A Phantom Church Gets $830000 Bingo Payback

O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PUblICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, ISSUE 706 April 23-29 , 2011 $1.50 A Phantom Church Greek Privatization Looms, Restructuring? Gets $830,000 Bingo Germany Squeezes Greece Again As Payback - But ????? Unions Plan Strike By Demetris Tsakas bingo hall, the profits of which ATHENS – As demands grow TNH Staff Writer were supposed to go to specific that Greece must restructure its charitable causes. Instead, how - staggering $490 billion debt to NEW YORK - Queens District ever, the defendants lined their insure it can repay investors – Attorney Richard A. Brown, own pockets with hundreds of primarily the European Union joined by New York State Rac - thousands of dollars belonging and International Monetary Fund ing and Wagering Board Chair - to the charities. Under the cir - (IMF) which has loaned the man John D. Sabini and New cumstances, the disposition, country $155 billion to stave off York State Police Major John J. which includes felony guilty default – Prime Minister George McCabe, Commanding Officer pleas and full reimbursement to Papandreou is readying sales and of Troop NYC, announced on the Greek Orthodox Church, is partial privatization of state-run April 13 that three individuals a fair, just and reasonable reso - entities and mulling further pay and a corporation who used a lution of the matter.” cuts for public workers. Germany, licensed church bingo hall in The District Attorney identi - the EU’s biggest economy and Queens as a front to steal ap - fied the defendants as Spiros biggest contributor to Greece’s proximately $830,000 from Moshopoulos, 62, of 52-21 rescue package, has amped up Greek Orthodox Church chari - Brownvale Lane in Little Neck, the chorus of calls for a restruc - ties have made full restitution Queens, and his corporation, turing. Lars Feld, a member of as part of their sentence and Spimos Enterprises Inc., of 82- German Chancellor Angela those funds were presented by 18 Northern Boulevard in Jack - Merkel’s Council of Economic Ad - District Attorney Brown to son Heights, Queens; Tommy visers, said Greece will probably Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Skiada, 49, of 23-18 35th Street have to restructure, and bond America Assistant Chancellor in Astoria, Queens; and Daniella buybacks are a possible solution. Michael Kontogioris. Brown Radulescu, 46, of 25-27 23rd A restructuring “only makes said, “The defendants have ad - Street in Astoria, Queens. EUROKINISSI sense if private creditors are in - mitted to duping the Greek Or - Brown said that the four defen - An Easter Gaffe? volved,” Feld told Deutschland - thodox Archdiocese of America dants appeared before Queens funk radio. Giving Greece more into allowing them to run a Supreme Court Justice Stephen In the days leading up to Easter, Greece’s Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos met with time to repay bailout loans would A. Knopf in February and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople on April 16. The two discussed issues of be another way to ease the debt pleaded guilty to second degree Orthodoxy at the Patriarchate, followed by a meal in Pangalos’ honor. Upon his return to Greece, burden, he said. “I fear that grand larceny. Knopf sentenced Pangalos faced criticism for an interview he denies giving to Turkish Hurriyet newspaper, which Greece can’t get out of this situa - WITH THIS ISSUE the defendants on April 6, 2011, claimed he called Greeks “lazy.” tion without some kind of re - to three-year conditional dis - structuring,” Feld said. While he charges. As part of the condi - added, “That doesn’t have to tions of his plea, Moshopoulos mean an actual default,” it could agreed to forfeit a total of $1 include “the buyback of bonds million ($830,000 to the Greek Karantsalis’ Public Records Crusade through a European institution,” Orthodox Archdiocese of Amer - he said, without elaborating. A ica as restitution for the stolen restructuring probably wouldn’t charitable bingo funds and an Theo Karantsalis, a contribut - MIAMI, FLA. - Miami Springs kept telling me there wasn’t any have “major effects” on German additional $170,000 as statutory ing writer for The National Her - locals refer to Theo Karantsalis information,” said Karantsalis, banks that hold Greek debt, he forfeiture,) agreed to a lifetime ald, has carved a career out of as Civic Watchdog, a title that nominated by the First Ameri - said. ban from any licensed bingo ac - challenging authorities he said hints at the respect he has can Foundation as a member of If the country wants to retain tivity, and dissolved his corpo - unfairly keep public records pri - earned through his work in the Sunshine Brigade, a group any pretense of sovereignty, it ration. Moshopoulos and the vate. He won perhaps his tracking down public records as of about 40 civic-minded ac - must try to reach agreement with other three defendants – and biggest case, against the U.S. Air a journalist and librarian. tivists who have become experts creditors sooner rather than later, any entities controlled by or Force and Department of De - Karantsalis began looking for on navigating public records many analysts have said. Greece used by them – also surren - fense that perhaps the toughest, answers in public records after laws. has already bought itself a little dered their bingo licenses. Any but lost another that seemed his childhood friend, Capt. Paul Karantsalis, 49, began his time, extending the length of the violation of the conditions of the easier: forcing the release of the Lorence, was shot down in his quest in 2006, when he filed a bailout loan from three years to plea could result in the defen - mug shot of a convicted crimi - Air Force jet during a 1986 U.S. lawsuit against the U.S. Depart - seven and reducing the interest dants being re-sentenced to up nal. Here’s a look at how they air strike on Libya. Since then, ment of Defense and the U.S. rate on the bulk of its loans by to fifteen years in prison. The happened, starting with a story one question remained on his Air Force under the Freedom of 1%. “Officials and politicians can District Attorney said that, in about a friend shot down in mind: What happened to his Information Act, requesting keep saying that a restructuring Libya in 1986, but not forgot - friend and former babysitter? Continued on page 4 ten. “For many years the government Continued on page 8 Continued on page 11 Turn the Page Queen’s College Byzantine-Greek Studies’ 40th Orphanides on Greek By Stavros Marmarinos Says Greek TNH Staff Writer Calendar On the occasion of the 40th Plan Working anniversary of Queens College’s Center for Byzantine and Mod - By Steve Frangos ern Greek Studies the Consul By Constantine S. Sirigos General of Greece in New York, TNH Staff Writer Greek sojourners lost many Ambassador Aghi Balta hosted traditions and customs on their a reception to honor its founder NEW YORK – While there is arrival to North American shores. Dr. Harry Psomiades and raise growing sentiment among eco - Calendar customs, celebrations funds. Ambassador Balta and nomic analysts that Greece must and observations that follow the Queens College President Dr. restructure its debt to prevent annual changes in the seasons, James Muyskens, Archbishop going bankrupt – giving in - were especially prone to be aban - Demetrios, Chairman of the Fed - vestors a so-called “haircut” in doned. Following the turn of the eration Greek Associations of the process by repaying less season the Greeks of old would Greater New York, Elias Tsek - than owed – Cyprus’ Central observe specific food prohibi - eridis and the Center’s director Bank Governor Athanasios Or - tions, house visits, prepare spe - Dr. Christos Ioannidis spoke of phanides told an audience at a cial foods and breads, worship the work of the Center and the discussion hosted by the Hel - saints, make bonfires, celebrate debt the Community owes to lenic American Bankers Associ - together in the town square, Psomiades. ation (HABA) that it won’t be masquerade, make of wreaths, Muyskens expressed how TNH ARCHIVES needed if Greece sticks to the perform plays, and sing in small pleased he was to participate in Graduates, honored guests, faculty and staff pose for a photo at the 2010 graduation ceremonies reforms initiated by Prime Min - the event and declared himself of the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek studies. (back row L-R) Christos P. Ioannides, ister George Papandreou: pay Continued on page 9 not just a Philhellene, but a director, Very Reverand Sevastianos Skordallos, Irene Stathatos, chief of staff of Assemblyman cuts for public workers, reduced Greek, in the tradition estab - Michael Gianaris, Queens College Vice President Sue Henderson, Queens College President benefits for pensioners, and tax lished by the ancient Greek James L. Muyskens, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Queens College Provost James Stellar, Emmanuel hikes. It was a dissenting voice thinker Isocrates, who said: “A Demos, Consul General Aghi Balta, Chairman of Advisory Council Christ Stratakis, Savas Tsivicos in a chorus of pessimism sur - For subscription: Greek is he who shares our and Assoc. Provost Steven Schwartz. The program's assistant director Effie Lekas is in the front rounding Greece’s chances of 718.784.5255 Greek culture.” He praised the row far left. surviving its economic crisis, but [email protected] dedication and achievements of Orphanides stuck to his line that Psomiades and his work, which Lekas organized the reception abling it to reach its current Community and for Hellenism. it can work, if given more time. is continued today by Ioannidis, along with Balta.

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