The Kos Property and how Papouli Became a US Citizen

The reason Papouli came to the United States from Patmos, Greece as a teenager was because the family wealth at that time passed to daughters in the form of a dowry, and he had two younger sisters, Mosha and Hariklia.

After he had been in the United States for many years and had enjoyed much success as a restaurateur, in the late 1920s-early 1930s,  as the Great Depression was making life hard and miserable for most, Papouli’s mother wrote him that the family was in danger of losing some family property. She asked him to please send $3500 to keep the property in the family.

The property is across the street from a marina and between  a hotel and a street beside a pharmacy.

Amazingly, he sent the money to his youngest sister and her husband, who were living on Kos.

Months later, his mother wrote him again and told him his sister was depressed and used the money to go on holiday, and begged him to please send the money again.

Even more astonishingly, he did it again!!!

But soon afterwards, the Depression left him unable to pay his bills. He took the keys to the owner of the building of the People’s Cafe, and told him he was going home because he couldn’t pay the rent.

The man said that he was feeding all the people who worked downtown, and to stay and keep feeding them and not worry about rent—that things would get better, and he could pay again when they improved.

Papouli stayed and things began improving and once again, he began paying rent. Not long afterwards, someone discovered Papouli was an illegal resident and threatened to report him unless he paid him some money. It wasn’t a lot of money, but Papouli knew he he gave him the money, it would only be a matter of time before he came back asking for more.

Once again, he took the keys to the owner of the building to tell him he was heading back to his mother country.

When the man asked why, and Papouli told him, the man asked him how long he had been in the United States. When Papouli told him, the man told Papouli he could become naturalized.

Papouli was naturalized an American citizen on October 3, 1932.