by Nick Giambruno, Senior Editor
International Man
The only thing left was the coffee roaster.
After all, it was 1,500 pounds and made of iron. The thieves couldn’t pick it up and the bombs couldn’t blow it apart.
Amin Younes bought the roaster in 1960 for Café Younes, his coffeehouse in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.
At the time, Beirut was a hip tourist destination and a thriving international banking center. It got its nickname, “the Paris of the Middle East,” thanks to its French influences and vibrant cultural and intellectual life.