MODERN GREEK COLOSSUS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090015-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 17, 1999
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: June 20, 1958
• Content Type: NSPR

.NEW YORK TIMES JUN 2 0 1958
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-00149R0006000
STATINTL
Bern Greek Golossi1-
Aristotle Socrates Onassis
The purchase of the Monte
Carlo Casino tame about this
way. Mr. Oassis, who had
offices in Map.tevideo, Paris,
London, New""fork, Hamburg
and Panama, wanted an of-
fice near Marseilles and
Genoa on the Mediterranean,
where many of his ninety-
'one ships wer; repaired.
is the sort of be-
havior that has
earned for Mr.
Onassis the term
News "fabulous." Yes-
terday the fabu-
lous Mr. O assis testified in
W ashingtoi before a special
House Merchant Marine sub-
committee. on ship contracts.
Man
in the
TN 1953 Aristotle Socrates
ii Onassis, a Greek-born Ar-
gentinian ship owner, did the
sort of thing that many men
dream of doing. Annoyed with
the Casino at Monte Carlo; he
bought control of it. Aside
from his multifarious ship-
ping operations and assets
estimated at $300,000,000, that
that cont
and other
The dar,
Aristotle.,O sssis was born
in Smyrna, the son of a pros-
perous tobacco merchant. In
1922-the Turks Sacked Smyrna
and killed thousands' of
Greeks, including three uncles
of Aristotle Onass! , The re-
maining memberhe tam-
ily escaped to A in strait-
tined circumstances,
A family council tided
that Aristotle, `them, was
the most likely" to ild
the family's fbrtu .., They
scraped togeth e to
the Casino
said no.
of ;s,ock for
tG Rtchee
At 25 he had a std his iiratt
million dollars,
During the depression"Mr.
Onassis bought six Canadian
freighters at a fraction of
their `Wriginal worth of $12,-
000,000, and was In the ship-
ping business.
For a few years his ship-
ping operations were unprof-
itable. In' 1936, however, he
ordered a tanker, and be-
24 he was na d Greek Con-
sul general att epos Aires.
ship owner to 'go into the oil
tanxar - field. Oil shipping
broughtim millions.
During World War II most
of his ships lay impounded in
Sweden, while the remainder
sailed for the Allies, at high
freight rates.
In 1946 Mr. Onassis met
and married Athina Livanos,
a daughter of Stavros G. Liv-
anos, a Greek shipping exec-
utive.
Mr. Ona3si has homes in
New York; Paris, Antibes,
Athens and-Montevideo. He
says his re tion is nauti-
cal sports; owns an 1,800-
ton yacht, die Christina,
named for hdaughter. The
Onassises als ave a son.
Mr. Onast ,ships fly the
flags of fiv
ama, Hondi
Liberia and
He speaj
with strd
ofm lwi
set.
" never
ami tis. fine,'
don'.t oppoa
it. my w}
terrific g
Costa Rica,
i Arabia.
t -and heavy
once said. "I
I understand
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-00149R000600090015-4