In the meantime, Tom Tripodes and George Agnost, then City Attorney of San Francisco, asked me to investigate, with them, the possibility of obtaining a charter to start a savings and loan association in San Francisco. We were subsequently granted a charter and on May 5, 1965, we opened the doors to Olympic Federal Savings and Loan Association. I was elected president of the Association. Deposits grew rapidly and the Association prospered.

(The idea of forming a savings and loan association was that of Gregory Pantages, Sr. He had noted in his appliance business that there was good money to be made in the loan business. He contacted Tom Tripodis, who worked as an accountant for a bank, and they agreed to try to form a savings and loan association. The initial investors also included Dr. Anthony Bagatelos, City Attorney George Agnost and supermarket owner Mike Bouskos. They began their efforts to obtain a charter in 1963. When the time came for the presentation to be made in Washington D C., Peter Boudoures went to speak on behalf of the investors. It is said that his impassioned plea on behalf of the poor Greek minority of San Francisco, with tears and all, melted the hard hearts of the committee, and won their approval. To get the initial approval the Federal Agency required at least 500 depositors and $900,000.00 in Deposits. This was done. The bank opened its first office on Taravel Street, between 19th and 20th Avenues. Peter Boudoures was made titular president of the bank because of his many connections in San Francisco. At that time he was also on the Board of Permit Appeals, reviewing appeals on construction applications that were denied by the regular Board. As the story goes, one time an applicant who had a matter pending before the Appeals Board came to the bank and dropped a check for $100,000 on Boudoures's desk and said that if he won the appeal he would open an account and deposit the money in the bank. Boudoures's response was that he would hear the appeal and vote on it based on the merits. If the vote was favorable, the appellant was welcome to make the deposit. If it wasn't favorable, he was still welcome to make the deposit. Within a few years the bank had opened seven more branches in the Bay Area. When the bank went public in 1977, many Greek-Americans took advantage of the offering at ten dollars a share. The stock subsequently split two for one. When the bank was bought out by Coast Federal Savings and Loan in 1982 the bank had sixteen branches with assets of $218,000,000. The shareholders received $27.40 a share paid in the form of cash and savings certificates . Including the split, it was a 540% return on a ten dollar a share investment.)

At the request of my good friend, Judge Fitzgerald-Ames, I became a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish-Speaking Citizens Foundation. After a few months I was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees. We raised money to help Spanish-speaking youths learn English, secure employment and live a better life.

That about concludes my activities up to 1965. God knows what's next. I want to repeat that had it not been for the faithful support that I received from my wife, Martha, and from my faithful friend, Jim Baldas, I could never have taken the time to accomplish the many things that I did. Martha worked at the Maison Paul for years, taking cash and supervising the operation. Jim Baldas is the most loyal and faithful friend that I ever had. He is one in a million. During our difficult times in the depression, he never failed to show up at the restaurant for work, often at no salary. When we finally started making money I had to insist that he accept payment, otherwise he would have to go! I cannot find words to describe the help that I got from this man, and I will always be grateful.

As a result of my connections with city and state officials, many of whom were customers at my restaurant, I was able to help many of our people with their problems. I did so with pleasure and satisfaction. Most of them did not realize that before you can ask a politician for a favor, you have to have contributed to his campaign. Otherwise, eight out of ten times you won't get a chance to talk to him. Later, some of the people I helped were very tight with their money when I called on them to make a small contribution for a political campaign. They had forgotten how much money it would have cost them to hire an attorney to handle their matters.

(State senator Nick Petris likes to tell the story of how he met Peter Boudoures. In 1958, while running for his first political office in the East Bay, he received a call from Peter Boudoures, "Hey, don't you talk to your friends?" Petris was puzzled, he had never met Boudoures. He made an appointment to meet with Petris at the Maison Paul in San Francisco. When Petris got there he found the banquet room of the restaurant filled with Greek-American business men. Boudoures introduced Petris and gave him an opportunity to speak and to become acquainted with the group. As a result Nick received enough pledges that night to finance his entire campaign, which he won handily.)

I also had the privilege to help a number of young students who were in the need of financial aid. I note with satisfaction that many of them have moved up in the world. If I were to do it all over again, I think that I would repeat almost everything I did.

My reputation is open for inspection. I believe, from what I can tell, that I'm held in good respect. I am delighted with my life, and I hope that God will give my wife and me good health for a few more years, because we are living "on top of the world".

I want to take this opportunity to thank Frank Agnost, Ted Kleines and Bessie Lavdiotis who were instrumental in getting me to do this autobiography. Thanks. I hope you won't be disappointed. I conclude by saying, "God Bless America."

(Peter Boudoures passed away on January 31, 1984 in San Francisco, having survived His wife Martha by several years.)