Mamakos was of Greek descent. Mamakos' father owned Pilgrim restaurants in New England. Mamakos was sent to California to scout locations for restaurants, but he liked Hollywood so much that he decided to stay, declining his father's offers of $50,000 in cash and a $250,000 nightclub of his own if he returned to Boston. He told a reporter, "I feel rightat home in Hollywood. A hot kitchen and a hot sound stage are alike -- you're surrounded by hams in both."
Career
Peter Mamakos best known for playing Greek, Indian, Hispanic, French, Italian and Middle Eastern villains from 1940s up until the 1990s.
Film
Mamakos was in eight movies in his first seven months in Hollywood. Mamakos appeared in Trail of the Yukon, in which he and other supporting players offered what a Variety review called "stock performances."
Television
He had a recurring role as Jean Liffite on the ABC western The Adventures of Jim Bowie. He also appeared as a Lionian Henchman in Tarzan and the Slave Girl starring Lex Barker. Mamakos made three guest appearances on Perry Mason from 1962–66, including the role of killer Nick Paolo in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Stand-in Sister," Juan Carlos Ramirez in the 1964 episode, "The Case of a Place Called Midnight" and murder victim Olaf Deering in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise." He also appeared in 1966 in episodes 41 and 42 of Batman. He appeared in several episodes of the TV Show, The Lone Ranger. Mamakos is also remembered as Happy J. King, the Metropoliscrime boss who engaged a European criminal scientist to invent "synthetic kryptonite". Kidnapping Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, King came closer than any other criminal in ridding the Earth of Superman. This event was recounted in "The Defeat of Superman," the sixth episode of the second season of The Adventures of Superman which first aired on October 24, 1953. He co-starred on Daniel Boone in 1970 as a Cherokee Chief in episode 18 "A Run for the Money."
Personal life
Mamakos was married and had a daughter who was born in 1955.
