Mavroleon family

The Mavroleon family is a Greek family of shipping magnates with strong United Kingdom connections.

Basil Manuel Mavroleon (1901-1979), descended from a long-established shipping family from Kasos island of Greece, moved to England as a member of the merchant shipping business based in the UK and run by his cousins, the Kulukundis family.[1] He later set up the shipping company London and Overseas Freighters (LOF).[2][3]

He married an English wife, Violet Withers, by whom he had two sons, Nicolas Mavroleon and Manuel Basil Mavroleon, generally known by his nickname "Bluey" (1927/1932–2009), who was educated in England and served in the Grenadier Guards. Bluey went on to run the firm but moved to Switzerland when the 1974–1979 Labour Government nationalised Austin and Pickersgill shipbuilders in which LOF was the largest shareholder. He was married four times (among whom in 1963 Camilla Paravicini, granddaughter of British writer W. Somerset Maugham, through Mary Elizabeth Maugham) and left four children and six grandchildren.[3]

Bluey had two sons with Mexican-born Gioconda de Gallardo y Castro,[3][4] Nicholas Mark Mavroleon and Basil "Carlos" Mavroleon (1958–98).

Nicholas was married to Nicaraguan-American actress Barbara Carrera.[3] Carlos was educated at Eton and Harvard. Carlos later became a member of the Mujahideen, with whom he fought against the Red Army in Afghanistan. A professional journalist, he died in Peshawar while on assignment for CBS reporting on Operation Infinite Reach.[5]