Castellorizian Benevolent Society of America

[Administrator]

In 1926, the Castellorizian Benevolent Society of America was established in New York by a group of newly-arrived Castellorizians which included Andreas K Mihalakis, Athanasios K Tsakounis, Nikolaos Y Karazepounis and Moschos A Paraskevas.

With increasing Castellorizian arrivals, the Society prospered and among its many activities was an annual ball which was held each year in the Manhattan Centre in NYC. The Castellorizo Forum has recently obtained a copy of the Society's ball programme from 1948.

This is a lavish publication and, at over 120 pages, is a useful record of Castellorizian presence in the United States at that time. Messages of support included in the programme come from as far afield as Muskegon, Michigan (the Kyllos family), McAllen, Texas (Komninou and Kontos), Wilmington, Delaware (Lakerdis), Birmingham, Alabama (Thomas and Christou) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Zambellas). There are also entries from Castellorizians in Australia and Brazil.

It would be wonderful to know whether any members of the Forum have in their possession any other such programmes from the United States, expecially from the earlier years of the Society's existence.

Nicholas

[frankpaul]

My grandparents were the Thomas' and their Koumbari are the Christou family. All of them settled in Birmingham, Alabama. Their descendents still live in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama.

[Administrator]

Dear frankpaul,

It would be great to hear if any of your family members in Alabama or elsewhere in the States have any old Castellorizian Ball programmes.

I am paticularly interested in programmes from the early years of the Society's existence in the USA.

Please do let me know if any come your way.

Nicholas

[Administrator]

Here is a photo extract from the commemorative programme of the Castellorizian Benevolent Society of America Ball held in New York in 1948. Those pictured are the members of the then committee of the Society.



For those who cannot read Greek, their names are:

From left to right, seated: Moschos A. Paraskevas, Nikolas Karazepounis, Andreas Mihalakis, Athanasios Tsakounis, Sotirios I. Sotirakis.

Standing: Yeorgios Sotirakis, Christos A. Christou, Emm. Kailis, Antonios Kyprios, Konstandinos S. Passaris, Antonios P. Papantoniou.

Nicholas

[jtsak]

Nicholas,
The photo image is missing. Anyway can you repost? As a child I remember attending the fund raising events in NY with my family. My father was Athanasios Tsakounis.

Jim Tsakounis

[Administrator]

Jim,

Hopefully, the image should now be back - apologies!

Nicholas

[jtsak]

Nicholas,
Can view picture.

Thank You,
Jim

[Eva (Evdokia Koutsoukos) i am]

Jun 18, 2008 13:50:29 GMT 10 Administrator said:

In 1926, the Castellorizian Benevolent Society of America was established in New York by a group of newly-arrived Castellorizians which included Andreas K Mihalakis, Athanasios K Tsakounis, Nikolaos Y Karazepounis and Moschos A Paraskevas.

With increasing Castellorizian arrivals, the Society prospered and among its many activities was an annual ball which was held each year in the Manhattan Centre in NYC. The Castellorizo Forum has recently obtained a copy of the Society's ball programme from 1948.

This is a lavish publication and, at over 120 pages, is a useful record of Castellorizian presence in the United States at that time. Messages of support included in the programme come from as far afield as Muskegon, Michigan (the Kyllos family), McAllen, Texas (Komninou and Kontos), Wilmington, Delaware (Lakerdis), Birmingham, Alabama (Thomas and Christou) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Zambellas). There are also entries from Castellorizians in Australia and Brazil.

It would be wonderful to know whether any members of the Forum have in their possession any other such programmes from the United States, expecially from the earlier years of the Society's existence.

Nicholas

[Eva (Evdokia Koutsoukos)]

I am related to the Karazepouni. I am in Perth, Western Australia. Our Genealogy has the Karazepounis name.

[Roberto Lacerda Westrupp]

Hi Nick,

My great grandfather was Komninos Georgis Lakerdis. He married with Anastassias Joannides, in Castellorizo - her parents was Savas João Joannides and Madalena -, and they came to Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil - where you can found more than 30 families from Castellorizo. The brother of Komninos, Lakerdis - I don't know the first name - went to NY. The others Lakerdis went to Australia.

Greek families, in Florianópolis: Agapito, Antonakopoulos, Antoniades, Berdolougou, Bersou, Camburis, Christoval, Constantinidis, Constantopulos, Corfu, Diamantaras, Diamantopoulos, Dimatos, Fermanis, Garofallis, Haviaras, Jordanou, Kailis, Kalafatas, Katcipis, Komninos, Kotzias, Lacerda (Lakerdis, from Komninos), Lambros, Mandalis, Mazarakis, Pitsica, Soziópoulos, Spyrides, Syridakis, Triandafilis, Tzelikis.

We are the oldiest greek community in Brazil, since 1883. The responsable of it was Captain Savvas Nicholau Savvas, who came in 1880.

I discovered your site becouse I am doing a book of my grandfather Jorge Lacerda, son of Komninos.

Thank you for the histories!

[Roberto Lacerda Westrupp]

The name of him, whose went to NY, was Tassos or Anastasios Lakerdis.

Georgis Komninos Lakerdis, with his wife Anastacia, went to Brazil in 1914. His brother was Ioannis Lakerdis.

My grandmother, wife of Jorge Lacerda, was Kyrana Atherino - with the family from Castellorizo too.

The name Lakerdis doesn't exists. It was a transformation of Komninos. Explaination: becouse the tourkish persecution, Savas Komninos changed his name to Lakerdis, his nickname and a greek fish. His san was Georgis Lakerdis and his grandson Georgis Komninos Lakerdis returns to use the name Komninos.

My uncle Constantino Lakerdis, brother of Jorge, gave me a genealogy three of the Komninos family, since 1799. It contains this changed names.

The information of greek families in Florianópolis cames from Antônio Paschoal Pítsica in his book Visual Memorie of the Greek Colonie in Florianópolis.

Thanks again!