Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year. Any month’s 13th day will fall on a Friday if the month starts [...]

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July 20, 2010 will mark 36 years since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the subsequent occupation of nearly 40% of its territory. In her new book, “The Past in Pieces, Belonging in the New Cyprus,” author Dr. Rebecca Bryant, who spends her time between Washington D.C. and Cyprus and is a Professor of Anthropology at George Mason University, sheds [...]

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The tragic moments related to the destruction of Smyrna were presented in an event organized by the Association of Mytilene, in collaboration with the Pan – Pontian Federation of the USA and the Federation of Greek Societies. During the event the the book of Christos Papoutsy “The Ships of Mercy” was presented by the author [...]

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The 19th of May, a National Day of Remembrance for the Genocide of Pontian Greeks by a decision of the Greek Parliament in 1994, marks our modern history. On this day in 1919, the second phase of the eradication of the Hellenism of Pontus began, scathing every sense of humanism and took the form of [...]

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The teaching of Modern Greek language and literature at Harvard dates back to 1828, when Colonel Alexander Negris, a veteran of the Greek War of Independence, became the first Instructor of Modern Greek.
An entry in the College Records of 15 September, 1828 reads as follows: “Any students who wish, may be permitted to attend the [...]

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Last month, members of the Greek Cypriot and Greek American community of all generations and ages, including an impressive number of people from the general audience packed the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria, Queens in response to CYPRECO’s invitation to attend its special program dedicated to “The Sad Story of Famagusta”, one of the many [...]

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He walks slowly through the corridors filled with nostalgia and tears. On the surrounding walls black & white photographs are telling the stories of immigrants. Once upon a time, this place was the final stop before the dream began. Ellis Island sealed their future in America.
Today, George Tselos (foto) is keeping those memories safe. 
It’s [...]

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Aside from Philedelphia other Greek elements sprouted across the American plains. In, Boston four leaders emerged James Chalmas (loanshark), Louis Venios (strip club owner and mob frontman), William “Skinny” Kazonis and Arthur C. “Tash” Bratsos (loanshark). Bratsos was under the authority of mob associate Joseph Barboza, who himself was not Italian but Portugese.
Barboza was a [...]

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As a boy on the Island of Kalymnos, Greece, George Saroukos watched his father and grandfather build boats. Over time, he learned the craft. By 18, he became a master boat builder.
George Saroukos, now 61, is the only remaining builder of traditional Greek sponge diving boats in the Western Hemisphere.  During the first half of [...]

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Chicago had the strong tight Outfit that controlled almost every aspect of the “Windy City” while Philadelphia had its loose knit Greek crew. Even though Philly was to some degree managed by the New York Families (reportedly the Gambinos) they controlled a major drug pipeline stretching to Florida. Yet way before the drug market surfaced [...]

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