Welcome everyone. My name is Nicholas Sufis. I go by Nick. Greek Nurechelle native. Grant specialist for the city of Nurechelle and I'm happy to be your MC tonight. Appreciate this opportunity as I am proud of my grandfather who came here from Greek and the heritage that he's instilled with me and all the good qualities I think that cover being a Greek American. So I don't have too much to say tonight except to have the honor to introduce the valuable participants tonight. I just want to first thank the honorees for coming and everybody who had a part in setting this up. And without further ado, I'm going to introduce the Honorable Madam Mayor Adira Ramas Herb. I think one of the best parts of my job is getting to talk to our residents and hearing their stories about why they're a new a child and just their experience in your child and I've already fallen in love with this amazing family who are celebrating 48 years of marriage two day with all of us. So everyone be extra nice. Yes, exactly, exactly. And Nick, you're gonna tell the stories. I won't steal your punchline, but it's really just inspiring and heartwarming. And it's these stories that make your shell so special. And it's so easy to love living here, but it's because of you all. and so grateful to honor the Greek American community here in your shell as I was telling father the Greek festival kicks off my school year and look at Madays every night while it's happening this man a copita and just the music but it's like you can be dancing at the Greek festival and then go down the road and sing Gaves is having it's more like Latino themed festival and we're just all having a good time as a community. And so grateful for the diversity, grateful to be a representative here. But thank you for your stories. And thank you for continuing to stay here in Newark. Thank you. Cool. I have you. Oh, and there's a proclamation. Sorry, clearly I'm super excited about the story. We will be proclaiming this month of the 2050 march as our Greek heritage recognition day. So in honor of all of the contributions of the Greek American community Samantha Vargas tells me it'll be posted here in City Hall and I now have the privilege of introducing our fabulous city manager will Frado Melendez So till thank you. Thank you. Great. Oh first I want to say thank you to our staff We really puts these events together. Samantha, a lot of hard work that goes into it. Again, like all the heritage that we've been celebrating lately, one common theme is hard work. Hard work. People came here. They face diversity, challenges, and the Greek people have shown that they will become that and they've really become a fabric of our American society which is really what we all want to do strives right we all become Americans but we retain our heritage and that's what I see as the Greek people I work with Greek people I love the the flavor that they have and it's been really an honor to work with them and to really learn from them. So I want to congratulate Tony and Nick for town pizza and I apologize, I never been there. So now I'm going to go there tomorrow and try it out but congratulations and honor to be here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Applause. I believe I need a remote to start the presentation and I don't see it up here. So I'll just put it in the middle. OK. So just to introduce the video real quick, I feel so much more comfortable with Mike without the mic. So we were looking at several different videos and I thought this one really spoke to exactly what Will was talking about, hard work and kind of Greek dedication to family, to their heritage, to sharing, you know, the Greek history, Greek culture, Greek cuisine. It's been a staple in my house and coming from a Greek immigrant who worked in the food industry and that they were honoring a staple in the community and always, you know, having a lot of great experiences growing up locally here at many Greek, Greek establishments. I thought this video really spoke to that messaging and that story. It is about restaurants in Philadelphia. We couldn't find one locally here, so maybe we can put together something soon to celebrate a bit closer to home. across America Greek, Greek establishments, I think, really speak to the spirit of not just Greek culture, but American culture. At the beginning of the 20th century, Greek immigrants arrived in America in waves from their villages, towns, and cities. They worked their way up the ladder of success in the food business as bus boys, dishwashers, and cooks. Eventually they established their own dynasties, and in the process they laid the foundation for their future communities and churches, becoming a cornerstone of today's Greek-American community. My father told me to work once in a while when I was little. He had an old Greek cook down at a basement of the old place. He used to teach me how to make rice pudding, soups. Typical Greek type food, you know, every Greek diner has. And I caught an interesting cook in that way. Actually, I got into food business like this. I was nine years old, and my mother, and a friend that she grew up with, who lived right around the corner, was a very nice man and took me under his wing and we went with him as a food distributor and that's what he did for a living. And I would help him and carry the boxes into the restaurants and I would watch at the first stop and let's just say they're making beef stew. I saw step one next stop beef stew. So step two and I got addicted to the food business. I came here Actually, I was in Merchand Mourins and I decided to jump ship and in Florida I came to New York to get playing come to New York and from New York to taxi and I came to New Jersey, Brooklyn, New Jersey, where my brother was working at Pantios Diner. Over there, as usually, we all started as diswarsers. So I was working so hard as diswarser that I observed the owner at the time. The owner at the time observed, he says, where I find this fool working so hard. Doesn't speak to anybody. And he was observing that. And the reason I was doing that is, I was spinning up and I doing the dishes because in my thoughts, I just, this is not a job that I want to stay. I want to become either a cook or a baker. And in two months, I requested to allow me to go and learn the bakery work. I started as a bus boy in the Hattacorn. I worked there for eight, nine years. I went to vocational school, Davids vocational school. And then in 1966, I opened the Arrow RoasterRustler. I had just come out of the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America, and that was my sort of my, the culmination of, of being, working in the restaurant business as a young man from 12 years old, going into the, I went to the University of Pennsylvania a couple of years, I went in the Coast Guard for years, I got out of there, I went to the CIA, because I realized I loved the business, I loved people, I loved interacting, and I loved the work. I came from Greece, 1974. I started to this, it was this, and a little ballerina along the jump because I kept you know make living diners are so special because they zero in on America This is not a Greek thing this is America this is America Hot beef sandwich turkey sandwich club sandwich burgers This is not a Greek thing. This is America. This is America. Hot Beef Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich, Club Sandwich, Burgers. What's America made of? It's made of sandwiches and hot beef sandwiches. And then they started introducing the higher end. We're gonna make scallops and we're gonna make seafood. And they're gonna make bastichor and they started introducing the Greek meals, which gave the people a different spin on the diner. Some of them did great with it. Some of them in the right locations were good. In the wrong locations where I was, maybe they ate stuffed cabbage because I had the polish here. they would eat... Columbus as they call them. But... stuff cabbage because I had the polish here. Maybe they would eat gallop things as they call them. But you have to know your customer, you have to know your market. My unique favor is if they have it is the sea bass. But diner restaurants not always have that. You know sea bass is a very unique fish. I used to I used to catch that by hands when I was a teenager in Greece. I go to the to the ocean and we catch them by hands. There's a technique about there. So that's right, it's not only not only my favorite the way it tests but also my favorite because I was holding them in my hands. I was catching them. So you go to the salty waters and you go in on a malt up to the knee and you make your open three holes in between your legs and you throw dead behind you and you make noise. And kind of describe the noise. You go, and you throw dirt. And then the fishes get scared. They jump in from left and right and they go into the holes and you go, and you grip them from the head. you lift them up and you put them on your bucket. So it was an experience that not too many people have the opportunity to know that. And over here, now I know I have that opportunity, but I have the opportunity to chuck boiler and eat it. I have added several things to the menu over the years and I keep adding the on but comes up to me and it kind of stands with me as the staff peppers simply because they are my mother's recipe. They are so good. I was eating them when I was a kid and I wanted to eat them as an adult so I told myself to change from his recipe to my mother's recipe. That way I am having something that I was always having as a kid. And more importantly, my customers love me. When I go into a diner and this is... Over the years, it changed. But my favorite thing when I went into a diner, especially back in the day, back in the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, I always wanted to try their soups. The soups were, there was no wawa, there was no soup place back in those years. The diners, 24 hours and what they did. I know in my place, I love things like exo-hico at mi, you know, good Greek-style lamb. Of course, the pastiche we made was exceptional. I did like to try the Greek entrees. I'll stop it before we get too hungry. I know it's too late for me either. I am watering up the mouth here, but let's introduce city manager again. We'll put him on the lens for the presentation of the proclamations. So from the office of the mayor and city city of Nershell, proclamation, city of Nershell takes pride in recognizing and celebrating the contributions of the residents whose lives and work exemplify the values of heritage, family, community. And whereas Nicholas Nick Gleelatus, a proud first generation Greek Greek American was born and raised in Nurishel and has carried forward the rich traditions of his Hellenic heritage while actively contributing to civic and cultural life of the city. And whereas the son of Greek immigrants, Tony and Jenny, Nick was raised with values of hard work, perseverance, and respect for traditions. Values that have shaped his life, his business, and his decommitement to serving others. And whereas at a young age, Nick was immersed in his family's restaurant, town pizza house, learning every aspect of the business from washing dishes, which we heard a lot of, to mastering the art of pizza making while developing a vision of hospitality rooted in warmth, generosity, and community and spirit. And whereas since becoming owner of town pizza house in 2009, Nick has carried on his father's legacy, transforming the pizzeria into a cherished gathering place, where customers are treated like family, and with the values of Hellenic hospitality, and respect continue to shine. And beyond his business, Nick has devoted husband to Vicki, and a father to their two children, the Sppina and Anthony, and a generous, country, contributor to the well-being of others, donating fresh venison to the Westchester Food Bank, and participating in chatable acts that reflect his deep sense of civic duty. Enduring Greek heritage month, we celebrate individuals like Nick, who embody the enduring strength of Greek culture and its contribution to American life, demonstrating how family legacy, community engagement, and entrepreneurial spirit enrich the city of Newarkelf. Congratulations. Yes. Yes. Matt, how are you? I'm good. I'm good. Mom. Mom. She's the mom. Yes. This will guide a picture? Yes. Yep. Help with this. Yes. Matt, how are you? I'm secretive. You're a little shit. Mom. Mom. Ella, mom. Ha-ha-ha-ha. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. Okay. Vicky, my daughter, my grandchild. Everybody come in your house. Everybody, there we go. Whole family. Let's do it. I want to do it. You do it. That's why I work in so hard. I want to hold family. Amen. Amen. Bravo, brother. Get my hand in your hand. Thank you. Brother brother. Get my hand in your back. Thank you. Thank you. I love everyone. Thank you, everybody, for being here. I want to thank the Mayor, Mayor Ramos Herbert, for being here, for inviting us. It's a very special event to our priest, Father Nick, Father Dimitri, our family, friends, and the community. We wouldn't be here without the loyal support from our community, from our customers. People walk in, their customers the first day, then through the years they become family. But before I get into it, I want to take the time also to think Mayor Ramos because we've seen a lot of mayors come through here. And we believe that you, Mayor, you were the missing puzzle to Nurechelle. And we appreciate that you came and introduced yourself to the community. You came and met us and we met you and it was an honor and to your team, the manager, city hall, everyone involved here. We want to thank also the police department, the fire department, sanitation, everybody involved in this community. The church, without you guys we wouldn't be here for 30 years. My father started the business, you know we were working with my brother, he decided to get into the real estate business, you know, but we want to thank everybody and it's a truly blessing, it's an honor, and I asked May if I can take five minutes to explain the story, how my father picked Neurochal and it may at home it's honor and I asked May if I can take five minutes to explain the story how my father picked Neuroshal and Mayotomi it's okay I'll keep it under five minutes so my father he came from a very poor family family. So and his dream was coming to America and his dream was coming to America and raising a family. But he had to go through Canada to come through to come to the United States. And it was a little kid. He only went to sixth grade. That was his top education. Back then, that's it. Yeah. So, and he got food from America, that America brought American cheese and powdered milk. And he said, this cheese is amazing. He goes, where's this cheese from? And he said America. He goes, one day I want to go to America. That's what he did. That's true. That's true. So he went to Canada in 1976? No, 1966. 1966 and came to America. Yeah, hold on. So he had a chance to go to Queens, to Long Island, to raise a family by house. He didn't. He came into Nureshall and he fell in love with this community. And he stayed here. You're going to have your time to go, guy. So and he fell in love with Nureshall. He was involved with another pizza ran down the street in G&G Pizza and And and and Nourishel the downtown after the more closed it was it was a ghost town. Nobody was around here. Everybody practiced off and left. My father had a vision in in Nourishel. And when he said that he wanted to open up to pizza in 1995, everybody doubted him that we'll laugh at him and said, you know, you're never going to make it. He said, this is Neuroshel. This is downtown. This is not going to stay like this. It's going to be up and coming. That's true. OK? And he bought his house in Neuroshel in 1978. And he's still today in this town in the same house and And the same wife for 48 Oh, and today it's also a big a big honor because not only our family in the priests and the whole community in our show It's also an independence day we're getting this and it's also my like as many have mentioned my parents 48 anniversary today So it's a blessing And again, I want to I want to thank the community for the oil support and I might have my father Tony So thank you for everybody you say I don't have nothing left to say you color every Thank you the mayor. Thank you everybody. Thank you for the support to everybody who want to be here. For hard work, and we believe that hard work in the family, and we've got everything. That's what the good country America. God bless America. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, the mayor. It's an honor. I'm on the beat. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're great. Thank you. I heard the follow-up. One last, well there's many thanks to go around, but I do want to thank Sam, Sammy Gomez, who is leading these events. I'm going to put this down here. And giving me this opportunity to talk today. I'm happy to be a part of this. And we can just end it now and celebrate. We have some light refreshments, and we can all talk and celebrate. And then maybe go to town pizza later on. Hope everybody. Thank you. Oh, we're happy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.