The three guys pooled the resources and you may bought Carl’s Push-When you look at the into the Northern Chief Street, that they renamed The new Windmill

During this time period, Jimmy gone back to Greece hoping away from bringing their last sister, Panagiotis, back again to the usa

Immediately following his discharge from the solution when you look at the 1958, Jimmy entered their sis Tony and you can did within certain food inside the the brand new Bay area town. A family group buddy and you will former resistance combatant back into Greece, Aris Zavitsanos, was teaching Greek within Coverage Words Institute in Monterey. He called Jimmy and his brother of a cafe or restaurant on the market regarding brief farming society regarding Watsonville, just southern out of San francisco bay area. Appropriate you to, Jimmy and Tony ordered one minute eatery, the fresh new 24/7 Steakhouse for the regional Pajaro. Jimmy humor when he recalls days past. “In the event the taverns closed, lots of their customers do can be found in for eating. ”

There are moments the police must be titled when the drunken consumers manage step out of hand

“The new Greek Orthodox Chapel has become a conference location for Greeks during the a residential district,” said Jimmy. “Beginners to help you an area could go indeed there and you will fulfill almost every other Greeks and you may we had show them to that assist him or her rating settled.”

As he was visiting, certainly Jimmy’s uncles pulled your away and you can whispered in order to Jimmy, “You need to get married. There are five qualified people on the town,” and you will build to have your to meet up the ladies. Jimmy concurred, however, his uncle instructed him “not state something” therefore he could discreetly favor a bride. Jimmy’s coming partner, Eleni, try one of several five eligible teenagers. Immediately after a single-month courtship, Jimmy popped the question plus they got married on may twenty six, 1963. Jimmy gone back to the united states to find the files necessary for Eleni in order to immigrate and you can she registered your a few months afterwards.

After the wedding within the Greece, Jimmy and you can Eleni gone back to the usa and you may paid in Watsonville, Ca, several other small farming urban area about 29 miles out-of Salinas within the Santa Cruz Condition. Into the 1966, Jimmy is reunited together with youngest aunt, Tasos, exactly who including decided to accept inside Watsonville along with his spouse, Theodora. Jimmy and you will Eleni raised two girl, Anna and you can Sophie. The happy couple remained committed to the brand new Greek Orthodox faith and proceeded gonna St. John this new Baptist inside the Salinas, where each of the daughters was in fact baptized.

Given that Greek area about Monterey Bay increased, Jimmy with his household members went on working in the new cafe providers and made the fresh new enough time drive so you can Salinas all of the Week-end to visit chapel. The fresh new Greeks who lived and did for the Watsonville started to mention how exactly to establish a church nearer to domestic. Conversations exactly how better to expose another parish became a whole lot more concentrated. Per week organizational conferences were held therefore the amount of people in the this type of meetings increased. About middle-70s, Jimmy, Tony, and you will around three others for each and every shared $5.00 and you can unwrapped a bank account to resource start saving the bucks needed to introduce yet another Greek Orthodox parish area. It actually was called the Missionary Church off Santa Cruz County.

That it core gang of Greeks relentlessly sought after property having the church. Elevating money is a priority. It kept picnics, hosted cook conversion process, one thing they might do to improve currency to the lead to. All these events happened within Harvey Western Playground from inside the Santa Cruz, plus it is actually truth be told there that Greek Festival started. Courtroom strategies was brought to expose the parish, although Santa Cruz Greek community nevertheless couldn’t discover an effective domestic for their chapel.

In the 1979, the fresh Greek Orthodox bishop inside the San francisco bay area assigned Father John Karastamatis so you’re able to direct the fresh Santa Cruz congregation, and you can an earlier priest with his partner Anastasia started initially to take part from the lookup. “We possibly may head to places of worship regarding almost every other denominations to hold our very own characteristics,” Jimmy told me. “Anywhere we could be in, we had go.” Among locations frequently used is actually brand new chapel to the campus of your Monterey Bay Academy, a seventh day Adventist private university close Watsonville.