The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice is the immigrants' American Dream/American Nightmare story of a Greek American dynasty. Bootblack to Bootlegger to Billionaire, patriarch Dmitri Mitsidis is never far from his humble origins as a boy off the island of Skryos who ended up on the streets of New York After surviving a padrone's cruelty, and teaching himself how to read by begging the men whose boots he shone to teach him new words, Mitsidis' chance came during Prohibition. Through a family network of Rum Runners and distributors spanning several continents, he created a huge liquor conglomerate after Repeal. But he paid the price in heartbreak, sacrificing those dearest to him in episodes of betrayal and bloodshed. Greek Americans continue to praise the author for writing "their stories".