P. Basil Lambros

P. Basil studied foreign service at the University of Southern California, where he later taught, and took his law degree at Southwestern University. He was the third person of Greek descent admitted to the California bar.

He worked with Frank Scolinos, a war-crimes prosecutor in Japan, kept an office in Tokyo for fifteen years, and then opened the firm’s Los Angeles office. A specialist in European Common Market law, he advised Hughes Helicopter and Lockheed and practiced in Beverly Hills.

When the ship owner John Latsis visited Los Angeles, Basil asked him to stand as sponsor at his future wedding. Latsis said he could not, but that his children would baptize Basil’s. Spyros Latsis and his two sisters duly became godparents to Panti (opens in a new tab), Alana (opens in a new tab) and Alexana (opens in a new tab).

In 1962 he took his mother back to Greece for the first time in 56 years. He also served as president of the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral community in Los Angeles.