MONTREAL — Tony Koulakis, the founder of landmark N.D.G. diner Cosmos, was stabbed to death in a St-Laurent home early Saturday morning. Police have arrested his 40-year-old son, who will likely be charged with murder when he appears before a judge later this afternoon.
Koulakis, 86, was stabbed in the upper body around 3:30 a.m. in his Hufford St. apartment in the north-end St-Laurent borough. The victim’s son was arrested in the apartment later that morning.
A family member discovered Koulakis’ body just hours after he bled to death, according to police, who said the relative was checking up on the elderly man.
Neighbours described the suspect as a disturbed, “unnecessarily aggressive” and confrontational man. One neighbour says he was threatened by the 40-year-old and suspects the man may have suffered from some sort of mental illness.
The circumstances around the death, the 12th homicide of the year on the island of Montreal, are undetermined according to police.
Renowned for its greasy breakfasts, Cosmos has been a staple of the west Montreal neighbourhood since it was founded in 1967.
In 2000, Koulakis was the subject of a documentary called Man of Grease, chronicling the life of the Greek-Montrealer who created what many consider an institution in N.D.G. Koulakis immigrated to Montreal from the island of Crete in Greece, where he was born.
In the documentary, patrons of the restaurant recount Koulakis’ sense of humour and his Spartan work ethic. He retired shortly before the film was released and handed the business over to his children.
“(Koulakis) was a really nice guy, an affable man,” a neighbour told The Gazette on the condition of anonymity. “It’s just awful this business, just terrible. Hard to process.”
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Laurent+stabbing+victim+believed+Cosmos+Diner+founder+Tony+Koulakis/8565053/story.html#ixzz2X4kdDySn
2 comments:
Montreal was a melting pot of real characters,I doubt you can be from Montreal without being a character in your own right.Tony was indeed a character. I saw the Man of Grease film years ago & got a real kick out of hearing his not so unfamiliar voice. If you grew up in Montreal in the 40's 50's 60's 70's.then you heard this type of voice plenty of times.Every restaurant was usually run by Greeks who sure could make great tasting food (at least us Montrealers think so)
So RIP Tony.......and get that next greasy spoon ready for us ,we will all be there sooner or later....Cheers (from an ex-Montrealer)
Oh and one more thing ,when you listen to a Montrealer they usually speak in no uncertain terms with a voice of authority,right or wrong we are decidedly passionate about any subject......and a normal conversation can be interpeted by outsiders as an argument........hahahahah That's what I like about most Montrealers they are a no bullshit straight to the point bunch (Ok maybe some bullshit......lol)
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