ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ

Katsos has been increasingly irritable since last Friday’s debacle. First, he was openly defiant. Then he relayed a message to Helleniscope – through his “assistants” – that we were “not welcome at the Cipriani Gala.” He went on to claim that the “plaques of disgrace” placed on the flagpoles at Bowling Green were only temporary and had been proposed by Arthur Piccolo, Chairman of the Bowling Green Association. Rather than de-escalate, he has continued to double down, digging himself into a deeper hole. These are the real consequences of his egotism and arrogance. (Link here to our original report). Finally, we are not sure whether the Parks Department issued a permit to install these atrocious plaques!!

By Nick Stamatakis

We have a beautiful proverbial saying in Greek that fits the actions of Lou Katsos recently, who dared to place commemorative plaques for himself and John Catsimatidis on the flagpole at Bowling Green, among the top historical landmarks in NYC, where the American Flag was raised for the first time in 1783… The Greek proverbial saying goes: “The higher the monkey climbs, the better his butt is exposed…”  Unfortunately, this is the situation for those involved in this story, particularly Lou Katsos. Here is a clear image of the two plaques installed on the flagpoles of Bowling Green – with the names of Katsos and Catsimatidis overshadowing the historical monument:

We woke up this morning to Katsos changing his original position and announcing, through his Facebook account (link here), that this was the idea of Arthur Piccolo, who also named him “a New York hero” (please do not laugh…): 

“… On this special occasion, the Bowling Green Association, through its Chairman Arthur Piccolo, proposed the creation of commemorative plaques marking both the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the raising of the American flag at Bowling Green in 1783, as well as the 30th Anniversary of the second flagpole.

Because the permanent plaques were not completed in time for the ceremony, temporary plaques were unveiled during this year’s Bowling Green Flag Raising Ceremony. The permanent plaques, created entirely by the Bowling Green Association, are expected to be installed this week. The wording, design, placement, and installation of the plaques were determined solely by the Bowling Green Association, and the Federation had no role in their creation.
I was deeply humbled during the ceremony when Chairman Arthur Piccolo honored me with recognition as a “New York City Hero” and presented me with a plaque…”

PHOTO: The two self-serving “heroes”, Katsos and Catsimatidis, at the Bowling Green ceremony last Friday… How fitting the Greek saying is: “The higher the monkey climbs, the better his butt is exposed…”

Everyone in the Federation has been hearing for months that Katsos was planning to install these plaques – how come suddenly the two plaques became “temporary”?  We wanted to find out, so we called the Chairman of the Bowling Green Association, Mr. Piccolo, who told us that the two plaques were removed because they were temporary!!  I dared explain to Mr. Piccolo that, as a journalist, I could hear many negative feelings in the Greek-American community about these egotistical plaques – feelings that did not exist for the little laconic plaque installed in 1996 on behalf of the Federation under the initiative of Theodore Pavlakos. This 1996 little plaque mentioned no names at all – and was very fitting for the historical landmark… 
Finally, we asked Mr. Piccolo if the Parks Department had issued a permit for the installation of these two new plaques.  Mr. Piccolo became so irritated that we had to end the conversation.  But the question remains for both Lou Katsos and Art Piccolo: “Do you have a permit from the Parks Department to install these atrocious plaques or not?”  I remind everyone that the 1996 original plaque had been given permit by the then Commissioner Stern.
We will be waiting for their response for a few days – before we get in touch with the Parks Department…
Here are the two original plaques of 1783 and 1996 – in their visible historical humility…

 

April 27, 2026, n.stamatakis@aol.com   www.helleniscope.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. No, Lou, you are not “humbled!” You are HUMILIATED! But do not despair. As our Greek ancestors have taught us, hubris causes hamartia (a flaw), which leads to a peripeteia (crashing downfall), that generates catharsis and will make you a better man. Elpi will take your confession and tell you the rest, perhaps while looking over Putnam County blueprints. (Please don’t be humbled!)

    The graffiti was removed from the flagpoles because of Helleniscope’s great journalism. When wrongdoing occurs in our public affairs, it is the mission of journalists to expose it. I challenge the Omogeneia’s “photographers” who pose as journalists to learn what their mission is.

    Our Constitution’s framers put a special protection in the First Amendment for “freedom of the press.” At first, that special protection appears redundant to “freedom of speech,” but the Framers recognized that journalists play a crucial role in public affairs and should be given greater protection. Journalists investigate, report the facts truthfully, and expose corruption and wrongdoing. That is their mission, to speak truth to power. It is the only exposure these clowns get, an exposure that the city authorities cannot afford to ignore.

    Nick, I commend you. God bless you! Keep up the great work!

  4. I wouldn’t blame only Lou Katsos for installing a teneke at New York’s Bowling Green because I credit him for proudly claiming he is Hellen; I do the same. Others curse him, saying they are Greek and not Hellenes. I would rather blame Mr. Piccolo for accepting the installation request without informing the people who were first committed to placing the Greek flag at Bowling Green and who never asked for a teneke with their names to be installed there, such as Mr. Theo Pavlakos, who first proposed many years ago that the Greek flag be placed at Bowling Green.

    Above all, I am troubled by Mr. Piccolo calling Mr. Katsos a ‘New York City hero.’ I didn’t expect Mr. Piccolo to know that the word hero (Ήρως, Ήρωας) in Hellenic etymology refers to someone who dies sacrificing himself for the benefit of the people and his homeland (πατρίδα), and I would be skeptical about accepting that word from him. I will recommend that Mr. Katsos continue his excellent work with EMBCA. He has earned lifetime credit from many of us for his democratic openness to dialogue on a range of issues and differing opinions.

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