Dimitri was born in Viniani, Evrytania. He was one of the first─if not the first─Vinianites to come to America, and arrived in 1901. At the age of 13, he was sent to Konstantinople by his parents to seek work and provide financial support for his family. Once he saved enough money, at the age of 18 he immigrated to New York, where he worked as a dishwasher. He missed the small towns and villages of Greece, so he decided to investigate Frederick, Maryland in his 20's to create a business. Once there, he asked the local lawyers and doctors if they felt that a restaurant would do well in the city. They said 'absolutely', which gave him the confidence to create and run a restaurant which was quite successful. Once he was established, he bought the adjacent building and leased it to a clothing store. In 1920, he married Maria Diamandis (1902-1992), and started creating a family in Greece. He would travel back and forth frequently. They had five children: Konstanina, Nikos, Angeliki, Androniki, and Rhodanthy. Apparently, the eldest daughter (Konstanina) did not want to move to the United States, which was the reason the family remained in Greece. It was while the family was still residing in Greece that World War II began. During the war, Dimitri housed a British officer which put them all at tremendous risk. Once the Germans invaded the village, his family fled and escaped to the mountains and somehow the Germans found out (most likely from a villager) that they were helping the British, and burned down their house in retaliation. Immediately after the war, his only son (Nikos) moved to the United States in 1946 to study here. Dimitri moved back to the United States in 1947 and brought the rest of his family with him in 1948. During his absence, his previous restaurant had burned down. Eventually, he opened a small cafe. In the mid-1950's, he moved back to Greece for a few years as they had a house in Athens. Soon after, they moved back to the United States for the final time. Dimitri passed away shortly afterwards in Winston Salem, North Carolina in 1963. His wife Maria passed away in 1992.