◆ SpookStack

% .. SUBJSCTs "Minister at that tim. . ONASSIS, Aristotelis (Cont.) oo . followed by others and a business grew, ONASSIS ob-~ taining a contract for the ® supply of Turkish leaf to PICCaARDO & Company. -* wah Soe — - . TK e Hoos The tobacco Was sent via Genéa; where it was trans. 7 stay at Genoa, the resuitant collections from under- soe writers for sea damage forming a welcome addition to © legitimate trading profits. Insurance Agents were in volved and, eventually, an employee gave the game away at a time when Nicoles KONIALIDIS was in Genoa, with ‘ - shipped, and it appears that ONASSIS hit upon the idea of spraying the bales with salt water during their wae the result that the Mtter served a term in gaol. The eae a dossier appears to have been sent to Greece fran Genoa, ° _ but is thought to have been lost owing to a close ai~ son between ONASSIS and one MICHAKOPOULOS, a Greek | . eo <4 " ghrough the influence of this Minister, ONASSIS was appointed Greek Consul in the Argentine but, as he was, continually travelling, he appointed Nicolas KONIALIDIS as his substitute. This appointment is reported to have become extremely lucrative, since, as Consul, ONASSIS was able to obtain substantial sums of currency at official rates and sold the same in the Black Market, . which at that time, was flourishing. . In or about 1932, OhASSIS and his cousin started their ship oming venture by buying two laid-up "standard" ships from the Canadian Government, which they renamed ars wT a | ~ 'ONASSIS PENELOPE! and ‘ONASSIS SOCRATES'. In about 1934, they bought from the Uruguayan Government another, 7 salved, vessel which was re-named 'ONASSIS NARIA‘t. She was lost almost immediately off Genoa. In about 1937, a tanker was ordered fron Sweden at a cost of £165,000 The builders insisted on her registry with a Swedish company, created ad hoc, because ONASSIS was not able to pay cash for this venture. Before this ship, the [DEISTOPHANES | » was 5 reaey to sail, OMASSIS refused An order for one, or “two, snaller ships from ‘Sweden ° followed and ONASSIS also bought two smal] tankers in ~ the argentine, A number of these vessels sailed under ~ the Panamanian flag and two, the 'MEROPI' and another, were laid up for some time. In 1941 the United States Government demanded the transfer of those vessels flying the Panamanian flag to the U.S.authorities, threatening 2. 7° Peeters