Athanassios Philipou, “Zervas”

My paternal grandfather was born in Greece in 1893. He came to this country in 1912 at 19 years old. He was from a family of musicians. He settled in New York City. He married Helen Roumalietis and fathered nine children. He went on to become a very famous violinist in the Greek community of New York and throughout the East Coast.

An interesting bit of information, he played the violin with his left hand, earning him the nickname “Zervas” which means “Lefty” in Greek.

Date: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Submitted by Billy Phillips