At one point, Louis Santikos and John fled the house just hours before Communist guerillas arrived, looking for them. When the German occupation ended in 1944, a civil war broke out between Communists and British/American-supported forces. In 1927, Louis Santikos sold most of his business interests in San Antonio and moved back to Athens, Greece where he became a successful film distributor and where John was born.ĭuring World War II, Germany occupied Greece and Nazi officers took over the Santikos home, living upstairs while the family lived downstairs - a time of great tension and fear for the family, John recalled.
He returned to Greece in 1925 where he met and married Toula Gatos and brought her back to San Antonio. Louis began by operating the Rialto Theatre on Houston Street, and then opened the Palace Theatre on Alamo Plaza - San Antonio's first "movie palace" and the forerunner of the Majestic, Aztec and Texas theatres.
#BIJOU SAN ANTONIO SANTIKOS MANAGEMENT MOVIE#
In 1918, John's father was invited by San Antonio businessmen to move to the city and enter into the movie theater business. Sensing the opportunity, he saved his money and was able to buy the theater, beginning what would be a century-plus of involvement in movie theaters by him and his son, John. At the store, he noticed long lines of people who lined up every day to get into the Rex Theatre, a nickelodeon across the street. Louis Santikos first came to the United States in 1911 from Greece, originally settling in Waco, where he originally worked in a grocery store. He was born in Athens, Greece to Toula and Louis Santikos. John Santikos led a long and eventful life. Santikos Charitable Foundation in 2011 which will be administered by the San Antonio Area Foundation.
It was his wish that the theater and real estate operations bearing his name continue in their current form. John is survived by his daughter, Violet Santikos, sister Kiki Pringle (husband Albert Lymberry), grand-daughter Cassandra Sophia Frank, nephews Thad Bonduris (wife Kathryn), Argie Bonduris and Christopher Bond, nieces Nikki and Heather Bonduris and Shara Lynn Graves and husband Duane and true friend caregiver Susan Schadel. John died Tuesday, December 30 at Methodist Hospital after a short illness. Family, employees, friends and business associates today are mourning the passing of John Louis Santikos, who built the largest family-owned theatre circuit in Texas.
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