 The first Pizzaria Napolitana location next to McDonald’s on Missouri Boulevard. The restaurant later moved a short distance west and was in the building that now houses Bandana’s. Courtesy of Chris Totsikas Chris Totsikas came of age near Thessaloniki, Greece, during the Second World War. At a young age, after enduring the ravages of war on his homeland, he witnessed much of Europe being rebuilt by Americans. This instilled in him a desire to someday come to the United States to repay his debt. While here, he embraced “philoxenia,” the Greek concept of turning strangers into friends, which he accomplished as the owner of a popular pizzeria in Jefferson City. After the war, Totsikas, who was born in 1936, later began an apprenticeship as a cobbler. He gained employment at a shoe plant in 1962 and worked his way up to plant manager. Then, in 1965, he married his fiancée, Ria, with whom he raised two children, Gus and Anna. “It took my father seven years to get his work visa to accept a job in Philadelphia,” said Gus. Arriving in the U.S. in 1974 with his wife, two young children, and about $600 in cash, he worked briefly for a shoe factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Seeking a better way to make a living, he and his family soon ended up in New York City, where Totsikas worked selling hot dogs from a portable vending stand while his wife sold ice cream from an adjacent stand. Realizing this was not a long-term employment endeavor, his wife, Ria, contacted acquaintances living back in Greece and discovered they had mutual connections through fellow Grecians living in Moberly. They were told that Missouri was a great place to raise a family and advised of an employment opportunity at Alex’s Pizzeria in Rolla. “My father said that when he was driving from Moberly to Rolla, the columns on the capitol reminded him of buildings back in Greece and he just liked the aura of Jefferson City,” Gus shared. After a year of working at the pizzeria in Rolla, Totsikas relocated his family to Jefferson City and, from 1976 to 1978, worked at G&D Steak House on East Capitol Avenue. It was a bustling period for the community with many restaurants dotting the landscape, several of them located downtown. It was also during the late 1970s that the western edge of Jefferson City expanded with the construction of the Capital Mall and the existence of popular eating establishments on the Missouri Boulevard to include Viet’s Restaurant, Josh’s, Yen Ching and Johnny’s Pizza and Steakhouse. In 1978, Totsikas and a partner opened Pizzaria Napolitana on Missouri Boulevard next to McDonald’s. Shortly thereafter, the family became U.S. citizens. After a year of operating Pizzeria Napolitana as a partnership, Totsikas became sole owner and with the help of his wife, began expanding the business into a popular establishment. On any given evening, one might find a couple sharing a quiet meal during a date night while sitting next to a shift worker from a local factory enjoying pizza and a pitcher of beer. Many recall driving into the parking lot and peering into the big window in front of the pizzeria, greeted by Chris Totsikas and his big grin as he made pizza. There were several children who looked forward to the moments when Ria would warmly pinch their cheeks. In addition to the pizza served at Pizzaria Napolitana, Totsikas offered steak and pasta, also making his own lasagna and sauce. He later introduced Greek salad and the Gyro to the Jefferson City community. In the early 1980s, Totsikas added delivery service while Pizzeria Napolitana remained a bustling establishment during lunch and dinner hours. As Gus Totsikas explained, his family often worked every day, sometimes until 2 a.m. to clean and close before getting up the next morning and starting the cycle once again. All of this took place during the same time his parents were making sure he and his sister were ready for school. The lease on their first building expired and Chris Totsikas moved the restaurant a short distance to the west on Missouri Boulevard in 1989, in what is the building that now houses Bandana’s. They continued to operate Pizzaria Napolitana from this location until making the decision to retire in 2006. “Whether you came in for a hug or just to be in the company of good friends and family, you’ll be in our hearts forever,” Chris and Ria Totsikas shared in a statement printed in the Jefferson City News Tribune on October 22, 2006, commenting on the closing of the business. “We’ll always remember … the times we shared together.” The company moved to a new location on West Edgewood in 2008, now run by family members and operating as Ria’s Restaurant, in honor of the beloved wife of Chris Totsikas. Both Chris and Ria returned to Greece in 2018. Sadly, the 77-year-old Ria passed away on December 18, 2020, and is buried in her native Thessaloniki, Greece. Chris Totsikas continues to live in retirement in Greece and will celebrate his 88th birthday later this fall. “My parents brought with him the Greek characteristic of ‘philoxenia,’ basically meaning he treated everyone as a friend,” said Gus. He added, “Both he and my mom enjoyed meeting people, making friends and sharing their lives with them.” Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of “Hidden History of Cole County.”  Chris Totsikas immigrated to the U.S. from Greece with his wife and two young children in 1974. He opened Pizzaria Napolitana on Missouri Boulevard in 1978, which he and his wife operated until their retirement in 2006. The friendly and hardworking couple later retired to their native Greece, but family now operates Ria’s Restaurant on West Edgewood. Courtesy of Chris Totsikas
0 Comments
Norwegian love affair - Pat Tomek explains how the Rainmakers became wildly popular in Norway10/3/2024  Pat Tomek, far right, is pictured performing with the Rainmakers at a show in Oslo, Norway in December 1986. The band became wildly popular among Norwegian audiences and went on to record three albums on the Mercury label. In recent years, the Rainmakers have recorded new material and continue to travel to Norway on occasion for performances. Courtesy of Pat Tomek Pat Tomek was 14 or 15 years old when paying a visit to the home of his brother’s best friend to see the new drum kit he had received. Banging around on the set for a few minutes, he received compliments on his playing, thus beginning his inspiration to become a drummer. Years later, his drum performances landed him a spot in the band the Rainmakers, who went on to record professionally and have established a dedicated following in Norway. Raised in Wichita, Kansas, Tomek first began to develop his skills as a drummer by beating on pillows and using pencils as drumsticks. Eventually, while working part-time at a furniture store, he saved up enough money to purchase a used drum kit during his senior year of high school. After graduating from Wichita West High School in 1970, Tomek enrolled at the University of Kansas. While in college, he enjoyed playing in local rock bands but was focused on earning his bachelor’s degree. In 1974, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to pursue his graduate degree. “There was a period in graduate school when I couldn’t find anyone to play with in a band,” Tomek remarked. “One of my fellow students told me that I seemed to get more excited talking about music than the graduate work we were doing,” He continued, “I eventually got in a Top 40 band and performed in tiny towns throughout the Midwest and up into South Dakota. I worked on writing my master’s thesis while we were out on the road playing 5 or 6 nights a week and was able to earn a master’s degree in communications studies.” In 1978, Tomek became the drummer for Gary Apple, a Kansas City recording artist who had a record deal on Roy Orbison’s label Monument Records. Moving to Kansas City shortly after getting the gig, he and several members of Apple’s band soon formed The Secrets. And immediately began recording for Titan Records. The Secrets traveled to Los Angeles to record with Stan Lynch, drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as their producer. Tomek explained that the production team tried to turn them into a glossy L.A. band when they were in reality an “in-your-face power pop band” from Kansas City. “I ended up leaving The Secrets in December 1981 and played for a while in several cover bands,” he said. “I had come to know Gary Charlson and a guy called Guido Toledo, and we formed a band called The 4 Sknns, playing music from the ‘60s and ‘70s.” The most momentous moment in his music career arrived in December 1985, when he was asked to join Steve, Bob and Rich, a band comprised of Bob Walkenhorst, Steve Phillips, and Rich Ruth. They had already put out an independent record and had just signed a contract with Mercury Records. Tomek said, “We realized there was a better name than a band called Steve, Bob and Rich, so while we were recording at Ardent Studios in Memphis, we tried to figure out a new name. One evening after recording, we were watching a VHS tape of “The Rainmaker” with Burt Lancaster, and Bob suggested the name the Rainmakers for the band.” The band’s self-titled debut album was released in the summer of 1986 and went on to achieve its greatest success overseas. As the band toured Europe and played before welcoming audiences in England, France, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, Tomek recalls they were most embraced in Norway. The band was scheduled to play a gig at a small bar called Sardine’s in Oslo, Norway. At the time, it was unknown to the band that a couple music journalists had become fans of the music and began promoting the Rainmakers in advance of the show. “It was one of the last gigs of our first European tour and the album hadn’t been out very long, so crowds had been hit and miss,” Tomek said. “This was by far the best response of the tour and the place was packed with people spilling over onto the stage. It was a crazy night that started kind of a love affair.” The Rainmakers released three albums for Mercury, but after an exhausting five years of constant touring and recording, and in the face of dwindling support from the record company, the band decided to break up in 1990. They re-formed three years later, dedicated to self-production and the ideal of “If it’s not fun, don’t do it.” The band went on to release four more albums of original material as well as a number of smaller projects, until retiring in 2023. Tomek worked three years full-time and eight years freelance for a non-profit and later participated in several studio recording and music production projects. He has rarely played with less than four bands at a time and reunited with the 4 Sknns for nearly a decade while continuing to record at his home studio. The Rainmakers reunited in 2011 on their 25th anniversary and did six tours of Norway over the next few years in addition to some regional gigs in the Midwest. They also recorded a new album to promote during their tours and have since that time come together for occasional performances and small-scale recording projects. “I’ve managed to avoid making any money during my music career, but these are all experiences I wouldn’t sell for anything,” he chuckled. “Coming up in the Kansas City music scene in the 1980s was a great time and a period flowering with creativity.” He added, “For the longest time it was a mystery to us how a little band from Kansas City became such a huge hit in Norway. But they have been greatly supportive of our music and my only gold record came from Norway.” Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of “Movin On,’” biography of the band Missouri.  Tomek continues to work with members of the Rainmakers on small-scale recording projects and does recordings in his home studio. Courtesy of Eddie Christiansen |
AuthorJeremy P. Ämick is an award-winning author and historian dedicated to preserving music, military and local histories. Archives
July 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed