Angelo Capato
[2] In 1883, Capato arrived in the Sudanese port town of Suakin at the Red Sea as an agent of the Alexandria-based merchant house John Ross & Co.
"[5]When an Anglo-Egyptian army under Herbert Kitchener started the reconquest of Sudan in 1896, Capato and other Greek merchants followed the invading forces from Wadi Halfa[6] and again specialised in catering to the troops and officers.
Once more, profit margins for supplying "highly-priced imports" were huge – as were the risks: after the defeat of the Mahdist regime in 1898 and the withdrawal of most of the foreign soldiers, Capato was left "with large stores of 'luxury products' that proved impossible to sell to Egyptian and Sudanese subalterns.
"[1] While the Sudanese merchant class struggled to recover from the shock of the defeat, the establishment of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium in 1899 opened vast business opportunities to foreign traders, mainly Greeks like Capato, Lebanese, and Syrians.
At the same time, Capato owned hotels,[2] started a publishing company for postcards (see header photo), and ran a service for fitting out Big-game hunting parties.
For his manyfold business activities, Capato recruited large numbers of Greeks, preferably family members like his nephew Gerasimos Contomichalos, who went on to succeed his uncle as the most eminent merchant magnate for almost half a century:"This recruitment profile ensured the employment of trustworthy men to fill important positions such as managers of store-houses or branches of the firm.
These young men usually stayed with the firm for a few years in order to gain a working knowledge of Arabic, familiarise themselves with the new environment and learn their jobs from the inside.
[2] Also in 1907, when the British strategists worried that an insurgency in Egypt could spread to Sudan, Capato founded upon the request by Governor-general Reginald Wingate the Greek Rifle Club, "which could serve as the venue for covert military exercises.
"[11]In the same year, however, Capato's fortunes started turning in the fashion of an Ancient-Greek tragedy:"A string of bad luck began when a storm sank a large number of his boats (some sailing northwards carrying gum, others going south with salt and general merchandise) between Shellal and Wadi Halfa.
The US-dramatist Robert Hobart Davis interviewed him there in his eightieth year and found him "with both legs broken, [..] writing his memoirs and contemplating his dramatic past.
In his final years, he lived in 19 Rue Champollion of Alexandria with a monthly allowance of £55 from Contomichalos,[2] who pledged to pay this sum until Capato's financial situation improved.
Moreover, his life history provides an interesting perspective both on social and economic changes in the Sudan during the first part of the Condominium period, as well as the formation of a strong foreign community.
"[1] And:"Capato belonged to the 'high class' of Greek settlers, but after the collapse of his business ventures he did not have the means to play a leading role in the society.
While Capato was an energetic daredevil who thrived on chaos, Contomichalos came to the Sudan as a well-educated young man who distinguished himself by working hard and methodically.
