The Greek-American businessman from New York City John Catsimatidis (owner of companies including the Red Apple Group, the Gristedes supermarket chain and the United Refining Company) goes on with his campaign for mayor in the 2013 New York City mayoral election, as one of the main candidates of the Republican Party.
The preliminary elections will be held on September 10 and the final elections for mayor who will succeed Michael Bloomberg are expected to take place on November 5, 2013.
The Greek-American billionaire stated that he is planning to spend as much money as needed from his personal fortune in order to win the elections and become the 109th mayor of the most populous city in the United States.
“I’m tough, I have heart,” he said characteristically while presenting his views in a series of matters concerning NYC.
Catsimatidis also gave speeches at gatherings organized by Greek-American institutions, referring to his “American dream” as the child of Greek immigrants.
According to Wall Street Journal, the Greek-American businessman will spend around eight million dollars on his campaign for the preliminary elections. If his wins then, it is estimated that he will spend nineteen million dollars more for the final elections of November.
So far, Catsimatidis ranks second among the rest of the Republican candidates in most polls. In the last days he has managed to significantly reduce his gap with Joseph J. Lhota, (former Chairman of the MTA) and their difference now falls within the limits of statistical error.
Catsimatidis was born on the island of Nisyros, Greece on September 7, 1948. He came to the United States with his parents when he was six months old. He is the owner, president, chairman, and CEO of the Gristedes Foods, the largest grocery chain in Manhattan, and the Red Apple Group, a real estate company with about $700 million to $800 million in holdings. Catsimatidis also owns the Hellenic Times, a Greek-American newspaper based in Manhattan.
He is also the chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group subsidiary United Refining Company.
The Red Apple Group also has holdings in aviation and real estate interests in New York, Florida, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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