Sam Nitsopoulos' humble beginnings in Banitza left him with the spirit, the spirit to succeed. Born in 1927, Sam remembers growing up in a one room house. "I started in the coal mines at 13"., said Nitsopoulos. Sam especially remembers the suffering he and his family endured during the depression. "People were dying in front of you. There were many sick people. There was a great deal of malnutrition. I remember all my body was covered in boils. However, I decided I was gonna take care of myself." At 13, Sam left the village for Bitola to attend a school operated by the ruling Bulgarians. "To support my family, I carried 50 kilos of sugar, nails, and cotton from Banitza to Bitola in my spare time for trade", said Nitsopoulos. During the Second World War, the Bulgarians imprisoned Sam for three years. After that unfortunate experience, he returned to Banitza to work in the coal mines. In 1944, he left the village for Salonica (Solun) to work on a cattle farm. Sam's intestinal fortitude enabled him to stay on a farm that most couldn't handle. "I was the only one who stayed. I got used to the smell. Besides, I was making twice as much as in the coal mine, five or six gold pieces." The Greek Civil War put an end to Sam's sojourn in Salonica. "I became a member of the Greek army. It was a disaster. It was brothers fighting against brothers." Sam built explosives and beds in the army. In fact, he built 300 beds on one day, a feat that would never be repeated. In fact, Sam was held in such esteem that he was known of in the Pentagon. After two years in the army, he was engaged to be married, not knowing his bride to be.

In 1954, he and his wife Lenna emigrated to Canada. His father always had said, "Go to America." Sam just decided to go a little further north! His father emigrated to Terre Haute, Indiana 44 years earlier.

After a few days in Toronto, a friend found Sam a job as a dishwasher at the Green Dolphin Restaurant, Queen and Lansdowne. It paid 25 dollars a week. He rented a small room 12' by 12' at Dundas and Broadview. After five months, Sam graduated to cook. He moved on to Sunrise Restaurant at Coxwell and Gerrard to become the day cook there. His pay increased to fifty dollars a week. Later he became a truck driver-salesman for the Magic Oven Bakery in Rexdale. eventually, the entrepreneurial Nitsopoulos purchased Magic Oven when the owners faced bankruptcy. Purchase price - $6,000. Sam will never forget the loan he received from Mr. Hamilton of the Bank of Nova Scotia. It was the key to the beginning of an empire!

In two months, he had seven trucks on the road. In one year, he bought out seven wholesale pie shops. He employed many fellow Macedonians.

In the mid 1960's, Sam expanded into the restaurant business. He opened 25 restaurants in shopping malls across the province. Sam is philosophical about the world of business. "Business is a game. I have made money and I have lost a lot of money. You gotta have guts to succeed, to do what you have to do!"

In the 1970's, Sam entered the hotel trade, in a roundabout way. A group of 20 Macedonians, including Sam, decided to purchase a hotel in Barrie. "Everybody said good things about his hotel," said Nitsopoulos. "I kept asking questions to see what my partners would be like. I knew more about the hotel that I led on." The next morning, Sam purchased the hotel himself; for one million dollars cash. Indeed, he was a one man operation; no one was about to change him. Later, he bought two more hotels. Sam and his wife have raised six lovely children, who all lend a helping hand in the various aspects of the empire. The drive of Sam Nitsopoulos continues. "I can't stop now. I'm building a plaza right now." Many have compared the successes of Nitsopoulos to those of a fellow Macedonian-Canadian, Steve Stavro. Sam has a great deal of praise for the food chain magnate. "I have a lot of respect for Steve. He has the guts to succeed. Sam has returned to Banitza twice, in 1969, and in 1986. He says, "there's not much change except for light and water in the homes."

Over the years, Sam has contributed a great deal to the Banitza Society and to the Macedonian community in Toronto. Many Macedonians have made their livings through Sam's empire. Whenever the Banitza Society needs sponsorship for a special event, Sam doesn't hesitate to offer a great deal in financial support. He remembers the painstaking days of his childhood. He remembers the terror of the depression, the Second World War, and the Greek Civil War. Sam Nitsopoulos is an appreciative native of Banitza who has carved a name for himself in his new homeland, Canada.