Distinguished author and journalist
Famous Greeks

Distinguished author and journalist

Nicholas Gage, his actual name is Nikolaos Gatzoyiannis, is a Greek-born American author and investigative journalist.

He was born on the 23rd of July, 1939, in the village of Lia, Epirus, Greece. Nicholas Gage joined his father in Massachusetts at the age of nine and grew up to become a top New York Times investigative reporter, honing his skills with one thought in mind: to return to Greece and uncover the one story he cared about most: the story of his mother.

His two most known books/autobiographical memoirs are the best-selling “Eleni” (1983) and “A Place for Us” (1989). “Eleni” describes the life of his family in Greece during the Second World War and Greek Civil War. Gage’s mother, Eleni, was executed for arranging the escape of her children from their Communist-occupied village. Decades later, as an adult, Gage sought out those responsible for her death. “A Place for Us” relates the Gage family’s experiences as immigrants in 1950’s America in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1964, Gage earned a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

In the 1970’s he starts working for Associated Press and The Boston Herald Traveller, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. From 1980 to 1983 he starts working on the research, writing and publishing of his book, “Eleni”. In 1985, “Eleni” was made into a feature film starring John Malkovich as Gage. In fact, in1987, “Eleni” was cited by Ronald Reagan as an inspiration for his summit meetings to end the arms race with the Soviet Union.

Gage first achieved fame as an investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. His acclaimed coverage of the Mafia led to two best-selling books: “The Mafia Is Not An Equal Opportunity Employer” and “Mafia, U.S.A.”.

He was also instrumental in exposing corruption in the past of Vice President Spiro Agnew, which led to Agnew’s resignation. During the Watergate scandal, Gage was the first reporter to hear any of the Nixon tapes. His experiences as a reporter were the basis for the 1977 CBS television show “The Andros Targets”.

Gage was an Executive Producer of The Godfather Part III, co-writing an early draft of the script with Mario Puzo. The movie was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and seven Academy Awards.

His book “Eleni”, which has been translated into 32 languages, was awarded first prize by the Royal Society of Literature of Great Britain and was nominated in the category of best biography by the National Book Critics Circle. He was also awarded with the Hearst Award, Page One Award (Newspaper Guild) and Sigma Delta Chi award.

His most recent book is “Greek Fire: The Story of Maria Callas and Aristole Onassis”, an account of the relationship between Aristotle Onassis and opera singer Maria Callas, which was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2000.

Gage is the honorary President of the WORLD of EPIROTES and a recipient of The International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence. He continues to speak throughout the world and writes for such publications as The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

Gage and his wife, Joan, live in North Grafton, Massachusetts. Joan is also an author, whom he met in Columbia University. He is the father of three children: Christos (screenwriter), Eleni (magazine editor), and Marina (interior desing decorator).

COMMENTS

  Comments: 6

  1. ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΠΑΙΣΙΔΗΣ

    Αγαπητέ κε Γκατζογιαννη

    Το βιβλιο σας διδασκει .Διδασκει Ελληνικη Ιστορια .Διδασκει Θουκυδιδεια γραφη ,αλλα προ παντος διδασκει Ανθρωπια .Θελω να σας πω Mπραβο σας ,αλλα πρωτη φορα μου φαινεται τοσο λιγο !


  2. denise kelly

    This is my second reading of “eleni” the story speaks to my heart and profoundly moves me .what an astounding woman and mother .her courage should inspire us to hate war and try to be better people in our own corners of the globe .thank-you for writing this book I love Greece and the Greek people yasas Denise .


  3. Evgenia Antoniou

    Eleni is a great book. The best “mnimosino”a son could make for a loving , long lost mother. The author’s emotions in the last chapter are absolutely understandable to me. I bear a similar burden. When I was 15 someone from my village shot and killed my father without a reason. He was in prison for only ONE year. 45 years later I am still looking for an answer.


  4. Am almost through reading A Place for Us…story is in Readers Digest Best Non-Fiction….
    I have many of these books and his story is Timeless…I really had trouble putting it down..
    what a journey this family went through…I was born same year as Nicholas Gage…their
    struggles were monumental…a great look into his life…


  5. Wow,make Greece great again


  6. Germain Salazar

    I saw this film for the first time in the 80s, and honestly could not contain the tears as I watched the efforts Eleni as mother put up to prevent her oldest daughter from being inducted into the communist Army of Greece. To think that love forced her to do this simply inconceivable torture of her daughter, all for the love of her!. The reality of friendships when she shared with the village the shipments that her husband sent her, and the ingrate attitude of those who had been beneficiaries of her largesse, being the first to turn her into the authorities accusing her of being “Americana”, thus an enemy of the regime. The control of emotions of her son facing the executioner of his mother, ready to pull the trigger, then observing the young children of this criminal, and reflecting on the cowardice of this beast, opted to desist on his initial intentions of exact revenge for the assassination of his mother, for fear of turning himself into an exact copy of this criminal. Beautiful lessons on forgiveness, courage and self-control.


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