Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Frankly Speaking, your weekly destination for insight and inspiration,
with your host, Frank Morangos. Frankly Speaking is sponsored by
a HEPPA four two one Chapter of North Miami in
partnership with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of North Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
There is a legend from Greek mythology that the god
Hercules was once walking along a narrow road when a
strange looking creature appeared in front of him. Hercules struck
the monster with his club and passed on, but soon
afterwards was surprised to be confronted by the same threatening creature,
only now three times as large. Hercules struck it again
and again. The problem was that each time you struck it,
(00:48):
the creature grew in size, until finally it completely blocked
his road. According to the legend, it was then that
the goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and told him to
stop the monsters called strife. She said, leave it alone,
and it will soon become as small as it was
at the beginning. Welcome to Frankly Speaking, the weekly talk
show sponsored by the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association or
(01:11):
a HEPA Chapter four twenty one and the Annunciation Greek
Orthodox Church of North Miami, and I'm your host, Frank Morangos,
and for the next thirty minutes, I will provide you
with Frank talk and lively interviews that I hope will
inform and inspire all of us to more fully appreciate
the influence of the ancient Hellenic ideals, its values, and
faith on our contemporary culture. In a sense, through this
(01:34):
radio show, I want to reimagine the term maga to
help make America Greek again as in the past. I
appreciate your feedback, so please feel free to suggest any
topic or issue you'd like us to discuss, and you
can do so by emailing me at Frank at franktalkradio
dot com. Yesterday was National PTSD Awareness Day, a day
dedicated to increasing awareness about post traumatic stress disorder, its
(01:58):
impact and the importance of seeking help and support for
those afflicted. PTSD has a profound effect on the lives
of those who suffer from it. The statistics are staggering.
The trauma and anxiety associated with PTSD is a constant
burden inseparable from the suffer. It was once a condition
that was attributed only to returning combat veterans, but more
(02:20):
and more the condition is diagnosed in those who have
experienced violent crime or lived through catastrophic events. According to
PTSD United, twenty percent of adults in the United States
have experienced a traumatic event suffer from the disease. Is
the entire month of juneus also recognized as PTSD Awareness Month.
(02:40):
I thought it might be appropriate that I should use
this broadcast to discuss PTSD in light of Aristotle's understanding
of courage, and more specifically, the manner in which the
philosopher used the emotional issues of unresolved strife on the
life of Hercules, whom many contemporary scholars believed suffered from
a mythological form of PThD. You might find it curious
(03:02):
that I began this monologue about Hercules and his struggle
with strife, and I'm going to do so with the
city of Florence, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany.
But I'm sure that you soon understand why I've chosen
to do so. During Europe's medieval time, Florence became one
of the wealthiest cities of that era, considered by many
(03:23):
historians to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence
became a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic, and financial center.
During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous
influence in Italy, Europe and beyond. Its turbulent political history
includes the rule of the powerful Medici family, who used
Hercules as their dynastic symbol. In fact, the hero Hercules
(03:47):
is deeply interwined with the city's history, art, and political identity.
In fact, the hero Hercules is deeply intertwined with the
city's history, art, and political identity. Hercules are not just
a mythological figure, but became a symbol of strength, virtue,
and for the Medici family, their power. During my recent
visit to Florence, I saw numerous sculptures and artwork that
(04:10):
reflected the enduring popularity and role of Hercules as a
model for rulers and citizens. Florence was ruled by the
Medici family for three centuries, and during these three centuries,
the Medici family commissioned sculptors to use the biblical characters
of David and the mythological Hercules to convey the themes
of fortitude, piety, leadership, righteousness, and courage. However, because Hercules
(04:33):
was also a deeply flawed mythic character. The Medici family
manipulated how people perceived the hero, so they commissioned artists
to create sculptures that would reflect their desired, political, moral,
and courageous ideals. So, finally, in the thirteenth century, the
image of Hercules was adopted into the city seal of Florence.
By adopting the iconography of Hercules, the Medici family suggested
(04:58):
that life in Florence would be extremely virtuous and courageous
under their influence. In particular, this was done by commissioning
of a large scale sculpture of the twelve labors of
Hercules that decorate the city's Hall of Government. To this day,
mythological heroes have often been used as the basis of
humanity's highest aspirations and ideals. Their stories have played a
(05:19):
significant role in creating the identities that belong to many
cultures and their major cities. Aristotle understood virtue as a
character trait that enables people to live out their lives
in the best possible way, and so he divided his
understanding of virtues into two major categories, number one the
intellectual and two the moral. While the intellectual virtues are
(05:42):
those that belong to knowledge and reasoning. Moral virtues, he argued,
deal with the character of a person guided by the
principle of mean, or in Greek mess on. Aristotle argued
that virtues achieved by avoiding extremes and landing at the
means in their center point is i discussed in last
(06:03):
week's broadcast. The virtue of true courage, for example, lies
in the mean, the balance between cowardice and recklessness. Hercules
is the most famous of Greek heroes, celebrated for his
colossal strength and performance of the Twelve Labors. The courage
manifested through Hercules, embody the Aristotelian virtue of courage. However,
while Hercules demonstrated physical prowess, perseverance, and forbearance, he was
(06:27):
also tormented by strife and ungoverned behavior. As the truly
virtuous life should be balanced and measured, Hercules, who sometimes
experienced anger and fits of rage, violated Aristotle's understanding of virtue,
which is the control of feelings between two extremes, and
so the life of Hercules is meant to emphasize that
even mythological gods and heroes struggle with human imperfections. For Aristotle,
(06:51):
the heroes of myth reflect both virtue and vice. The
strength of Hercules therefore illustrates the ideals of virtue alongside
human fanfe rayalties. Consequently, in his third Treatise on Ethics,
Aristotle's subdivided courage into five expressions. They are civic courage,
experience and knowledge, spiritual courage, confidence, and fifth ignorance. Aristotle
(07:17):
emphasized that rushing into a dangerous situation is not courageous
when one is driven by anger, pain, or rage. Such
an individual is acting as a combative person rather than
a courageous one, as the actions are driven by feelings
and impulses rather than by spiritual courage. Hercules's main weakness
in Greek mythology was his susceptibility to fits of rage
(07:40):
and impulsiveness. While incredibly strong, he was prone to uncontrolled anger,
which often led to destructive actions and even violence. This flaw,
coupled with his impulsivity, frequently put him in difficult situations
and caused harm to those around him. For example, the
story of Hercules and his fight with antisis the eleventh labor,
(08:03):
which is called the apples of Hesperides, was used by
Aristotle to illustrate the hero's struggle with unresolved strife. During
this labor, Hercules brutally beat Antaeus to death in his arms,
and while the story illustrates how strife can transform courage
into extreme and unnecessary brutality, this is quite the opposite
(08:24):
to how the heroes often imagined and depicted. This is
why the Medici family had the sculptor depict his labor
in a more virtuous way. Hercules struggled with controlling his temper.
He would fly into rage, sometimes fueled by jealousy or
other strong emotions, which resulted in him harming others, even
his own family. He often acted without thinking, making rash
(08:47):
decisions based on immediate emotions rather than careful consideration. His
strong sense of loyalty and desire to help others made
him susceptible to being manipulated. Although physically powerful, Hercules was
also depicted as having a mental weakness, particularly in judgment
and emotional control. Throughout his life, Hercules faced severe trauma
(09:11):
like many of our nations returning soldiers. The murder of
his family resulting from his madness can be seen as
a manipulation of this cumulative trauma. The madness episode it
is often depicted, shows periods of disorientation, delusion, and violence,
followed by despair and suicidal thoughts upon regaining sanity. These
(09:32):
aspects resonate with PTSD symptoms like nightmares, flashbacks, feeling of detachment,
and intense emotional distress. While Hercules didn't experience PTSD in
the modern clinical sense, many argue that his actions in
mental state, particularly after killing his own family, signaled the
consequences of post traumatic stress. His fits of madness, bouts
(09:55):
of depression, and the trauma of past events could be
interpreted as similar to the experience of returning war veterans
diagnosed with the disease. Strife was one of the first
demons that young Hercules had to deal with, although he
would strike out at him over and over again, as
the goddess Athena warned him in the story with which
I mentioned at the beginning of this broadcast. If unresolved,
(10:17):
strife only increases its size and effects on its victims.
According to Aristotle, the myth of Hercules, especially his journey
through the Twelve Labors, can be viewed as a process
of facing and processing trauma and his associated guilt. While
PTSD was not explicitly defined in ancient times. Hercules is suffering,
especially his episodes of madness and subsequent atonement, can be
(10:40):
viewed as reflective symptoms associated with the devastating ailment, whether
the madness resulted from divine intervention or an internal struggle.
The story illustrates the importance of trauma and to start
allowing individuals returning with PTSD to the road to recovery.
When we return, I will be speaking with a good friend,
(11:01):
Dean Poll, a successful Greek American restaurant tour based in
New York and the founder of the Poll Group. Dean
was the former operator of the Lobes Central Park boat
House and Tavern on the Green. He's currently the owner
of the Gallagher's Steakhouses, both in Manhattan and Boca. I
am certain that he too, had to overcome many professional
and spiritual struggles in his life in order to become
(11:22):
the manis today.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
We thank the AHEPA four twenty one North Miami Chapter
for their sponsorship of Frankly speaking, they promote the ancient
Hellenic ideas of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family, and individual
excellence through community service and volunteerism. They offer scholarships annually
to support students seeking higher education. A Heppa supports other organizations,
(11:52):
including the Saint Basel Academy in New York, IOCC hurricane
relief efforts, and the local Annunciation GOOC. If you're interested
in donating to help support these efforts, email a Heppa
four twenty one North Miami at gmail dot com. That's
a Heppa four twenty one, North Miami at gmail dot com.
A Heppa four twenty one Northmiami at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Well, welcome back to Frankly Speaking. Apart from introducing the
Great Republic to the rich history, the culture and faith
heritage of the ancient Greeks, and to discuss how that
history may provide some insights for us today, the show
also includes interviews with noted Greek philanthropists and successful personalities.
And so we're fortunate today to have Dean Poll on
(12:44):
the phone with us from Long Island. Dean, welcome to
Frankly Speaking.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Thank you, nice to be with you.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
It was great to see you. I think it was
a Tuesday we got together, and I have to tell
you I came to the restaurant in Boka. I sat
at the bar. I was there a little bit early here,
and the bartender brought the drink over to me after
I ordered it, and then I saw you. You were
sitting in the corner there, and I told the bartender, well,
I'm moving over. I'm going to go sit with Dean.
And he looked at me because you're you're meeting with Dean.
(13:11):
I said yes, he goes, well, then you need a
double So I guess everybody knows you.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
That's an unfair reputation.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Well, I mean, you've been so successful. So I want
to introduce you to the our listening audience here. Tell
us a little bit about yourself. You're from You were
born in Long Island.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
That's correct. I was born in Manhassett and on the
north shore of Long Island, New York.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
And your parents are I would assume for a Greek heritage.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yes, both my mother and father both were born here
and uh and on all four of my grandparents were
from actually from Turkey.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Oh, from Turkey. I didn't. I didn't know that. So
as a child, did you speak Greek? No, so you didn't.
You're not forced to go to Greek school.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
No. My brother Gil, who's five years older than me,
he's seventy three and now bought in nineteen fifty two.
Went to Greek school a little bit when he was younger.
But my father was originally in a shipping business and
then he took a loss and he had to go
to support his family. He went to the restaurant business.
(14:22):
So the family was somewhat disrupted and we didn't have
the time to go to church as often as we
did when we were younger, and my mother helped out
in the restaurant. So my brother stopped going to the
Greek school at that time.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So did your brothers get involved in the restaurant business
as well or just you?
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Oh? No, all. I have two brothers, one older and
one younger, and we are all in the restaurant business.
Gillis and George owned restaurants in Long Island. Did I
have restaurants in New York and Long Island and in
Florida as well, And they have a restaurant in as well.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
We've known each other for a long time. I remember
spending time with you at the boat House and tevern
on the Green and now your owner of Gallagher's Steakhouses.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Tell us a little bit about the boat House and
the tavern on the Green Experiences. You ran those restaurants
for quite some time.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
I did. Indeed, I had a restaurant on Long Island,
and about I would say two thousand, the RFP request
for a proposal came up for the boat House. I
had never been there, but I heard much about it,
and fast forward, I put in the RFP and it
was a very competitive bid and I ultimately won it.
(15:46):
So I came in there in two thousand. We were
renovating the restaurant. Nine to eleven happened, so we experienced
that there and we built up the restaurant through the
years million to twenty five million.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It was a very successful run there. And in two
thousand and thirteen I bought Gallagher Steakhouse. I've been trying
to buy it from the widow of the owner for
since two thousand and seven, and it just came to
be that in twenty thirteen, I bought the restaurant and
(16:24):
the franchises. They had four franchises, actually two franchises at
the time of my purchase and the restaurant, so since
then there's a There are franchises too, and I owned
two restaurants. The original location in New York, which is
a very very successful New York steakhouse. And the newly
(16:45):
opened Gallaghers in Bolca, its own flaughter, which reopened up
July two years ago.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's interesting many Greeks get in the restaurant business. I wonder,
why do you have any idea?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Well, I can tell you that my grandfather I never met.
My grandfather tragically got killed when my father was twelve
years old. And uh had an immigrant mother who barely
spoke English at the time. So but my grandfather told
to me by my grandmother, Uh, he went. He owned
a grocery store, a very very upscale grocery store on
(17:19):
the Upper East side of New York, which became William Pole.
And the reason why it became William Pole is because
that was my grandfather's younger brother who was working in
the in the uh, in the in the store at
the time of my grandfather's tragic passing. So, uh, my
(17:39):
grandmother told me that he went into the grocery business
so they would they would never have to starve. And
that's you know, they were during the twenties and uh.
And you know they were immigrants, as I said, And
the most important thing was to be able to have
food on the table.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, and they got into the catering business as well,
if I if I mistaken.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Yeah, yeah, well the boat House had a catering room
which we did many many functions did I think we
did about one hundred and eighty functions a year. The
William Pole today, which I own half of, now does
off premise care.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah. So it's interesting that you resurrected. Really Gallaghers, from
what I understand, it dates back to Prohibition era.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Yes, Gallagher's was established in nineteen twenty seven during Prohibition
and in the ninety eight years that has been in business.
I'm only the third owner. The first owner was Helen
Gallagher and that's why the name is the name Gallagher
and Jack Solomon and Helen Gallagher passed away in the forties.
(18:49):
I understand Jack Solloman owned the restaurant to the sixties,
at which point Jerry Brody, which was a noted restaurant
here in New York, bought the restaurant in nineteen sixty
four and I bought it in twenty thirteen, so they
were there for forty nine years.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I hope that you're planning a centennial anniversary I'd
love to be there one hundred year.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Well, we'd love to have you. And we have a
ninetieth We have a ninetieth party and it was very successful.
Only we had live music and we had about eight
lounge people there and many of our friends in the
good community from the Cathedral here in New York were present.
And yes, we will be having one hundred the anniversary.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Great, please invite me to that. Love to come. So
you know, we spoke a little bit about your childhood
or when you were young younger in Long Island, and
we talked about the Harry at Ghannis basketball tournament if
you remember, and you did play in it, didn't you.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yes, that's two maybe three years.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yes, that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Driven up.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, and you're going to be surprised when I tell
you that yesterday, Friday, the twenty seventh of June nineteen
fifty five, Harry Aganis passed away. So it's actually the
seventieth year anniversary of the Harry Aganis Tournament took place yesterday.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Wow. Yeah, it was a Red Sox ballplay.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Wasn't he called the Golden Greek?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. So you're married to a wonderful,
lovely life wife called Linda. You have two sons. I'm
very interested in your participation in the boys Club. How
is it that you got on the board.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
My very dear friend, Ed Rappa was a boys club
kid growing up on the Lower East Side, and he
went on to become successful in his field of finance,
and he joined the board many many years earlier, and
I knew him and I know his involved with the
boys Club. And so one day I was on ninety
(21:05):
sixth Street and I turned to my right. I saw
an African American woman dressed very nice, holding the hands
of a nice young man's probably her grandson. And I
said to myself, as what's the chance that this young
man growing up and having opportunity and not getting involved
(21:26):
with drugs or a gang and taking me the wrong
road in life. And so at that that time I
spoke with that and I said that if there was
anything that I can do to help, And so ultimately
I became a board member and an executive committee member.
And as a matter of fact, I was at a
(21:46):
function just I'm no longer on the board and I
left the board, oh, probably ten years ago, but I
was at a function at the Boys Club just as
past Wednesday, seeing old friends and so that that was
really it was being involved and Ed ultimately became presidents
of the Boys Club, and he's he's since as retired
from that position, but he was he was a board
(22:09):
member and the president. He was the only Boys Club
kids that became the president of the Boys Club. The
Boys Club of New York was started by Roland Harriman,
and so most of the officers of the Boys Club
were from Brown Brothers Harriman here in New York. But
(22:29):
that's how I got involved in and that's what that's
what made me want to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
When you were a young boy, did you go to
the y m c A Or the Boys Club to
play basketball?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
No? No, now, growing up a Long Island. Now, the fact,
we can't confuse the Boy's Club of the Boys and
Girls Club of America. The Boy's Club is the is
the model for the Boys and Girls Club of America.
But the Boy's Club is only boys and it's it's
in the city, in the city, in areas that desperately
needs services for young men. I being as tall as
(23:00):
I am, I was always playing basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
So tell me how tall.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Are you six seven.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Well, yeah, when I stand next year, you know, I
try not to, but I thank you so much for
being unfrankly speaking. Before we end, I want to ask
you about Greek heritage and how it has affected your life.
What are the qualities, what are the what is it
about our Greek ancestry that has influenced where you are today?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Family? Certainly family, and I'm very proud to be Greek,
and I'm very proud to be friends with many Greeks
and many who many of whom are prominent Greeks, have
accomplished a lot. And you know, growing up in my
house is as much as we didn't speak Greek, the
Greek program was on the radio every Saturday and Sunday,
(23:55):
and my father played the only Greek records. We only
had one, not the big record in the house. That
was the record I remember. But so I have my ears,
have heard Greek spoken and listened to Greek my whole life.
And my father shared with me many stories of different
(24:16):
Greeks that affected were involved in his life. And uh
so I'm very proud to be Greek, and I love
our church.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Faith is important to you very much.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
So very much so, and I attend church probably three
weeks out of the month. And uh, and I go
to church in Flord when I'm down there all the time.
And I when I when I'm in church, I I
I enjoy being in church and listening to liturgy. And
(24:47):
then certainly if there's a priest is able to offer
a great servan, you leave church with great thoughts. And
I can honestly say, no wants to church leaving start
that it went, so Yes, being the heritage is very
important to me, and I'm very proud of and and
our religion and the Greek choice is very important to me,
(25:08):
and it is to my sons as well.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, well, Dean, I thank you so much for being
such a great example of our Greek heritage in New
York as well as here in South Florida. I wish
you and Linda the best with your with your sons,
and I look forward to participating in the centennial of
Gallagher's God bless you, God.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Bless you, and thank you very much as a pleasure
spending time with you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Thanks Dean, by thank you for joining me today. On
frankly speaking, the English word strife has a complex etymology,
and while it has its roots in various languages. Its
direct Greek connection is mainly through the concept of discord
and contention, as personified in Greek mythology, most especially by
the goddess called Eiris. Eddies is the Greek noun for
(25:54):
strife with discord. It is also the proper name of
the Greek mythological goddess of discord, and particularly in war,
she is known for initiating the quarrel that led to
the Trojan War. The name Eris has also led to
another related ancient Greek terms, such as erizo meaning to fight,
or edisma, meaning the object of the quarrel. What I
(26:15):
find fascinating is that in two thousand and five, a
new planet discovered by the astronomer Michael Brown was named Eris.
Initially thought to be larger than Pluto, a passionate argument
ensued among astronomers about whether its newly discovered planet should
be considered the tenth in our Solar system. As a consequence,
(26:35):
in August two thousand and six, after much debate and
due to its size, the Internal Astronomical Union classified it
as a dwarf planet. This decision also led to Pluto
being reclassified and demoted to a dwarf planet as well.
In Greek mythology, Aires is the goddess who incites conflict
(26:55):
and chaos, causing arguments and disagreements among people. The name
Eires was therefore chosen by doctor Brown in honor of
the Greek goddess of strife and discord. He chose the
name because it reflected the discord and controversy surrounding the
reclassification of Pluto and the debate about Eiris's own nature.
But the story does not end there. In two thousand
(27:16):
and five, a small moon was also discovered spinning around Eiras.
It should not come as a surprise, therefore, to learn
that it was named in honor of Eiras's daughter Dysnomia,
the Greek demon goddess of lawliness. So as mister Gus
Portocolos insists, there you go, give me a word and
I will show you its Greek root. So thank you
(27:37):
for joining me today on Frankly Speaking, a show that
seeks to provide frank talk and lively interviews about the
influence of ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our
contemporary culture to help make America Greek again. If you
would like to share a question and or suggest a
future guest or topic. I would love to hear from
you at Frank at franktalkradio dot com.
Welcome to Frankly Speaking, your weekly destination for insight and inspiration,
with your host, Frank Morangos. Frankly Speaking is sponsored by
a HEPPA four two one Chapter of North Miami in
partnership with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of North Miami.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
There is a legend from Greek mythology that the god
Hercules was once walking along a narrow road when a
strange looking creature appeared in front of him. Hercules struck
the monster with his club and passed on, but soon
afterwards was surprised to be confronted by the same threatening creature,
only now three times as large. Hercules struck it again
and again. The problem was that each time you struck it,
(00:48):
the creature grew in size, until finally it completely blocked
his road. According to the legend, it was then that
the goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and told him to
stop the monsters called strife. She said, leave it alone,
and it will soon become as small as it was
at the beginning. Welcome to Frankly Speaking, the weekly talk
show sponsored by the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association or
(01:11):
a HEPA Chapter four twenty one and the Annunciation Greek
Orthodox Church of North Miami, and I'm your host, Frank Morangos,
and for the next thirty minutes, I will provide you
with Frank talk and lively interviews that I hope will
inform and inspire all of us to more fully appreciate
the influence of the ancient Hellenic ideals, its values, and
faith on our contemporary culture. In a sense, through this
(01:34):
radio show, I want to reimagine the term maga to
help make America Greek again as in the past. I
appreciate your feedback, so please feel free to suggest any
topic or issue you'd like us to discuss, and you
can do so by emailing me at Frank at franktalkradio
dot com. Yesterday was National PTSD Awareness Day, a day
dedicated to increasing awareness about post traumatic stress disorder, its
(01:58):
impact and the importance of seeking help and support for
those afflicted. PTSD has a profound effect on the lives
of those who suffer from it. The statistics are staggering.
The trauma and anxiety associated with PTSD is a constant
burden inseparable from the suffer. It was once a condition
that was attributed only to returning combat veterans, but more
(02:20):
and more the condition is diagnosed in those who have
experienced violent crime or lived through catastrophic events. According to
PTSD United, twenty percent of adults in the United States
have experienced a traumatic event suffer from the disease. Is
the entire month of juneus also recognized as PTSD Awareness Month.
(02:40):
I thought it might be appropriate that I should use
this broadcast to discuss PTSD in light of Aristotle's understanding
of courage, and more specifically, the manner in which the
philosopher used the emotional issues of unresolved strife on the
life of Hercules, whom many contemporary scholars believed suffered from
a mythological form of PThD. You might find it curious
(03:02):
that I began this monologue about Hercules and his struggle
with strife, and I'm going to do so with the
city of Florence, the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany.
But I'm sure that you soon understand why I've chosen
to do so. During Europe's medieval time, Florence became one
of the wealthiest cities of that era, considered by many
(03:23):
historians to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence
became a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic, and financial center.
During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous
influence in Italy, Europe and beyond. Its turbulent political history
includes the rule of the powerful Medici family, who used
Hercules as their dynastic symbol. In fact, the hero Hercules
(03:47):
is deeply interwined with the city's history, art, and political identity.
In fact, the hero Hercules is deeply intertwined with the
city's history, art, and political identity. Hercules are not just
a mythological figure, but became a symbol of strength, virtue,
and for the Medici family, their power. During my recent
visit to Florence, I saw numerous sculptures and artwork that
(04:10):
reflected the enduring popularity and role of Hercules as a
model for rulers and citizens. Florence was ruled by the
Medici family for three centuries, and during these three centuries,
the Medici family commissioned sculptors to use the biblical characters
of David and the mythological Hercules to convey the themes
of fortitude, piety, leadership, righteousness, and courage. However, because Hercules
(04:33):
was also a deeply flawed mythic character. The Medici family
manipulated how people perceived the hero, so they commissioned artists
to create sculptures that would reflect their desired, political, moral,
and courageous ideals. So, finally, in the thirteenth century, the
image of Hercules was adopted into the city seal of Florence.
By adopting the iconography of Hercules, the Medici family suggested
(04:58):
that life in Florence would be extremely virtuous and courageous
under their influence. In particular, this was done by commissioning
of a large scale sculpture of the twelve labors of
Hercules that decorate the city's Hall of Government. To this day,
mythological heroes have often been used as the basis of
humanity's highest aspirations and ideals. Their stories have played a
(05:19):
significant role in creating the identities that belong to many
cultures and their major cities. Aristotle understood virtue as a
character trait that enables people to live out their lives
in the best possible way, and so he divided his
understanding of virtues into two major categories, number one the
intellectual and two the moral. While the intellectual virtues are
(05:42):
those that belong to knowledge and reasoning. Moral virtues, he argued,
deal with the character of a person guided by the
principle of mean, or in Greek mess on. Aristotle argued
that virtues achieved by avoiding extremes and landing at the
means in their center point is i discussed in last
(06:03):
week's broadcast. The virtue of true courage, for example, lies
in the mean, the balance between cowardice and recklessness. Hercules
is the most famous of Greek heroes, celebrated for his
colossal strength and performance of the Twelve Labors. The courage
manifested through Hercules, embody the Aristotelian virtue of courage. However,
while Hercules demonstrated physical prowess, perseverance, and forbearance, he was
(06:27):
also tormented by strife and ungoverned behavior. As the truly
virtuous life should be balanced and measured, Hercules, who sometimes
experienced anger and fits of rage, violated Aristotle's understanding of virtue,
which is the control of feelings between two extremes, and
so the life of Hercules is meant to emphasize that
even mythological gods and heroes struggle with human imperfections. For Aristotle,
(06:51):
the heroes of myth reflect both virtue and vice. The
strength of Hercules therefore illustrates the ideals of virtue alongside
human fanfe rayalties. Consequently, in his third Treatise on Ethics,
Aristotle's subdivided courage into five expressions. They are civic courage,
experience and knowledge, spiritual courage, confidence, and fifth ignorance. Aristotle
(07:17):
emphasized that rushing into a dangerous situation is not courageous
when one is driven by anger, pain, or rage. Such
an individual is acting as a combative person rather than
a courageous one, as the actions are driven by feelings
and impulses rather than by spiritual courage. Hercules's main weakness
in Greek mythology was his susceptibility to fits of rage
(07:40):
and impulsiveness. While incredibly strong, he was prone to uncontrolled anger,
which often led to destructive actions and even violence. This flaw,
coupled with his impulsivity, frequently put him in difficult situations
and caused harm to those around him. For example, the
story of Hercules and his fight with antisis the eleventh labor,
(08:03):
which is called the apples of Hesperides, was used by
Aristotle to illustrate the hero's struggle with unresolved strife. During
this labor, Hercules brutally beat Antaeus to death in his arms,
and while the story illustrates how strife can transform courage
into extreme and unnecessary brutality, this is quite the opposite
(08:24):
to how the heroes often imagined and depicted. This is
why the Medici family had the sculptor depict his labor
in a more virtuous way. Hercules struggled with controlling his temper.
He would fly into rage, sometimes fueled by jealousy or
other strong emotions, which resulted in him harming others, even
his own family. He often acted without thinking, making rash
(08:47):
decisions based on immediate emotions rather than careful consideration. His
strong sense of loyalty and desire to help others made
him susceptible to being manipulated. Although physically powerful, Hercules was
also depicted as having a mental weakness, particularly in judgment
and emotional control. Throughout his life, Hercules faced severe trauma
(09:11):
like many of our nations returning soldiers. The murder of
his family resulting from his madness can be seen as
a manipulation of this cumulative trauma. The madness episode it
is often depicted, shows periods of disorientation, delusion, and violence,
followed by despair and suicidal thoughts upon regaining sanity. These
(09:32):
aspects resonate with PTSD symptoms like nightmares, flashbacks, feeling of detachment,
and intense emotional distress. While Hercules didn't experience PTSD in
the modern clinical sense, many argue that his actions in
mental state, particularly after killing his own family, signaled the
consequences of post traumatic stress. His fits of madness, bouts
(09:55):
of depression, and the trauma of past events could be
interpreted as similar to the experience of returning war veterans
diagnosed with the disease. Strife was one of the first
demons that young Hercules had to deal with, although he
would strike out at him over and over again, as
the goddess Athena warned him in the story with which
I mentioned at the beginning of this broadcast. If unresolved,
(10:17):
strife only increases its size and effects on its victims.
According to Aristotle, the myth of Hercules, especially his journey
through the Twelve Labors, can be viewed as a process
of facing and processing trauma and his associated guilt. While
PTSD was not explicitly defined in ancient times. Hercules is suffering,
especially his episodes of madness and subsequent atonement, can be
(10:40):
viewed as reflective symptoms associated with the devastating ailment, whether
the madness resulted from divine intervention or an internal struggle.
The story illustrates the importance of trauma and to start
allowing individuals returning with PTSD to the road to recovery.
When we return, I will be speaking with a good friend,
(11:01):
Dean Poll, a successful Greek American restaurant tour based in
New York and the founder of the Poll Group. Dean
was the former operator of the Lobes Central Park boat
House and Tavern on the Green. He's currently the owner
of the Gallagher's Steakhouses, both in Manhattan and Boca. I
am certain that he too, had to overcome many professional
and spiritual struggles in his life in order to become
(11:22):
the manis today.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
We thank the AHEPA four twenty one North Miami Chapter
for their sponsorship of Frankly speaking, they promote the ancient
Hellenic ideas of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family, and individual
excellence through community service and volunteerism. They offer scholarships annually
to support students seeking higher education. A Heppa supports other organizations,
(11:52):
including the Saint Basel Academy in New York, IOCC hurricane
relief efforts, and the local Annunciation GOOC. If you're interested
in donating to help support these efforts, email a Heppa
four twenty one North Miami at gmail dot com. That's
a Heppa four twenty one, North Miami at gmail dot com.
A Heppa four twenty one Northmiami at gmail dot com.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Well, welcome back to Frankly Speaking. Apart from introducing the
Great Republic to the rich history, the culture and faith
heritage of the ancient Greeks, and to discuss how that
history may provide some insights for us today, the show
also includes interviews with noted Greek philanthropists and successful personalities.
And so we're fortunate today to have Dean Poll on
(12:44):
the phone with us from Long Island. Dean, welcome to
Frankly Speaking.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Thank you, nice to be with you.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
It was great to see you. I think it was
a Tuesday we got together, and I have to tell
you I came to the restaurant in Boka. I sat
at the bar. I was there a little bit early here,
and the bartender brought the drink over to me after
I ordered it, and then I saw you. You were
sitting in the corner there, and I told the bartender, well,
I'm moving over. I'm going to go sit with Dean.
And he looked at me because you're you're meeting with Dean.
(13:11):
I said yes, he goes, well, then you need a
double So I guess everybody knows you.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
That's an unfair reputation.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Well, I mean, you've been so successful. So I want
to introduce you to the our listening audience here. Tell
us a little bit about yourself. You're from You were
born in Long Island.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
That's correct. I was born in Manhassett and on the
north shore of Long Island, New York.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
And your parents are I would assume for a Greek heritage.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yes, both my mother and father both were born here
and uh and on all four of my grandparents were
from actually from Turkey.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Oh, from Turkey. I didn't. I didn't know that. So
as a child, did you speak Greek? No, so you didn't.
You're not forced to go to Greek school.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
No. My brother Gil, who's five years older than me,
he's seventy three and now bought in nineteen fifty two.
Went to Greek school a little bit when he was younger.
But my father was originally in a shipping business and
then he took a loss and he had to go
to support his family. He went to the restaurant business.
(14:22):
So the family was somewhat disrupted and we didn't have
the time to go to church as often as we
did when we were younger, and my mother helped out
in the restaurant. So my brother stopped going to the
Greek school at that time.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So did your brothers get involved in the restaurant business
as well or just you?
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Oh? No, all. I have two brothers, one older and
one younger, and we are all in the restaurant business.
Gillis and George owned restaurants in Long Island. Did I
have restaurants in New York and Long Island and in
Florida as well, And they have a restaurant in as well.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
We've known each other for a long time. I remember
spending time with you at the boat House and tevern
on the Green and now your owner of Gallagher's Steakhouses.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Tell us a little bit about the boat House and
the tavern on the Green Experiences. You ran those restaurants
for quite some time.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
I did. Indeed, I had a restaurant on Long Island,
and about I would say two thousand, the RFP request
for a proposal came up for the boat House. I
had never been there, but I heard much about it,
and fast forward, I put in the RFP and it
was a very competitive bid and I ultimately won it.
(15:46):
So I came in there in two thousand. We were
renovating the restaurant. Nine to eleven happened, so we experienced
that there and we built up the restaurant through the
years million to twenty five million.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
It was a very successful run there. And in two
thousand and thirteen I bought Gallagher Steakhouse. I've been trying
to buy it from the widow of the owner for
since two thousand and seven, and it just came to
be that in twenty thirteen, I bought the restaurant and
(16:24):
the franchises. They had four franchises, actually two franchises at
the time of my purchase and the restaurant, so since
then there's a There are franchises too, and I owned
two restaurants. The original location in New York, which is
a very very successful New York steakhouse. And the newly
(16:45):
opened Gallaghers in Bolca, its own flaughter, which reopened up
July two years ago.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's interesting many Greeks get in the restaurant business. I wonder,
why do you have any idea?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Well, I can tell you that my grandfather I never met.
My grandfather tragically got killed when my father was twelve
years old. And uh had an immigrant mother who barely
spoke English at the time. So but my grandfather told
to me by my grandmother, Uh, he went. He owned
a grocery store, a very very upscale grocery store on
(17:19):
the Upper East side of New York, which became William Pole.
And the reason why it became William Pole is because
that was my grandfather's younger brother who was working in
the in the uh, in the in the store at
the time of my grandfather's tragic passing. So, uh, my
(17:39):
grandmother told me that he went into the grocery business
so they would they would never have to starve. And
that's you know, they were during the twenties and uh.
And you know they were immigrants, as I said, And
the most important thing was to be able to have
food on the table.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, and they got into the catering business as well,
if I if I mistaken.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Yeah, yeah, well the boat House had a catering room
which we did many many functions did I think we
did about one hundred and eighty functions a year. The
William Pole today, which I own half of, now does
off premise care.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah. So it's interesting that you resurrected. Really Gallaghers, from
what I understand, it dates back to Prohibition era.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
Yes, Gallagher's was established in nineteen twenty seven during Prohibition
and in the ninety eight years that has been in business.
I'm only the third owner. The first owner was Helen
Gallagher and that's why the name is the name Gallagher
and Jack Solomon and Helen Gallagher passed away in the forties.
(18:49):
I understand Jack Solloman owned the restaurant to the sixties,
at which point Jerry Brody, which was a noted restaurant
here in New York, bought the restaurant in nineteen sixty
four and I bought it in twenty thirteen, so they
were there for forty nine years.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I hope that you're planning a centennial anniversary I'd
love to be there one hundred year.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Well, we'd love to have you. And we have a
ninetieth We have a ninetieth party and it was very successful.
Only we had live music and we had about eight
lounge people there and many of our friends in the
good community from the Cathedral here in New York were present.
And yes, we will be having one hundred the anniversary.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Great, please invite me to that. Love to come. So
you know, we spoke a little bit about your childhood
or when you were young younger in Long Island, and
we talked about the Harry at Ghannis basketball tournament if
you remember, and you did play in it, didn't you.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yes, that's two maybe three years.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yes, that's amazing.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Driven up.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, and you're going to be surprised when I tell
you that yesterday, Friday, the twenty seventh of June nineteen
fifty five, Harry Aganis passed away. So it's actually the
seventieth year anniversary of the Harry Aganis Tournament took place yesterday.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Wow. Yeah, it was a Red Sox ballplay.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Wasn't he called the Golden Greek?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. So you're married to a wonderful,
lovely life wife called Linda. You have two sons. I'm
very interested in your participation in the boys Club. How
is it that you got on the board.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
My very dear friend, Ed Rappa was a boys club
kid growing up on the Lower East Side, and he
went on to become successful in his field of finance,
and he joined the board many many years earlier, and
I knew him and I know his involved with the
boys Club. And so one day I was on ninety
(21:05):
sixth Street and I turned to my right. I saw
an African American woman dressed very nice, holding the hands
of a nice young man's probably her grandson. And I
said to myself, as what's the chance that this young
man growing up and having opportunity and not getting involved
(21:26):
with drugs or a gang and taking me the wrong
road in life. And so at that that time I
spoke with that and I said that if there was
anything that I can do to help, And so ultimately
I became a board member and an executive committee member.
And as a matter of fact, I was at a
(21:46):
function just I'm no longer on the board and I
left the board, oh, probably ten years ago, but I
was at a function at the Boys Club just as
past Wednesday, seeing old friends and so that that was
really it was being involved and Ed ultimately became presidents
of the Boys Club, and he's he's since as retired
from that position, but he was he was a board
(22:09):
member and the president. He was the only Boys Club
kids that became the president of the Boys Club. The
Boys Club of New York was started by Roland Harriman,
and so most of the officers of the Boys Club
were from Brown Brothers Harriman here in New York. But
(22:29):
that's how I got involved in and that's what that's
what made me want to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
When you were a young boy, did you go to
the y m c A Or the Boys Club to
play basketball?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
No? No, now, growing up a Long Island. Now, the fact,
we can't confuse the Boy's Club of the Boys and
Girls Club of America. The Boy's Club is the is
the model for the Boys and Girls Club of America.
But the Boy's Club is only boys and it's it's
in the city, in the city, in areas that desperately
needs services for young men. I being as tall as
(23:00):
I am, I was always playing basketball.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
So tell me how tall.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
Are you six seven.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Well, yeah, when I stand next year, you know, I
try not to, but I thank you so much for
being unfrankly speaking. Before we end, I want to ask
you about Greek heritage and how it has affected your life.
What are the qualities, what are the what is it
about our Greek ancestry that has influenced where you are today?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Family? Certainly family, and I'm very proud to be Greek,
and I'm very proud to be friends with many Greeks
and many who many of whom are prominent Greeks, have
accomplished a lot. And you know, growing up in my
house is as much as we didn't speak Greek, the
Greek program was on the radio every Saturday and Sunday,
(23:55):
and my father played the only Greek records. We only
had one, not the big record in the house. That
was the record I remember. But so I have my ears,
have heard Greek spoken and listened to Greek my whole life.
And my father shared with me many stories of different
(24:16):
Greeks that affected were involved in his life. And uh
so I'm very proud to be Greek, and I love
our church.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Faith is important to you very much.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
So very much so, and I attend church probably three
weeks out of the month. And uh, and I go
to church in Flord when I'm down there all the time.
And I when I when I'm in church, I I
I enjoy being in church and listening to liturgy. And
(24:47):
then certainly if there's a priest is able to offer
a great servan, you leave church with great thoughts. And
I can honestly say, no wants to church leaving start
that it went, so Yes, being the heritage is very
important to me, and I'm very proud of and and
our religion and the Greek choice is very important to me,
(25:08):
and it is to my sons as well.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, well, Dean, I thank you so much for being
such a great example of our Greek heritage in New
York as well as here in South Florida. I wish
you and Linda the best with your with your sons,
and I look forward to participating in the centennial of
Gallagher's God bless you, God.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Bless you, and thank you very much as a pleasure
spending time with you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Thanks Dean, by thank you for joining me today. On
frankly speaking, the English word strife has a complex etymology,
and while it has its roots in various languages. Its
direct Greek connection is mainly through the concept of discord
and contention, as personified in Greek mythology, most especially by
the goddess called Eiris. Eddies is the Greek noun for
(25:54):
strife with discord. It is also the proper name of
the Greek mythological goddess of discord, and particularly in war,
she is known for initiating the quarrel that led to
the Trojan War. The name Eris has also led to
another related ancient Greek terms, such as erizo meaning to fight,
or edisma, meaning the object of the quarrel. What I
(26:15):
find fascinating is that in two thousand and five, a
new planet discovered by the astronomer Michael Brown was named Eris.
Initially thought to be larger than Pluto, a passionate argument
ensued among astronomers about whether its newly discovered planet should
be considered the tenth in our Solar system. As a consequence,
(26:35):
in August two thousand and six, after much debate and
due to its size, the Internal Astronomical Union classified it
as a dwarf planet. This decision also led to Pluto
being reclassified and demoted to a dwarf planet as well.
In Greek mythology, Aires is the goddess who incites conflict
(26:55):
and chaos, causing arguments and disagreements among people. The name
Eires was therefore chosen by doctor Brown in honor of
the Greek goddess of strife and discord. He chose the
name because it reflected the discord and controversy surrounding the
reclassification of Pluto and the debate about Eiris's own nature.
But the story does not end there. In two thousand
(27:16):
and five, a small moon was also discovered spinning around Eiras.
It should not come as a surprise, therefore, to learn
that it was named in honor of Eiras's daughter Dysnomia,
the Greek demon goddess of lawliness. So as mister Gus
Portocolos insists, there you go, give me a word and
I will show you its Greek root. So thank you
(27:37):
for joining me today on Frankly Speaking, a show that
seeks to provide frank talk and lively interviews about the
influence of ancient Hellenic ideals, values, and faith on our
contemporary culture to help make America Greek again. If you
would like to share a question and or suggest a
future guest or topic. I would love to hear from
you at Frank at franktalkradio dot com.
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