Sweet Greeks: First-Generation Immigrant Confectioners in the Heartland, Ann Flesor Beck

Gus Flesor came to the United States from Greece in 1901. His journey led him to Tuscola, Illinois, where he learned the confectioners trade and opened a business that still stands on Main Street. Sweet Greeks sets the story of Gus Flesors life as an immigrant in a small town within the larger history of Greek migration to the Midwest.

Ann Flesor Becks charming personal account recreates the atmosphere of her grandfathers candy kitchen with its odors of chocolate and popcorn and the comings-and-goings of family members. The Store represented success while anchoring the business district of Guss chosen home. It also embodied the Midwest ?migr? experience of chain migration, immigrant networking, resistance and outright threats by local townspeople, food-related entrepreneurship, and tensions over whether later generations would take over the business.

An engaging blend of family memoir and Midwest history, Sweet Greeks tells how Greeks became candy makers to the nation, one shop at a time.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. Foundations

Chapter 2. The Journey: 1880-1930

Chapter 3. Acculturation and Americanization

Chapter 4. Finding a Niche in Chicago and St. Louis

Chapter 5. Greeks vs. Goblins