John Rigas
| John Rigas | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 24, 1924 Wellsville, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Fraud |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Doris Nielsen |
| Children | Timothy J. Rigas, Michael J. Rigas James P. Rigas Ellen Rigas Venetis |
| Parent(s) | Demetrios Rigas Eleni Brazas Rigas |
John James Rigas (born November 14, 1924) is one of the founders of Adelphia Communications Corporation, which at its peak was one of the largest cable TV companies in the United States. He was also the majority owner of the Buffalo Sabres franchise of the National Hockey League. In 2005 he was convicted on multiple charges of fraud and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Born in Wellsville, New York, to Greek immigrants James and Eleni Rigas who sought a better life in the United States for their children, John had three siblings: Gus, Mary and Katherine. His first job was, at the age of nine, busing tables. After graduating from Wellsville High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was placed in an armored infantry division in 1943 and he saw combat in France. After the war ended he returned to life in Wellsville and, soon afterward, enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He studied engineering and earned a bachelor of science degree in management engineering. He was also a member of the Nu Theta Chapter of Phi Mu Delta. He then returned to Wellsville, only to take a job with the Sylvania corporation in Emporium, Pennsylvania.
In 1952 Rigas started his first business venture by buying a movie theater in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, a town midway between Wellsville and Emporium. He borrowed the money from his family and friends, including his godfather, James Lucas, to purchase the theater and started operating it in the evenings while he worked days at the Sylvania plant.
The Rigas cable television enterprise first started in Coudersport when the family purchased the town's TV cable franchise. Always looking to grow his company, John had teamed with his brother Gus to start Adelphia after buying out his partners. They borrowed heavily to buy more and more suburban cable companies and avoided city franchises. Eventually, Adelphia became the largest cable provider outside Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and South Florida and had systems reaching over 30 states and over 5.6 million customers. Adelphia also launched product lines such as high-speed cable Internet service and long-distance telephone service.
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