrias,” and a granddaughter of Macedonian Fighter Pavlos Melas.

Gregory Albanis, Senior Director of University Events at New York University has a long connection with the institution. In fact, his parents both attended the university and met in what is now known as the Hellenic Heritage Association.

His father’s side of the family hails from Mytilene and his mother’s side from outside Olympia. As Albanis told The National Herald in an interview, “the Class of 1948 was the first one after the war, and many were there on the G.I. Bill. Two uncles and two aunts also met and married in that same graduating class, along with 20 or 30 others.” He noted that they still keep in touch, in spite of the advancing years, though some have passed away.

There are at least 14 degrees from NYU in the family, including the two Albanis himself earned –a bachelor’s in art history at the College of Arts and Science in 1978 and a master’s in public administration at the Wagner School in 1980. Though Albanis originally wanted a job at the National Endowment for the Arts or the National Endowment for the Humanities, he worked as an admissions officer at NYU before he began organizing events at the ever-expanding university.

As NYU transitioned from a commuter school to becoming one of the top dream schools in the United States, Albanis became the university’s director of special events. After the May 18 commencement ceremony, the 59-year-old Albanis is stepping down, but not retiring. He will stay on at NYU for a year as a consultant.

The graduation in 1997, when the event was still held in Washington Square Park, was his first as director. As the university grew, so did the ceremony, which is now held at Yankee Stadium to accommodate the thousands of people in attendance. His own 1978 graduation included yelling at his father over the traffic driving in from New Jersey for the ceremony, and the speaker, then chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Eleanor Holmes Norton. Albanis said this last commencement will be “bittersweet.”

During the last 20 years organizing events, Albanis also organized receptions for some very high profile people. “We’ve had a president, a vice president, a first lady, a secretary of state, two kings, two queens, three British prime ministers and every New York City mayor and governor,” he said. Queen Sofia of Spain chatted with him about the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Glory of Byzantium exhibition on display in 1997 while she and King Juan Carlos I were visiting New York for the opening of NYU’s King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center. Albanis spoke with them on the way to the dedication of the center. He also met Former President Bill Clinton at the 2011 graduation ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Clinton was receiving an honorary degree that year and Albanis was certain it would be raining. He bought waders, the kind worn by fly fisherman, from a sporting goods store just in case. The rains were heavy, but the moment the former president arrived, the sun broke through the clouds. After Clinton’s speech, he was supposed to exit through the visitors’ dugout, but instead went through the Yankees’ dugout which Albanis knew was locked, though somehow, the Secret Service agents and the former president managed to exit.

Billy Crystal will be receiving a doctor of fine arts degree at Wednesday’s ceremony and Albanis glued an NYU tassel on a Yankees cap for the famous Yankee fan to wear.

The weather is still much on Albanis’ mind, especially since the Yankees’ own weather service sends him reports twice a day, but so far Wednesday looks to be dry for graduation. Still, as Albanis noted, he was driving down from upstate New York just yesterday and no one had mentioned rain in the forecast, and yet, it was raining. Hopefully, the sun will shine for the graduates, guests, and Albanis, who has 32,000 rain ponchos available just in case.

NEW YORK – A cavalcade of veteran actors who collectively have appeared in dozens if not hundreds of roles as mobsters over the past several decades adorned the AMC Theater at Times Square on May 17 for the premiere of Back in the Day (BITD), a film written by William DeMeo, who also stars in the leading role, and directed by Paul Borghese, with cinematography by George Mitas. The National Herald interviewed DeMeo and Mitas in the May 14 edition.

DeMeo plays boxer Anthony Rodriguez, a half-Italian, half-Puerto Rican kid from Brooklyn, whose rise to the top is tainted by tragedy and brushes with local mobsters. His rapport with Matty (played by Joseph D’Onofrio) is reminiscent of Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci as brothers in Raging Bull. “A lot of people said that to me,” he told TNH.

Both DeMeo and Mitas were humble in accepting congratulations from the many who offered it. The latter told TNH, regarding his cinematography, “it’s all about telling a story.”

Among the luminaries of the cinematic mob elite on hand were Dominick Chianese and Vincent Pastore – both, like DeMeo, Sopranos alums – and Lillo Brancato, another former Sopranos cast member who subsequently got in trouble with the law and served time in prison.

At the Q&A session following the film, Brancato expressed heartfelt thanks to DeMeo for giving him another chance, and DeMeo responded that he looked into Brancato’s eyes and saw that he was a changed man.

In a profoundly genuine outpouring of gratitude and praise – completely opposite of a plastic, disingenuous Hollywood atmosphere – DeMeo, Borghese, and other cast members on hand, including DeMeo’s 17-year-old son, Cristian, who played a key role as the young

Anthony Rodriguez, discussed their experience and joy in being part of the film.

The film’s official release date was May 20.

FILM REVIEW

Back in the Day (2016)

This latest boxing/mafia film has many twists, turns, and surprises. Of six directions in which I predicted the storyline would turn next, I was only correct about one!
The main event is a fight for the middleweight championship of the world, and the result is known to the audience within the first few minutes of the film. Writer and lead actor At the premiere, William DeMeo said “I purposely didn’t want it to be like Rocky, where the fight’s outcome is the last scene, so I let the audience know who won right away.”
DeMeo spends the rest of the film recounting his tumultuous life story to legendary boxing broadcaster Larry Merchant (the 85-year-old played himself in the film, the tempo of his speech a bit slower than during all his years on HBO, but the questions just as probing).
The film takes us back to young Anthony (played by DeMeo’s 17-year-old son, Cristian), enduring racism on the streets of Brooklyn, particularly by Dominick, while Anthony’s best friend Matty and Maria (Maria May), the girl of his dreams, support him, though none of the three stands up to the neighborhood bully – whose father is in the mob.
Eventually, the neighborhood’s chief gangster, Enzo (Michael Madsen), takes Anthony under his wing and encourages him to become a fighter. Gino Fratelli (Alec Baldwin) asks to see him and gives his blessing too. “That’s Enzo’s boss, right?” Matty asks. “He’s everyone’s boss,” Anthony replies.
The Anthony/Matty screen chemistry is so reminiscent of brothers Jake and Joey LaMotta (Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci) in Raging Bull that even troublemaker Nicky (Lillo Brancato) wises off to Matty, calling him a “Joe Pesci wannabee.”
The tension is gripping and the violence is graphic. George Mitas’ cinematography effectively captures the stark reality of murder. In one scene, there is a bullet hole in the victim’s chest with smoke coming out of it. And just like that, we are taken to a soft, romantic scene between Tony and Maria (as an adult played by Shannen Doherty). There is a fight – nearly a fatal one – that broke out all because of a cigarette. DeMeo brilliantly takes us to a time and a place where the fate – or loss – of one’s life can depend on the most trivial dispute.
One by one, the people closest to Anthony leave him, in one way or another. At one point, he loses the heart to fight, but ultimately regains it. And his trusted trainer Eddie (Danny Glover) is always by his side. And the boxing scenes are very realistic; far more like an actual match than the farfetched 20 unanswered punches in a row scenarios displayed in some films.
Anthony is clearly the film’s hero. Dominick (Ronnie Marmo) the undisputed villain. But there are plenty of shades of gray, including imperfect parents and lovers, and killers who have big hearts.
There’s even a cameo by Mike Tyson, whose own life has been too complex to fall into one category. “There’s no one I wanted for this role other than Mike Tyson,” DeMeo said. “They offered me other boxers, but it had to be Mike.”
Like DeMeo, Tyson is Brooklyn. The film is Brooklyn – a true homage to what Ed Norton (Art Carney) used to call: “the garden spot of the world.”
DeMeo, Director Paul Borghese, and the film’s entire aura is too authentic to be Hollywood. But even as the conclusion is not a classic Hollywood ending, it is a message of love, and one that caused the audience to erupt in its loudest applause of all.

Dr. Neophytos (Neo) Papaneophytou is a Professor of Psychology at the City University of New York (CUNY) and several other institutions, a renowned clinical psychologist who maintains a clinical practice in New York and in New Jersey and the Founder and President of the nonprofit organization Magic Always Happens, which envisions a world with full services offered to all people on the autism spectrum. He recently spoke with The National Herald about his endeavors.

TNH: What inspired you to be a child psychologist and how are you able to cope up with many activities at the same time?

NP: Understanding the so-called Human condition, and being able to help people help themselves, were critical factors in my educational and professional decisionmaking processes. Throughout my career I was fortunate to have some of the best psychologists as mentors.

Through my clinical training I worked with children, adolescents, and adults in some of the world’s best hospitals such as Bellevue/ NYU, St. Luke’s Roosevelt, Hackensack University Medical Center, etc. Learning and applying the latest therapeutic techniques is critical, particularly when it comes to issues of abuse and neglect (forensics). Seeing clients make significant progress with their life issues is inspirational; this is particularly true with children as they are more able to adjust and overcome their issues early on in life.

Bridging adult and child issues was easier to achieve subsequent to the completion of a post-graduate program in Infant-Parent Mental Health at the University of Massachusetts/Boston. I do work with children and adults, as well as with couples and families. Human needs and wants are not all that different. As to the element of time, we all have time; maximizing time is the issue.

TNH: Please tell us more about Magic Always Happens.

NP: It was formed in 2015 and it is solely composed of volunteer subject matter experts. We collaborate closely with luminary experts from some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions and universities.

In our few months of existence we managed to successfully complete a number of formal events in New York City, and overseas. Our goals and mission include taking increased action toward the elimination of the symptoms of autism, increasing research, education, and the application of best practices.

We envision a world where people on the autism spectrum will enjoy full services, receive appropriate therapy, and live an honorable life while enjoying an improved quality of life. Vocational, educational, and quality of life issues are germane to many adults with autism, and vital to their families.

The grave question most parents ask is “what will happen to my child once I am gone?”  Our nonprofit organization offered a panel discussion at the House of Cyprus, that country’s embassy in Athens, last June.

The expert panel consisted of a local child psychiatrist, a local child psychologist, and me. Many parents and educators in attendance benefited from the presentation and discussion that ensued.

Our first International Symposium for Children, entitled “Autism: Actions Not Words” took place in New York City this past October. Parallel to the above, a team of marathoners successfully completed the 2016 Athens Classic Marathon wearing our colors, in support of “People & Autism” with an ultra-marathoner having recently completed the Dolihos-Olympia, 255 kilometers race sponsored by us.

TNH: What was the inspiration for the title of your latest children’s book, Strong as a Lion, Big as a Tree, and what message would you want children to get from reading your books?

NP: Three children’s books have been published by us so far, with all proceeds going toward our organization.

The first book, Magic Always Happens: My Daddy Loves me! aims at enhancing the father-son relationship through daily life (seemingly mundane) events. The second, Fluffadelia,  aims to increase socialization, communication, friendship, and acceptance, and to enhance interpersonal skills.

Strong as a Lion, Big as a Tree encapsulates many day-to-day dreams and events, aspirations, behaviors, and memories of children while enhancing self-esteem, instilling values pertinent to healthy social engagement and play, love for nature, animals and friends, respect, kindness, and love.

The metaphor of the lion allows any child to identify with strength, and feel powerful and respected, while the metaphor of the tree reflects on a strong, healthy, and long family history that enables prosperity and shared meaning to take place.

All books are psychologically minded and developmentally based; they are essentially wonderful bed-time stories. These stories allow the child to rid of any internal anxiety or fears, and relax while identifying with real life or fictional characters of strength, bringing them to sleep while feeling loved, accepted, and cared for. All books are available internationally via Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and other vendors.

TNH: Please tell us about the first annual International Conference on Autism Treatment and Research, that you are organizing in Cyprus in November.

NP: This conference allows for luminary experts from all around the world to present their latest applied research and therapeutic models. At the same time, it allows local parents, professionals, and educators to benefit. This is the first time a conference of this type is being held anywhere.

With people and autism and their families as its central focus, the conference will welcome expert speakers from the fields of psychology, law, genetics, architecture, technology, health sciences, dance, speech, play, sensory and other therapies, pharmacology, immunology, education, computer technology/ robotics, and many other disciplines.
We are proud to say that a new robot to assist people with autism (created by a Greek-Cypriot, former NASA scientist and her team) will be showcased.

We are honored by the fact that our conference has been placed under the direct aegis of the Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, and it remains under the auspices of the Health Minister Dr. George Pamporides.

The Gala Dinner offered during the inaugural evening is under the aegis of First Lady Andri Anastasiades, and we remain especially thankful to the Church of Cyprus, particularly to His Eminence Archbishop Chrysostomos II, for the kind support.

TNH: What else are you currently working on?
: Our organization is in constant communication with local parents and experts, both in the United States and in Cyprus. We plan on offering multiple educational and best practices seminars, initiating international comparative research and publications, while at the same time focusing on the establishment of the Cyprus International Center for Autism Treatment and Research, an innovative institution offering diagnoses, therapy, education, treatment and support to people on the spectrum ages 3-21.

Furthermore, we are working toward the creation of assisted living environments, based on best practices that will fully support adults on the spectrum who are able to live and work in a semi-independent environment.

On the artistic side, we are just about ready to announce our first Annual International Photography Contest with (online) submissions, followed by an exhibit of the best 100 pictures in a New York City gallery.

During this formal event unique photographs will be auctioned off, and the almanac including all best pictures will be available to the public. All are invited to attend and we welcome sponsors and donors.

Taking this opportunity I wish to invite everyone to join our efforts and offer their unconditional support. We reach out to our Greek-American Diaspora, in particular. More information is available at magicalwayshappens.org.

(Aria Socratous)

She’s as far from a self-absorbed professional athlete as you can imagine and that’s the allure of Alexei Pappas, 26, of Eugene, OR: a world-class 5,000 and 10,000-meter runner who will compete for Greece in the Olympics but is adored just as much by her young fans for her unconventional and literate life – along with the “Alexi bun” on the back of her hair.

She’s a track star with rock star appeal, an athlete who quotes Faulkner from memory, Tweets poetry about her workouts, writes poetry and a monthly poetry column for Women’s Running magazine, essays, a play, a film and will appear in a semi-autobiographical movie, Tracktown at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 4.

She’s only among the seven best American women runners at her distance yet the most recognizable for a personality so alluring it was the subject of a feature in the New York Times by writer Sam McManis, rhapsodizing her life’s bio-rhythms and running for space and time, no moral to this story and yet there is a finish line.

“I didn’t start it, by the way,” she said of the interest in her hairstyle. “A high school team in Oregon had tweeted me a picture of all of them wearing the ‘Alexi Bun.’ I retweeted it. It took off from there,” she told The Times.

Her grandmother was born in Greece, earning Pappas dual citizenship, her celebrity making it a lot easier likelier than for other Greeks of the Diaspora who find it an arduous task despite their kinship with their homeland.

To her teen fans and teen runners she’s the Lady Gagagagagaaga of the sport, a magnet for idolatry and emulation and a hair fashion trend. Girl runners want a bun too and love the sport’s hippie, a kind of 1960’s throwback to free thinking.

One young runner and fan who came to watch her, Rachael Reiter, was too shy to approach her at a meet but told the Times: “Love the bun. Love that about her. The bun almost has its own fan club on, like, Twitter. I tried to run in a bun once. It totally fell apart. She can pull it off.”

She’s as smart as she is athletic, and turned down scholarships to pursue a Master’s Degree in writing from Columbia, USC and UCalifornia-Irvine because she wanted to run, baby, run.

She’s also done stand-up comedy – showing fearlessness as anyone who’s tried it will attest – and understand enough about herself to advise her followers to be themselves.

“Whatever I am to these girls, I’m happy to be,” Pappas said. “The bun is something that, if your hair is long enough, anyone can do. That’s a connection to make with young runners. Rather than tweeting out, ‘Just ran 100 miles this week’ — not healthy for them, anyway — why not a picture of my hair?”

She has a hard serious side too. “I’m not a cartoon character,” she said. “People read my poetry and this and that, and when they meet me at the track, they think there’ll be a — ta-da! — a show or something. At home, I’m mostly quiet and often asleep.”

LOSING A MOTHER

She was raised in Alameda, California, between Oakland and San Francisco in a life that didn’t begin easy. Her mother, Roberta, committed suicide when her daughter was only four years old, leaving the girl to be raised by her father, John, and older brother, Louis.

When she got old enough, Pappas talked to her father of her mother and sought out her mom’s friends, trying to find some answers and understanding about what had happened.

“How can someone be so sad that they’d want to leave?” Pappas told The Times. “What I think it was, maybe she didn’t have someone to share what she was going through. Her close friends told me she didn’t talk or emote, at least not like I do.”

Her boyfriend, Jeremy Teicher, who co-directed Tracktown said there’s many sides to her and that she’s not insular or thinking only of self.

“Alexi tries to be open and talk honestly with people,” said Teicher, who met Pappas at Dartmouth when they were studying film and theater. “She talks about her fears and how hard things can be. That’s why people are drawn to her. That’s also something I, as the boyfriend, actually admire.”

Pappas has to emote as much as run, especially when she gets inside herself about what happened to her mom without knowing why really.

“When I think of my mom, it makes me … I don’t know, let’s just say that’s why at least somebody knows everything about me,” she said. “I mean, if I have a bad sandwich, I’ll tell Jeremy. If I see a weird leaf on a run, maybe it’ll become a poetry tweet. I’m making it so that people hold on to the things going on inside me.”

There are those who question whether being so multi-faceted has hurt her running, that marginalizing herself with too many activities makes her take her eye off the track even if it’s watching the road.

“She gets criticized from all angles — the film and the track and field,” said Jordan Hasay, an elite distance runner who was Pappas’s teammate on the University of Oregon cross-country team that won the 2012 NCAA title. Pappas was granted a fifth year of eligibility after graduating from Dartmouth and ran for Oregon while completing a Master’s Degree.

“But that’s what works for her,” Hasay said. “You find happiness in different areas. It wouldn’t be enough for her to focus on just one thing. It doesn’t hinder her, only enhances her.”

Pappas’s coach, the Olympian Ian Dobson, gives her a lot of slack, unlike some coaches who won’t suffer a lack of attention and focus on the sport. She missed three weeks of training last year to film Tracktown and Dobson said her coming late to the sport has made it tough.

said he not only accepted but also embraced her choices. When “Tracktown” was filming last year in Eugene, forcing Pappas to miss three weeks of training, Dobson did not object, he said.

HER WAY

She was one of the top prep distance runners in California as a freshman at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland but fell out of favor with coaches who thought she wasn’t focused.

“I was 16, with frizzy hair and braces, and wanted to explore soccer, student government, theater and boys,” Pappas said.

At Dartmouth, she was the “slowest runner on the team” her first year because she wanted to “go to parties and explore the full college experience,” she said. Now she trains hard with the Oregon Track Club Elite in a state which reveres the sport.

She still fits in all her other activities. “The film and creative work have kept me healthy,” Pappas said. “On an average day, I’ll finish my workout, my post-workout fuel, and come back here excited to work on the film. I’ll bring my bowl of mush down for breakfast into Jeremy’s office and look at what he’s editing.

She’ll spend some time now doing high-altitude training with the Greek Olympic track team in Font Romeu, on the border of France and Spain; competing in the European Championships; and then returning to Mammoth, Calif., for more altitude training with her mentor, Deena Kastor, before heading to Rio de Janeiro in August for the Olympics.

“This might open up a whole new world for me and my running scope,” Pappas said. “I’m officially on the team, and I’m now the national record holder in the 10K, after my time at Stanford. There’s already been a bunch of articles about me in Greece. It’s very exciting.”

Now she’s added learning Greek to her repertoire but in a life with so many swirling choices made simultaneously said she has one hard and fast rule: “You cannot run 24 hours a day. There’s a mental and physical benefit to having something else in your life.”

Columbia University, one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world, is home to a distinguished classics department that includes a Program in Hellenic Studies. Dr. Maria Hadjipolycarpou, who teaches in that program, recently spoke with The National Herald. The interview follows.

TNH: You received your Bachelor degree in Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies from The University of Cyprus and your PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan. How did you decide to make a huge transition to a completely different culture and how difficult had it been to pursue an academic career on the other side of the Atlantic?

MP: As William G. T. Shedd (1820-1894) said, “a ship in the harbor is safe but this is not what ships are made for.” I like to challenge myself with new projects. Immigrating into a new country and transplanting myself in a new culture was definitely one of the most challenging things I did in my life. I am glad I did it, however, because it gave me new pairs of eyes through which to see the world. Isn’t this also what education is all about? To have the capacity to see the world beyond your own point of view? Another reason I decided to pursue this career was because at the University of Cyprus in my Modern Greek literature courses our professors made reference to such writers as Stendhal, Eliot, Pound, Chateaubriand, Byron, and such philosophers as Hegel, Heidegger, Nietzsche, Levinas, and many more. They used these references as an entry point to the study of the Greek writers. Those references gave rise to my curiosity to know more about Western philosophy and literature. This was the reason I found myself pursuing graduate studies initially at Purdue University, Indiana, and later at the University of Michigan. Modern Greek literature had a bizarre relationship with the Western literary establishment. I had to study further in order to fully grasp what was going on.

TNH: You are the Founder of “Mediterranean Topographies,” an interdisciplinary research group interested in the modern Mediterranean culture, literature, society, architecture, and history. Can you elaborate on that?

MP: I wanted to study Greece and Cyprus as part of the Mediterranean geopolitical context within which the two countries happen to find themselves. For this reason with my colleague Dr. Amr Kamal, I founded Mediterranean Topographies (Meditopos). Meditopos offered a forum for scholars to discuss the shared histories of the Mediterranean people. Our discussions led us to realize, among others, the commonalities of Greeks, Arabs and Jews. The creation of Meditopos eventually led to the hiring of 4 tenure-track Professors in Jewish Studies, Spanish Studies, and History of Art.

TNH: What are your research and teaching interests?

MP: My research revolves around the Mediterranean with a specific focus on Greece and Cyprus. I am particularly interested in the ways communities and individuals in this region define their ethnic, national, religious and personal identity. Ι studied the autobiographies of such authors as Costas Montis, Niki Marangou, Rina Katselli, Nikos Kazantzakis, Michel Fais, Rhea Galanaki as well as autobiographies from the Arab and Jewish worlds. I am interested in the stories people tell of themselves in the public sphere. In regard to teaching I love doing it. I am interested in keeping students engaged. Humor is also an important quality for a teacher to have. Making students laugh makes them pleasantly receptive to what they are learning and associate learning with happiness. I am interested in seeing my students succeed in areas that they are passionate about. I also like to see my students remain engaged with the community, to be aware of what is happening around them in terms of politics, culture, and society. In the Columbia Modern Greek program we initiated a collaboration with the United Nations Mission of Cyprus. Our students have the opportunity to intern with the UN which opens a window in the field of international relations

TNH: What are you currently working on?

MP:I am currently working on a book project on Autobiography in the Mediterranean. Greece and Cyprus are an important component of this project. The title of my book in progress is Lives in Disguise: Autobiography in the Modern Mediterranean. It is a long and difficult project but I am hoping to find the peace of mind to finish it sooner rather than later. Writing a book, especially academic, is hard, particularly when one has to cope with the daily routine of teaching, keeping a household, etc. Our history and thought is traceable in the language we speak.”

TNH: How has Greek culture contributed to your success?

MP: There are so many facets to Greek culture: music, language, daily practices, domestic and public, celebrations, and so much more. I suffice to two things: Greek language helps me be a better critical thinker. Our history is traceable in the language we speak. Most important, Greek culture offers me a communal worldview that is different from what in the West is known as individualism.

BANGOR, Maine – Adam Metropoulos, a 53-year-old former Greek Orthodox Priest, who in March was convicted on four felony counts of sexual abuse of a minor, and in April was sentenced to 12 years in prison, is now being sued by the victim, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The name of the plaintiff, now 24, is not being released publicly because he was the victim of sexual abuse, the News reported.

The lawsuit also names as co-defendants Metropoulos’ supervisors and the Greek-American community in Bangor, although it does not specifically name St. George Greek Orthodox Church, where Metropoulos served.

The victim claimed to have sustained severe and permanent physical injury, emotional distress, mental anguish and future and past medical expenses because of Metropoulos’ sexual abuse, which occurred in 2006 and 2007, and he claimed, the News reported, that the Boston Metropolis, its leader Metropolitan Methodios, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Greek Orthodox community in Bangor were negligent in their supervision of Metropoulos.

The Boston Metropolis removed Metropoulos from his position the day following his arrest.

Metropolitan Methodios did not respond to TNH’s request for comment, and the Archdiocese told us that Archbishop Demetrios was out of the office when we called.

Metropoulos is incarcerated at the Maine Correctional center in Windham, the News reported, with 5 ½ years of his sentence suspended, resulting in 6 ½ years of jail time actually imposed.

The civil suit was filed on May 20 in Penobscot County Superior Court.

Metropoulos served St. George for 13 years.

As TNH reported, in September 2013 Metropoulos was arrested for child pornography and for videotaping a relative of his wife, who was visiting at the time, taking a bath in their home.

When she spotted the tiny camera, she confronted him and she reported the incident to the police. When the police searched Metropoulos’ computer, they found hundreds of child pornographic material. He was placed under arrest and the Church was alerted.

Metropoulos had previously been convicted of pedophilia in Michigan. He went to Maine he became a teacher and after eight years was admitted into the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and became a priest.

Metropoulos was spending long periods of time during the summer months at the Camp of the Metropolis of Boston in Contoocook New Hampshire doing catechetical instruction to the children, played with them and helped in the camp program.

It was also reported that Metropoulos had slept on the couch at his home with two underage boys and touched them inappropriately.

Recently, the court rejected Metropoulos’ petition for early release.