Arrests in Vernon of the Greeks

[bmx]

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005

....Apparently the greek mafia is pretty large in Vernon and is being investigated for a couple of hits in the last few years....

good call B.

[Pookybear]

Anyone watch the news about this topic yesterday. The girlfriend and friend of Peter Manolakos were screaming racism. . When Blaine Gaffney asked how Manolakos could afford to drive a newer porsche, the female friend says that their pizza joint is really popular. Dang I am going into the pizza business.

[zeppelin]

well I've lived in Vernon all my life and knew Pete a little as a teenager, and I don't doubt this is true. However, there is a lot of propoganda involved in this story regarding the "reign of terror". Unless you are invoilved in the drug trade the chances of having even the remotest run-in with any gang is slim to none.

[Stinkerbell]

When Blaine Gaffney asked how Manolakos could afford to drive a newer porsche, the female friend says that their pizza joint is really popular. Dang I am going into the pizza business.

Me too pookie bear... and this is not the first time there were pizza places in Vernon selling other stuff beside pizza.

However, there is a lot of propoganda involved in this story regarding the "reign of terror". Unless you are invoilved in the drug trade the chances of having even the remotest run-in with any gang is slim to none.

Yes, and what about the fall out. People in your family who get addicted to this crap. People in your family who have things stolen from their homes and businesses because of the drug additiction these "Greeks" created and wanted to be paid for. What about the individual who live beside criminals who grow dope in their own home for sale to the "Greeks" and this individual is mental unstable and flipped out about 9 years ago and threatened to do in everybody in the neighbourhood.

[zeppelin]

Are you saying that without them there would be no drugs???? I've lived here for 35 years and there has always been a lot of drugs, and there always will be. Is there a city left in the western world that doesn't have a drug problem? Organized crime or not, there will always be drugs and crime, it's human nature. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be a crackdown on the problem, but I seriously doubt that all those murder victims were innocent bystanders, they were likely players in a very dangerous game......High risk, highreward.
My point was that the media is making it out like the town is being terrorized when in fact if you have nothing to do with the drug trade you wouldn't even know who "the Greeks" are. In fact this is news to a lot of Vernonites that I know who have never even heard of this "gang". That's my only beef with this whole story.

[Stinkerbell]

Are you saying that without them there would be no drugs???? I've lived here for 35 years and there has always been a lot of drugs, and there always will be.

Speak for your own experience. I was born in the North Okanagan 40 years ago and in my hometown we did not have near the social problems that now face the Valley... People actually worked for a living, fed their kids and added to the local economy. People did not have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and tools stolen from them.. thus impeding their ability to make an honest living.

Is there a city left in the western world that doesn't have a drug problem? Organized crime or not, there will always be drugs and crime, it's human nature. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be a crackdown on the problem, but I seriously doubt that all those murder victims were innocent bystanders, they were likely players in a very dangerous game......High risk, highreward.

I never said it will elimate the drug problem. Not once did I say that these victims did not deserve what they got. But their mothers, fathers and children did not deserve to go through the heart ache of their loss.

My point was that the media is making it out like the town is being terrorized when in fact if you have nothing to do with the drug trade you wouldn't even know who "the Greeks" are. In fact this is news to a lot of Vernonites that I know who have never even heard of this "gang". That's my only beef with this whole story.

But these same people who do not know who the Greeks are have their homes broken into, cars stolen and children and grandchildren turned onto a drug that many of them can not kick. When I visit my hometown all I can see is the harm that this group has done to the community. My point is that we are all affected some way.

As for being personally terrorized how would you feel if you knew that the H.A. were personally responsible for greif brought to your family. And if you make any noise you will be dealt with the same way those who were found dead. I don't do drugs but I hope every single one of these low lifes get what they have comming to them and more, especially in the hereafter. And no, none of the dead are related to me.

[zeppelin]

Don't make it our like I think they "had it coming". I feel bad for the families, but when you go to make the decision to enter that world that's one of the things that comes with that decision. As for drugs and Vernon, my family has been in this town for around 120 years and my grandfather told about the drugs that were here in the 20's and 30's. Perhaps we just grew up in different Vernon's.......when all is said and donee, I think I prefer yours to the Vernon I know.

[Stinkerbell]

Well Vernon was the center of the Okanagan 120 years ago. My family settled in the North Okanagan more than 120 years ago... None of them had drug habits. They were too busy making a living from the land. I fifthe generation here in the Valley and many more in Quebec.

[cerealkiller]

Drug prohibition came into effect a few weeks after the alcohol prohibition was lifted. Thousands of cops were without work all of a sudden and so the drug prohibition was implemented. That was about 80 years ago; how is it working? Did we eradicate drugs? Did we reduce the use? Not a chance!
So if a war (on drugs) hasn't been won in 80 years, wouldn't it be time to change the tactics? Leave pot alone unless you are afraid of laughter; concentrate on the man made stuff, sell it controlled like booze. This would decrease usage like in Holland, eliminate the criminal aspect of it and keep addicts off the road.
Time to re-think our approach to the drug prohibition. Billions spent every year with absolutely no progress, tens of thousands of "criminals" who smoke pot, clogged courts and wasted RCMP man power.
But then again the DEA has control over our drug policies, so the status quo remains...

[zeppelin]

Mine were and are still farmers in this Vernon, as am I, on the same piece of land that my great gradfather settled on in 1882, and none of them had any habits either, but they certainly knew there were drugs/alcohol in the area, pot and opium mainly. While it's great that they got one organized syndicate off the street, it isn't going to change anything because there will be a power struggle to fill that void. It's entirely possible that that violence might go up as people try to fill the vacum left by the "Greeks".

[Stinkerbell]

zeppelin: I have one question for you? Have you or any of your family ever had any breakins, vehicles stolen, had any kind of increase in household insurance or lock your doors at night?

If you can say no to all these situations you don't live in Vernon, or you live in a bubble.

[Stinkerbell]

I wonder if Kelowna's most wanted today Dionissio ARVANITAKIS is linked to the ""Greeks" ?

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-19068--.htm#19068

[eyepop]

I wonder if Kelowna's most wanted today Dionissio ARVANITAKIS is linked to the ""Greeks" ?

check with Ned..

he's good with names.

[zeppelin]

V.....we get stuff stolen all the time from our farm. We live on a main road and have had vehicles broken into, equipment stolen etc....what's your point? Every break in is related to the Greeks? I lived in this town when Pete was a harmless kid and there was just as much crime as there is now....if you disagree then you didn't live here through the 70's-80's. Vernon has always had a good deal of crime and always will.

[Stinkerbell]

Zep: I thought we had already discussed this. I lived in Vernon in the 90's and in grew up in the early 80's in the North Okanaga. And yes the theft we dealt with from our farm and from our logging business was directly related to Drugs. So what's your point. If you want to call me a liar, say so. As far as knowing Pete, my condolences.