On May 4, 2024, Spyredon “Spiro, Sagafias” Velentzas died in the FCI Allenwood prison. He was the alleged boss of Greek Greek in New York. He may have been the most powerful of the element of the Greek ethnic crime of all time. There were others who were close to his level like Harry Peetros / Steve Bouras de Philly and Mike Katranis / Pete Katranis in Detroit. The only one who was considered even higher than Spiro, was the leader of “Guys Connection” in Chicago, Gus “Slim” Alex.
Kourakos has exploited players in the Greek predominantly urban center of Astoria, Queens. Spiro was his driver and protected and quickly learned the business. Now, Kourakos operated under the flag of the luxury crime family responding to Capo, Chris “Christy Tick” Furnari. Kourakos was born in 1923, and he lived in Manhattan then Astoria until he moved to 85 Mellow Lane in Jericho, Long Island. He was involved in games of heroin, politics and dice, and he was arrested for the three. Kourakos was assigned to appear several times for its connection with the crowd in the late 1960s.
The restaurant in Manhattan was its source of legitimate income. His arrests occurred in the 1950s for managing dice games and sold heroin. He served a mandate for two and semester. Unfortunately, his son, Van, developed a dependence on heroin and died in the 80s. Kourakos also passed at the same time, which was when Spiro took over. Spiro solidified its links with the Luchese and branched out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, which was another very populated Greek city.
He had a house in Bayside, Queens with his wife and three children. Being in this type of business, you would think he was a tyrant or a violent. But this was not the case with him. Even if there were moments when some players of its dens had money and had to be treated, he was not the only one to do so. He had members who would convince people who thought they could deceive him to pay within a reasonable time.
Violence was not in its own way, he believed, being diplomatic but in a severe way, which clearly indicates that if we did not do the right thing, it can be treated in a more violent way. His brother, Jimmy, was another story that resorted to violence once too often. He once launched a social club in 1977 called Café Tinagria, which was led by Gus Zarkas, Joe Lombardo and Little Dominick. This was not suitable for the owners, and a regulation was established to save Jimmy’s life. The same year, he was found guilty of possession of weapons. Jimmy lived in Little Neck with his wife and three children. He was accused of the murder of an Ed Gull in the Bronx, but there was no sufficient evidence to condemn him. He was listed as an employee of the East Coast Painting Company as an employment as an equalator.
After Spiro was dispatched to serve a life term for a crime he did not commit, his domestic lawn was vulnerable, but the Greeks have always tried to bend a little muscle. In a scary moment, a subsoil in Spiro threatened a soldier of the Luqueuse family who had visited the Greeks for his tribute. The member of Luchese was Joseph “Little Joe” Defede. The Greek held a pistol in Joe and humiliated it in front of the others in a game of play that did not get well with Joe or the Luchese family. It was around 1993, a year after Spiro was removed from the street. The Greeks felt insulted that one of the testimonies of the Loch Capos put an end to the reign of their boss. Defede was installed to make the monthly pickups that Fat Pete was doing earlier, but was not aware of the insult.
At that time, Spiro and Underboss Vittorio Amuso were in the same prison and the message was sent to them. Amuso and Spiro discussed the issue and concluded an agreement. The Luchese wanted the Greek dead for the affront, but Spiro worked a quick solution. A seated was organized where Greek would apologize and pay a tribute in cash. It has also been set up that Jimmy Velentzas would accompany him to show good faith. The meeting was organized at the All Nations Social Club in Gravesend, Brooklyn. It was a time for sure because Jimmy and the offender had a look at the Loqueux and Defede representatives. Not far from Frank Gioia Jr. and George Conte, who emballed the handguns with silencers, just in case. In addition, not far, the Hitman Angelo “The Boxer” Defendis and a partner, who were there in case they should remove all the remaining corpses. The Greeks ended up concluding an agreement. They apologized for the affront and paid a good amount to go out with their lives. The ex-boxer, Defendis, was delighted not to have to strike the Greeks because the club was his, and he preferred that he was used for no murder.
The game that Spiro and the Greeks have run was called Barbout, a popular Middle East game among the Greeks and the Arabs. The way this game is played is a bit complicated, and the Italians could never take it back. As an Italian gangster said it on electronic listening, “we could never perform this game – the Greeks would deprive us blind.” This would bring at least $ 250,000 for a good week. Spiro has increased $ 10,000 a month to Furnari to operate. Everyone heard the famous quote from John Gotti; “Tell him, I John Gotti, goes severe his fucking mother if he does not move this game.”
It was John who spoke to Sammy Gravano when he asked Sammy about a rival game that was near a Gambino den that injured his profits. Sammy explained to Gotti that he was led by Spiro, the boss of the Greeks. Sammy had to relay this message to Spiro. Before that happened one evening, Spiro was and two of his men were caught, by whom was then learned to be Dominick Lofaro. Spiro was injured and received the message and the game was moved.
It was interesting to note that Spiro and Gotti were seen several times on the track in Paris on the ponies. But when it comes to making money, friendships came out through the window. Spiro would serve time for fraud involving a construction company and to falsify immigration papers and serve 5 years. After his release, he went back in business immediately. He had subordinates like Mike “The Italian Grillo, Pete” Mousey “Drakoulis, Teddy” The General “Politsiadis and others to direct the ship.
The end was close to him when we have, Sammy “The Arab” Nalo was released from prison in the late 1980s. He was close to Spiro before he was incarcerated, but when he struck the streets, he acted irregularly. Nalo began to flex his muscle on the territory of Spiro and this alarmed Spiro. In the Mob protocol, if someone is under a family flag, they are protected and if they need help, they can call it. At that time, the man of collection for the kick of the Luchese was Pete “Fat Pete” Chiodo then before he was Bobby Amuso.
Spiro had no love for Fat Pete and hated to face him. At first, he went with his complaint to Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso then patron of the Luchese who transmitted him to Vic Amuso. Vic asked Spiro if Nalo was with someone, and Spiro said no. At that time, Amuso and Casso then said with him yourself. But Spiro protested that he was under their protection, and they should intervene. Fat Pete proposed to take care of the question.
Fat Pete did exactly that, he hired Richie Pagliarulo and Mike Spinelli to kill Nalo. A meeting was organized for Spiro to meet Nalo in a travel agency he had. Nalo arrived and waited and was on the phone with Spiro when Mike and Richie entered the agency and started to explode. They took off satisfied to have done their job. The authorities have arrived and, in his dying breath, Spiro Nalo Funged for the blow. He was murdered on October 25, 1988.
Quick advance around 1992 and Spiro is tried for the game and the murder of Nalo. The star witness, Pete Chiodo. Chiodo turned around after being shot twelve times while pumping gas. He was killed because Casso assumed he was a rat. Well, Casso created one after that blow. Chiodo testified that Spiro has turned off the blow that has never been corroborated. There was no evidence that Spiro even ordered the blow or asked him. He was sentenced to perpetuity.
After his departure, the Greek crew began to lose power. This was obvious after the Albanian boss of the crowd Alex Rudaj moved to Astoria and asked that he was taking over. What he did until his organization is broken by the FBI. Spiro served his time and kept his mouth closed. I had the pleasure of meeting him inside and outside the prison and he was nothing more than a game boss and a clever businessman. RIP
