The irrepressible August Tsanakas is no more. Taken down by a Metra train, while shooting heroin. Services tomorrow in River Grove.
His downward spiral continued after I last saw him in New Orleans a few years back, his brother Billy tells me. Lost all his videos in Hurricane Katrina and caught a blood disease from the water that put splotches on his face. Moved back to Chicago and started shooting heroin. Wore out his welcome in more and more bars and OTBs, until finally none of them would let him in. Finally his family told him to get help before they’d keep giving him money. Instead he went out on the train tracks. Billy says it wasn’t suicide, however–the conductor’s report said that in the end he was trying to get out of the way.
Perhaps more later, but for now, I’ll browse through the old stories of a memorable guy.
July 12, 2007 at 1:29 pm
… lost for words. That guy has had the worst luck. Crazy-ass Auggy Doggy.
July 12, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I feel like I knew him. I guess he’s pushing girlfriends down the hill in heaven now.
July 12, 2007 at 4:17 pm
wow. i can’t believe it. strange to have half-feelings for someone i only read about through oldgreedy. also sad to hear about the tapes being lost to Katrina. dying on the train tracks seems to be the loneliest way to go. everyone hears about your death, but few know you.
July 12, 2007 at 5:25 pm
What does it mean that when you google “August Tsanakas” you get the article about his death and Dave’s blog, and that’s it?
July 16, 2007 at 5:13 pm
It’s pretty morbid, Dave, having this entry sitting at the top of your site for so long. Say something funny.
July 17, 2007 at 9:41 pm
More Auggy Doggy:
http://www.mkblog.mk-magazine.com/wordpress/?p=908
September 15, 2007 at 5:52 am
I am also beside myself. I can’t believe that a man of his reach, a man who touched so many with his character, wit, and genuine interest in filling a void for so many people would be soooo overlooked as his accomplishments eclipse only the few who ventured into such a business venture. I knew him well enough I suppose. Afterall, I googled him every couple of years for the past 14 or so years, expecting to find greatness from what I saw back then, extrapolating from his efforts of those years what he would likely be today. But, perhaps he is an unfortunate example of the business failures caused by technological advances in our environment (eg: You Tube, Google Video, Etc). It’s really very sad that his passing has not drawn more attention. I suggest that someone, perhaps myself, reach out to all of you to meet in chicago on or about the anniversary of his passing. All those in favor…write fhsgt@aol.com
October 25, 2007 at 4:31 pm
The lose of Auggie has truly effected my life. He was a great brother and friend. Sometimes, what people write about him and dont know him is completely untrue. For one… Suicide isnt even an option in a reason for his death. Two he was not “shooting up herion” while he got hit. Yes, it is true that he could have possibly been under the influense when he got hit. But his addiction had nothing to do with a metra train hitting him. RIP my loving brother. i love you and im always thinking about you!!!!! Lucy Tsanakas
November 3, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Lucy,
Thanks for posting. In no way did I mean to do a disservice to his memory in passing along what I was told. I remember August fondly, and the struggles he fought at the end of his life don’t take away from the many positive things he did in his life. He was a friend, and will not soon be forgotten.
June 28, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I remember August as the guy who lived with me the last days of his life. He was a guy who do anything for a heroin fix. I have to say, he was the one who inspired me to get sober, stop drinking and taking any sort of drug. He had a become a total junkie covered with bloody scabs, that he would pick at for hours in the bathroom…really, we would try to stop him from going in the bathroom, because blood and scab would be all over the sink area, and the towels.
I knew August for about a year, and I knew him as the guy who sold blank DVDs to concert goers with fake concert titles like “Sepultura 1991″ written on them. He didn’t seem to be fighting anything, he was completely in love with heroin. The last day of his life I saw him coated with sweat as he slept in the heat, and I left my apartment, never to see him again. I found out a couple of weeks later that he had een hit by a train.
I am grateful for meeting August, because he showed me exactly how low a person can sink when you allow addicton to eat you up.
April 1, 2009 at 1:06 am
Steve,
Trying to get a hold of you to talk about Augie. Please contact me.
Bill Tsanakas
billnaugie@att.net
September 25, 2009 at 12:41 am
Hello my name is Tommy, I met Aug and his girlfriend (cant remember her name i think she was a school principal at one time she worked in some store right down the street where they lived., Anyway, i spent about a week and a half at their place, with an ex girlfriend of mine, I have some pics from around Dec 22 2004. i found out about his and his families loss. Sorry to hear about him. Hopefully he is at peace now. If you are related to him and would like the pics let me know. slapabilly@yahoo.com