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Felix and the Square: The End of An Era

"I don't want to leave Harvard Square." Angelo W. Caragianes, the owner of Felix, Inc. at 1034 Mass. Ave., said last week. But he doesn't have any choice. His lease expires June 30, and a new tenant is moving into the spot where Felix's newsstand has been for 55 years.

Caragianes believes that the reason for realtor R. M. Bradley's refusal to renew the five-year lease is an unhappiness with some of the books and magazines sold at Felix's. On two occasions, Caragianes has been taken to court for selling allegedly obscene literature.

He was first a defendant about five years ago with the owners of Nini's and Out-of-Town News Agency-both of Harvard Square. The judge ruled that the magazines were not obscene.

Yesterday, Caragianes went to Superior Court in East Cambridge for another hearing in his appeal of the second case. He and an employee, Carl Koulis, were convicted in January, 1969, by Judge Haven Parker at East Cambridge District Court for selling obscene magazines.

Robert G. Crocker, property manager for R. M. Bradley, notified Caragianes by letter in late March that the lease would not be renewed. Caragianes was not allowed to bid.

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The letter did not cite reasons for dissatisfaction with Felix's and Crocker has refused to specify the problem. Six weeks ago, he told a reporter that he was unhappy with "certain aspects" of Caragianes establishment, and that he had warned him about the problems, but that Caragianes had not corrected them.

Caragianes said at the time that he had not received any such warnings, and last week, he explained that R. M. Bradley had wanted to know all the details of the recent court case, but had not instructed him to stop selling the literature.

When questioned further by the CRIMSON last week, Crocker replied, "I've been quoted enough. I think you're wasting your time on this story." He refused to answer any questions.

Meanwhile, Caragianes is trying to find a new place for his business, which has been run by his family since its opening. He hopes to rent a building just to the M. I. T. side of Orson Welles Cinema on Mass. Ave. He should know within a day or so if he can have the new place.

Caragianes has no idea where he will go if he cannot obtain that spot. None of the other possibilities is anywhere near Harvard Square, nor near any other good business district.

The new tenant at 1304 Mass Ave. will apparently be Gnomon Copy, which now has an office located beneath R. M. Bradley at 99 Mt. Auburn Street. When asked when Gnomon Copy would move into its new location, store manager Miss Deborah Gilbert said, "I don't feel at liberty to say anything."

Crocker spoke about the new tenant, but refused to identify him, in the interview six weeks ago. "We decided we wanted a different type of business in that spot and we found one that is better for the Square and the community." he said.

Gnomon will be one of three copying services along a 150-yard section of the street. The other two are Copy Cat Educational Services, four doors away in J. August's clothing store, and Alice Darling Secretarial Service, near Waldorf Cafeteria.

Two others are C. W. Beane at 1075 Mass. Ave. and Reproduction at 1206 Mass. Ave. They are two or three minutes' walk from Felix's present location. A fifth service, Yankee Copy, is located in the back section of Felix's, and will also be evicted with the arrival of Gnomon Copy. It has not yet found a new location.

Caragianes is especially displeased that he was not given an opportunity to bid. "They (R. M. Bradley) told me I couldn't afford the rent the new tenant is paying. But why didn't they ask me?"

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