LITTLE ROCK, AR – Greek immigrant Joe Stathakis, originally from Gythion, was a well-known restauranteur in Little Rock, AR a century ago, according to Arkansas Online which went in search of the man whose real name was probably John. Arkansas Online’s Celia Storey wrote, “I think he was ‘Joe’ in Arkansas and ‘Joseph’ in official documents but ‘John’ to his wife’s family, who were his business partners in Pennsylvania. But be skeptical. Although I’ve seen online records of his World War I draft registration card, wedding license, and probable Social Security number, the records I’m most reliant on — 165 newspaper stories and three U.S. Census forms — are the ‘rough draft’ sort of history. Talk about notorious name-changers!”
The article records the mentions of Stathakis in the local papers of the early part of the 20th century and even in the now-defunct Greek-American publication Atlantis, the one-time rival of The National Herald.
“In September 1915, the Arkansas Gazette reported ‘Joe Stathakis to Wed.’ The proprietor of the popular Faust Cafe in downtown Little Rock was headed to Wilkes-Barre, PA, ‘where, according to a Greek custom, he will formally announce his engagement to Miss Mary Frangis, daughter of a well-known Wilkes-Barre attorney.’”
The young lady, as reported in the Arkansas Online article, was Greek. On October 21, 1915, the Gazette reported that Joe Stathakis was honored, “The current issue of Atlantis, a monthly magazine published in New York and which has a wide circulation among Greek-Americans all over the United States, contains a picture of Joe Stathakis, proprietor of the Faust Cafe, 104 West Markham Street, and his fiancée, Miss Mary Francke of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Accompanying is a long article telling of their engagement and approaching marriage, which will take place immediately after Easter. As evidence of Mr. Stathakis’ popularity, a local newspaper says he sold 50 copies of the magazine in one day, and had demands for many more. He is trying to secure 50 more copies.”
Stathakis was again in the news on November 22, 1915, when the Gazette announced that he had married the daughter of a distinguished lawyer from Athens he had met in the summer while he visited his relatives in Wilkes-Barre, “Apparently it was a case of love at first sight,” the article noted.
The wedding notice was also in The Wilkes-Barre Record on November 22, 1915, “Stathakis-Frank- An unusually pretty home wedding took place Sunday evening at 9 o’clock at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. V.A. Frank at 49 Public Square, when the former’s sister, Miss Mary Frank, became the bride of John Stathakis of Little Rock, AR, in the presence of a number of friends and relatives.”
The notice continues, “The interior of the Frank home was decorated with smilax, vines, fall foliage and cut flowers. The ceremony was performed in accordance with the Greek Orthodox Church by two priests, and the bride was given in marriage by her father, K.P. Frank. She was attired in an ‘elaborate costume of white brocaded duchess satin, with long court train. She wore a long tulle veil, with cap effect, held in place by a wreath of orange blossoms, and she carried a bouquet of white roses.’
“Her only ornament was a handsome lavaliere, with diamonds and pearls, gift of the bridegroom. Her bridesmaid was gowned in white duchess satin… In accordance with the Orthodox Greek custom, immediately after the ceremony had been completed, the couple was pelted with candied almonds and other candies, instead of rice as the American vogue… The young people will go to housekeeping in two weeks at Little Rock, Ark., where the bridegroom is a successful restaurateur. The bride is a native of Sparta, Greece, and she and her father came to the United States less than one year ago to attend the wedding of her brother, V.A. Frank. She is highly accomplished and made many friends during her short stay in this city. She received many costly gifts…”
In 1917, Stathakis’ World War I draft card lists him as stout, medium height, black hair, and brown eyes, and related to Marica Franghis Stathakis, as Arkansas Online reported.
By September 1920, Joseph Nicholas Stathakis’ naturalization papers had been filed by the U.S. District clerk, the Arkansas Democrat reported at that time, and according to Arkansas Online, Stathakis took the citizenship oath in January 1921.
The article noted that Stathakis was a co-owner with his brother-in-law of a restaurant in Wilkes-Barre. On March 24, 1924, the Wilkes-Barre Record reported that V.A. Frank, Harry Galson, and J.N. Stathakis, the three “longtime owners” of The Belmont restaurant at Public Square and East Market Street had sold it for $40,000.
The Stathakis family moved from Arkansas to Kingston, PA in about 1925 as a 1936 Gazette society article noted.
The U.S. Census revealed that in 1920 Joseph and Mary Stathakis and children Janet, Mary, and Nick lived at 1914 Louisiana Street in Little Rock with the family of his brother Pete and his other brother Sam. By 1930, the Census records John M. Stathakis, age 44, with wife Marie, 32, and their children Janet- 13, Marie- 10, Nicholas- 8, and Bessie- 3 at 86 N. Atherton St. in Kingston. The rent was $50 a month. The 1940 Census revealed more information about the family and that John himself had given the details that “Ritz Restaurant proprietor John Stathakis and his wife, Marika, both born in Greece, and their children Janet, Marie, Nicholas, Bessie, and Adrienne living at 158 Dawes St. in Kingston.”
The Ritz, owned by J.N. Stathakis or John Stathakis, was located at 22 Public Square. In 1938, however, Joseph N. Stathakis was arrested at that location and fined as were four owners of other restaurants. The charge was selling liquor on a Sunday. The Ritz eventually became the Pitt, as reported by Arkansas Online.
Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Stathakis celebrated their 25th anniversary at a surprise party in November 1940. Two years later, in spite of heavy rains, John Stathakis led the Greek contingent in the four-mile Armistice Day parade in November 1942. In 1943, a niece’s engagement was announced, followed by Marica and John’s son, Lt. Nicholas J. Stathakis, age 22, graduating from the Advanced Twin Engine Flying Training School at Blytheville.
Lt. Stathakis piloted the B-24 Liberator bomber Angel Baby 3rd in World War II and received the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters in 1944. He flew missions during the Allied invasion of southern France on Aug. 15, 1944, aka Operation Dragoon, and Operation Tidal Wave, a risky attack on Hitler’s oil refineries in Italy, “After his formation had fought its way through a sea of bursting flak and dropped its bombs, Lt. Stathakis found his plane slashed with holes from end to end, hydraulic system and instruments shot out and one engine dead. ‘We were lucky to make it back to base,’ said the lieutenant, shaking his head. ‘After we landed the plane was junked then and there.’”
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported on Lt. Stathakis and his 50 missions flown by October of 1944, noting that he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph N. Stathakis of 158 S. Dawes Street, according to Arkansas Online.
The Pittston Gazette reported the death in 1954 of “Mrs. Marcia Stathakis, 55, of 158 S. Dawes Avenue, Kingston, wife of John Stathakis, proprietor of the Pitt Restaurant, Public Square, died Sunday morning in Mercy Hospital, two hours after admission.”
Joseph N. Stathakis of Luzerne County in Pennsylvania, born May 3, 1883, in Greece, passed away on June 1, 1969 but a full obituary on him or his wife was not found in the local Pennsylvania papers. Storey wrote in Arkansas Online, “Maybe they were in that Greek newspaper. Atlantis is archived by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Balch Institute, if anyone wants to drive to Philadelphia and read it for us.”
Joe Stathakis’ lasting legacy in Little Rock was as a co-founder of Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church. Stathakis co-signed the articles of incorporation and served as treasurer of the fundraising that led to the opening of the church.
As Arkansas Online reported, “Family, Greek culture, and faith are what you see in the tracks left behind by this very hardworking, very American, far from ordinary Joe.”
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