His father was Benizelos Roufos (elder), who belonged to a wealthy family of Sicilian descent, that had settled in Patras during the 1600s.

His mother was Angeliki Kanakaris, who was a member of a Greek family that originated from Livadeia, and had settled in Patras at approximately the 1600s.

[1] Kanakaris was elected as a headsman of Patras in 1785, and became one of the most influential Greek magnates in the Morea.

From 13 January 1822 until his death due to illness, in 1823, he served as deputy president of the Executive Corps of the Greek provisional government, under Alexandros Mavrokordatos.

He married Paraskevi Kostaki, and in addition to the aforementioned son, they also had a daughter named Angeliki.