Steve Zafiris was 16 years old when the opportunity arose to travel to the United States as an officially-sponsored immigrant. With the help of an uncle, a brother of his father, he made his way to the Chicago area. While he had never specifically focused on the restaurant business as a career- opportunity, it was there he was introduced to the restaurant business in general . Through friendships he had developed in the local Greek oriented community he met the young woman, Mary, who would eventually become Mrs. Steve Zafiris. It was also very fortunate that he arrived in the Chicago metropolitan area at about the same time as McDonalds Restaurants were opening their first restaurants in the famous national chain. The events that followed, his love of the United States and the opportunity presented by McDonalds Corporation are outlined in the book and led to his coining of the phrase God Bless America and the Golden Arches. Alan E. Cole, Authors Assistant