Preservation of American Hellenic History
Preservation of American Hellenic History
by Jason C. Mavrovitis
On 10 December 1928, in celebration of their first anniversary, Jimmy and Lily attended a Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini's Turandot.
The first signs of economic stress that preceded the Great Depression(3) appeared in the financial markets. The fur market felt the impact almost immediately, and Jimmy and Bill dissolved their partnership as friends.
Life was good for the family on Ovington Avenue in 1929. There was still hope that the financial crisis would pass and life would go on as before. A photograph shows the family at a picnic in the summer of 1929. They took every opportunity to be out of the city in environments that reminded them of their origins - by lakes, in forests and at the sea. Always with them were good food, and music from a bouzouki, mandolin or clarinet.
Lily hoped for a large family. In 1929, after suffering miscarriages she became pregnant and did not lose the child. A son named after Jimmy's father, Athanasios, was born on 20 February 1930. The joyful event of Athanasios' birth was followed six months later by the tragedy of his death. He contracted pneumonia and died in September 1930.
Jimmy's business failed in late 1930. Consistent with his ethics and the values he held throughout his life he refused to go bankrupt or, in the language of the fur market, "go boom." He signed notes for tens of thousands of dollars not knowing how or when he would be able to pay his creditors.
Lily's mother and stepfather took a trip to Greece and Italy in the spring and summer of 1931. Eleni needed time to rest after years of hard work and to recover from the loss of her grandson. She must have been aware that she had a chronic cardiac valve disease. Loss of a large part of her wealth early in the Depression added to her worry and distress.
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