John Cocoris

John Michael Cocoris September 17 1877–1944) was a Greek businessman.

Born in Leonidio, he came to New York in 1895 to work in the sponge trade. In 1905, he introduced sponge diving to Tarpon Springs, Florida. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands. By the 1930s, the sponge industry of Tarpon Springs was very productive, generating millions of dollars a year.

He died in 1944 in Duval County, Florida.

ee also

*Greek American

References

*Leo Polopolu. "A Brief History of Hellenism in Florida".

External links

* [http://www.ahepafamily.org/d5/Tarpon_Springs.html History of the Tarpon Sponge Industry]
* [http://www.divingheritage.com/keywestkern.htm Sponge fishing in Key West and Tarpon Springs]