Acclaimed Author Nick Gage Tells TNH About Paneperotic Federation

S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek- Americans N c v A wEEKly GREEK-AmERIcAN PUblIcAtION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 17, ISSUE 864 May 3-9, 2014 $1.50 Acclaimed Author Nick Super Bowl Champion Maragos Tells His Story Gage Tells TNH about Greek-American’s Long Journey to Paneperotic Federation Football’s top Prize By Theodore Kalmoukos we face the challenge of trying By Constantinos E. Scaros to bring our young people, who BOSTON, MA – The Panepirotic were born here and do not feel SEATTLE, WA – Super Bowl Federation of America (PFA) is the pull of the homeland the XLVIII (48), played on February far from being the biggest way we do, but we are faring 2, is the most-watched televi - Greek-American organization in pretty well there, too. Our cur - sion program in American his - the country, but for the past two rent board includes members tory. An astonishing 111.5 mil - decades it has been one of the who range in ages from the lion viewers watched this most effective, especially in pro - early 20s to the mid-70s. One professional football champi - moting the rights of ethnic can guess as to where I belong. onship game, according to the Greeks in Albania. To find out TNH: How would you de - Nielsen ratings, which means how the group does it, we asked scribe the mission of the Feder - more than half of the nation’s its new president, renowned ation in the past 20 years. entire population. journalist, author, and film pro - NG: To help the ethnic Greek And in the thick of it all, dur - ducer Nicholas Gage (Nikos Gat - minority in Albania, and Epiros ing a frenzied pace in which the zoyiannis), a series of questions as a whole where we can. two combatant teams tried to about its methods, policies, and TNH: What are some of the take control of the game, all finances. The forthcoming Gage things you have done to better cameras were on one player, his provided us with a wealth of in - the lives of the people of North - name – MARAGOS – embedded formation. ern Epiros? on the back of his jersey. “Hey, TNH: Let us start with the NG: I’ll mention only three Maragos! That’s Greek!” tens of question, how is the Panepirotic because of space limitations. Af - thousands of Greek-Americans Federation of America doing to - ter Communism fell in Albania, from coast to coast no doubt ex - day? the authorities launched a pro - claimed. “That’s really a blessing NG: Quite well, thank you. gram of intimidation against from the Lord and something I We are strong financially, active ethnic Greeks, jailing their lead - don’t take lightly,” Chris Mara - politically, and effective in pur - ers and harassing their commu - gos, a safety and special teams suing our goals. Like most nities to pressure them to aban - EUROKINISSI player for the Seattle Seahawks, Greek-American organizations, don their homes and move to Everything One Needs to Know about the Greek Crisis who went on to rout the Denver Greece. The PFA sprang into ac - Broncos and win the game, told tion, organizing an international No matter what the politicians or the mass media are selling during Greece’s pre-election period, TNH. “Hopefully, through my protest that freed the minority the throngs of people drawn to free distributions of vegetables tell observers all they need to play, I can represent [Greek- leaders, and persuading Wash - know about conditions seven years after the onset of a deep recession that is really a depression, ington to denounce the coercive given 27 percent general and 60 percent youth unemployment. Continued on page 8 policies of Albanian authorities. In 1996, I met with President Clinton and persuaded him to call for new elections in Albania. When they were held the fol - Gounaris’ Last Day at Cathedral 5/11 Profile: HABA lowing year, the ruling party lost and its leaders knew why. Bak - sim Gazedede, the then-head of By Theodore Kalmoukos ios. Among the possible parishes Demetrios was extremely upset Exec of Year the Albanian intelligence ser - that he would be assigned to is with Gounaris but he had not vice, went before parliament NEW YORK – Rev. Anastasios St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon done anything about it because and declared: “The Panepirotic Gounaris announced on April 27 Springs, FL. he didn’t want it to appear as if M. Psaros Federation led by Nicholas Gage at the end of the Divine Liturgy On February 25, TNH had re - selecting Gounaris to lead the is responsible for the fall of our that he is leaving the deanship ported the imminent ouster of Cathedral had been a mistake government.” That taught Al - of the Archdiocesan Cathedral Fr. Gounaris from the Cathedral, in the first place. By Constantine S. Sirigos banian politicians that persecu - of the Holy Trinity in New York noting that “dramatic develop - Archdiocesan Chancellor TNH Staff Writer tion of the Greek minority will City. He said that his last Sunday ments are unfolding at the Arch - Bishop Andonios of Phasiane, have international conse - will be May 11, but he did not diocesan Cathedral of the Holy acting on Demetrios’ behalf, NEW YORK – Family, with the quences. The harassment say where he will be assigned. Trinity of New York. Cathedral summoned Gounaris into his of - integrity and special bonds the ended, the climate of fear ethnic TNH has learned, however, Dean Rev. Anastasios Gounaris fice on February 10 and told word evokes, characterizes both Greeks lived under lifted, and that Fr. Gounaris was accepted is being dismissed.” him that his ministry at the the personal life and commer - Renowned Greek-American to serve in the Metropolis of At - Sources close to Archbishop cial success of Michael Psaros, author Nicholas Gage. Continued on page 5 lanta under Metropolitan Alex - Demetrios’ office told TNH that Continued on page 9 this year’s Hellenic American Bankers Association (HABA) Ex - ecutive of the Year. His three partners at KPS Capital Partners, the highly-suc - Malliotakis St. George of Bethesda Thrives All Week Long cessful private equity fund he co-founded and serves as man - aging partner, have been a team May Run for By Constantine S. Sirigos for more than 15 years. TNH Staff Writer “They are my family. There is nothing I would not do for Congress if NEW YORK – The pulse of a them, and there is not an ounce parish is not necessarily best of ‘Wall Street culture’ in our taken on a Sunday. Certainly a firm,” and Psaros continued, Grimm Exits parish’s spiritual life flows from “There is a reason why you are the celebration of the Divine partners for two decades. They Liturgy on the first day of the were raised the right way, with TNH Staff week, but the vitality of the the same values I was raised Church of St. George in with, with respect for the right NEW YORK – Only hours af - Bethesda is often best felt things, and integrity.” ter Staten Island Congressman evenings and on the last day of All of that came from his par - Michael Grimm announced that the week when its numerous ents and grandparents, and at he would be indicted for alleged thriving organizations and min - the annual HABA award dinner tax fraud on April 25, Brook - istries can be observed. on May 1, the guests who will lyn/Staten Island Assembly - When TNH visited the parish woman Nicole Malliotakis, who on a recent Saturday, the com - Continued on page 4 recently announced her plans to munity center was filled with run for another term in that ca - adults active in the Quilt-a-thon pacity, began to position herself that creates blankets for needy for a run at Grimm’s potentially- babies and children attending vacated House seat, the New Greek school. Suit to Close York Post reported. Stephanie Wiles, Adrienne On Monday, Grimm was in - Barris and Hellene Katsouras dicted on 20 counts, including are the co-chairs overseeing the Monastery, mail fraud, wire fraud, filing volunteers busy at the work sta - false tax returns, hiring unau - tions. Wiles told TNH that thorized aliens and perjury. He parishioners started it five years Oust Monks pleaded not guilty in federal ago and that the quilts are do - court in Brooklyn. nated to institutions like the When The National Herald The parish Greek school shines at holiday presentations and academically. Last year 24 students By Constantinos E. Scaros called Malliotakis’ office to in - Continued on page 8 passed the level III Greek Language Certification Exams of the Greek government. quire about the situation, she MOUNT SINAI, EGYPT – St. emphasized her current respon - Catherine’s Orthodox Monastery sibilities: The allegations leveled at Mount Sinai in Egypt is “the against Congressman Grimm site of the Burning Bush, and at are serious, but they do not Historian of Spiros Voutsinas, RIP: 1933-2014 the foot of Mount Sinai, where negate the fact that he has been Moses received the revelation of a tireless servant for the people the Law” from God, according of his district. Like many, I ques - Greek Music By Demetris Tsakas months with cancer, surprising to its website, tion the timing of this indict - TNH Staff Writer family and friends with his love sinaimonastery.com. It is a ment. While due process takes of life, the Atlantic Bank, and World Heritage Site as declared place, we cannot allow this to Pouliopoulos NEW YORK – Tears of mourn - the Greek-American community, by the United Nations Educa - distract us from Sandy recovery ing but also of appreciation min - but the dreaded disease ulti - tional, Scientific, and Cultural and the other pressing issues gled with the late April rain at mately prevailed.

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