The Castle

Although my father hated monarchies, there was one that existed in Brooklyn. Here is the list of titles. The King was my father JOHN, The Queen was my mother ROSE, The Princess was my Sister Mary Rose, and I Anthony Ferdinand was the Prince. There was a very definite division of responsibilities that everyone understood. Never spoken but understood.

King John was the provider. He worked long and hard to provide for the whole Psaris family in the US and in Greece. As the eldest son, it was expected.

Queen Rose was the keeper of the Castle and had the unquestioned power of that domain. King John was devoted to Queen Rose, and whatever she wanted, he would oblige.

Princess Mary Rose was expected to prepare herself to be Queen of her domain. This meant she was expected to marry, have children, and not to leave home until this took place. She played the piano and was an excellent student.

Prince Anthony was expected to carry on the family business and provide Heirs to the dominion. Being seven years younger than the princess, I was an obstacle to the power she had on the King.

Let’s see how all of these expectations turned out.

Born in the town of Marmari, on the island of Evioa in Greece in 1902 was given the name of Yhonnis Antonis Psaris. He came from an agrarian family; he ahd an older sister Athena, a brother George, and a younger sister Sophia. I believe my father was the only one in the family to go to Gymnasium (high school). He was an excellent student and was being groomed to be the town’s Priest. In the town the priest was an authority and was an honored leader. This however was not what my father wanted. He took a look at the lifestyle of a priest and decided against it. John was never a religious man but was Greek Orthodox because he was Greek. In those days an educated person did not speak the common Greek, but spoke a high Greek or Katharevisah. This was a sign of education and social status. Non of this did I understand until I was almost forty years old. He was an aristocrat in his day although he came from humble beginnings. His father encouraged him to go abroad and said “There is nothing here for you.” His father had been in Egypt and learned to graft trees before he came home and married in the 1890’s. With this knowledge he became prosperous. Greeks being sailors and ocean travelers John got his union card and signed on as a cook’s helper, and would relate the poverty he had seen in Russia on a voyage to the Black Sea. This was 1917 and WWI was raging. Upon returning to Athens he was able to h ire on as a cook with a ship going to the US. He landed in Brooklyn not speaking English and had 25 cents earned by carrying some valises off the ship. He jumped ship and became an illegal immigrant. Within six months he was the editor of his night school newspaper. His night school teacher brought him to pay a two dollar head tax, and take a physical exam to become legal in the country. This what John brought to the USA.

Rosa Lang was born in Detingen, Germany in 1905. By the time she was ten WWI was raging. Food was scarce and times were hard. My grandmother was institutionalized after the ware. My grandfather was a soldier that was guarding Russian prisoners in the mountains near Oberschwappach. Not being able to make a living after the war he moved the family to Oberschwappach where he remarried to a woman who had a farm. He was able to feed his children on the farm. Rosa hated the farm after all she was a city girl. Rosa called her stop mother the “ELTER HEX”. In German this means “OLD WITCH”. Rosa’s Aunt had come to the US and sent her the money to come also. She came to the US as a fare paying passenger with proper papers to immigrate. She arrived at port Elizabeth, NJ in 1924.

John and Rosa married in 1932, Mary rose was born in 1935. She was doted on by my father and mother and my mother’s aunts “Tanta” Rosa and Eva. She learned to speak German early. Anthony arrived in 1942 after the start of WWII. This was the background and structure of the Psaris Family.