John Antonakos

The Greek American Community of Essex County, New Jersey John Antonakos

Publisher Marketing: This book is about Greek Americans who have lived or live in Essex County, New Jersey. Greeks first started to immigrate to the United States in large numbers after 1900. This book gives the stories of individual Greek American families. It gives a cross section of the Greek immigrants who come to America between 1900 and 1930. And it gives a cross section of the children of these immigrants. A Greek American community is synonomous with a parish of the Orthodox Church. In Essex County the community consisted of four churches. These churches are St. Nicholas, St. Demetrios, St. Fanourios, and Sts Constantine and Helen. The priests who served these churches and their period of service are listed in the book. The churches' religious services and Sunday and Greek schools greatly participate in shaping the moral character of the people. This book contains the biographies of individual families of the community. The biographies are arranged alphabetically, except that biographies about children or grandchildren of a particular family immediately follow the root family biography, so as to maintain the continuity of that family. The chief characteristics of the first immigrants were their high moral character and their industriousness. They passed these good characteristics onto their children. These immigrants were also highly supportive of education, and saw to it that their children received a good education. Because of all of these factors, today the immigrants' children and grandchildren are leaders in commerce, industry, education, and government. They have accomplished what their parents desired for them. Truly they have achieved the American dream.