Chairman, Religious Freedom Committee
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America
John Catsimatidis is an American success story. Born on the Greek island of Nisyros, he came to America with his parents when he was 6 months old and has gone on to become one of the most successful business people in the world.
Catsimatidis is Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Red Apple Group, a national conglomerate with holdings in media, oil refining and bio fuels, retail petroleum products, convenience stores, real estate, aviation, media, and supermarkets, plus investments in both medical and industrial technology. His Real Estate division has multiple residential & commercial projects in downtown Brooklyn, Coney Island and Florida.
In March of 2020, John purchased the iconic radio station 77WABC, his favorite radio station growing up in New York City. With that purchase, John established Red Apple Media and soon added WLIR-FM Long Island to his radio portfolio. His wife Margo is very involved with the daily operations of WABC Radio, along with Red Apple Media.
John invested in big-name talent for 77WABC, including Sid Rosenberg, Lou Dobbs, Curtis Sliwa, Rudy Giuliani, Larry Kudlow, Rita Cosby, and more. He defied current trends in radio to broker out weekends, and instead populated them with more big names, such as Cindy Adams and Judge Jeanine Pirro. His innovative ideas include music programs on weekends, when listeners want a break from the news so they can relax and have fun. John recruited legendary air personality Cousin Brucie Morrow and famed hit-maker Tony Orlando for Saturday nights, and Joe Piscopo for Sundays With Sinatra.
As part of the WABC lineup, John hosts CatsRoundtable on Sunday mornings, and co-hosts Cats & Cosby, a live, evening drive-time show Monday-Friday. Guests include Presidents, Senators, Governors, Opinion Leaders & Influencers, Movers & Shakers, Scientists, Doctors, Political Consultants & Newsmakers.
Mr. Catsimatidis’ companies post annual sales of approximately $7 billion. With over 8,000 employees, John is a major employer in the NewYork metropolitan area. His son, John Jr., is Chief Executive Officer and President of Red Apple Group. His daughter, Andrea Catsimatidis, is Chair of Manhattan’s GOP & Vice Chair of the New York State GOP.
John, along with his wife Margo, have numerous charitable interests which includes the Kidney Foundation, Alzheimer’s Foundation, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Juvenile Dia- betes Foundation, and the Police Athletic League. Margo Catsimatidis has worked tirelessly as a member of each of these Boards.
John is Vice Chairman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America serving as the highest lay person. He heads the Religious Freedom Outreach for the Ecumenical Patriarch.
In 2013, Catsimatidis sought the Republican nomination for Mayor of NewYork City. Starting as a relatively unknown businessman, Catsimatidis was the runner up in a crowded primary election. John is author of the recent best seller, How Far Do You Want To Go? Lessons From a Common-Sense Billionaire”.
