The Camel Corps hauled supplies to build the Butterfield Overland Stage Route from St. Louis, Missouri to Los Angeles.

Through his service in the Camel Corps, Greek George met Major Henry Hancock, a Harvard trained lawyer and wealthy Los Angeles landowner.

Hancock was so impressed by Caralambo's dedication that he wanted to employ him privately to drive camels carrying mail along the Butterfield Route.

Hancock allowed Greek George to build a farmhouse with stables to house the dromedaries in the northwest part of Rancho La Brea, in present-day West Hollywood.

Greek George was allegedly hired by people with interests in the Maxwell Land Grant, 1/4 of which Alfred and his two sisters inherited from their father Charles.

[5] On May 5, 1874, Tiburcio Vásquez, one of the most notorious California bandits of the 1870s and 1880s, was captured while hiding out in a shack behind the home of Caralambos, known to locals as "Greek George".