Cassadine family

The Cassadines are a fictional aristocratic family from the American soap opera General Hospital. Created by executive producer Gloria Monty, the family was first introduced in August 1981, with the arrival of brothers Mikkos, Victor, and Tony Cassadine. The Cassadines are descendants of Russian royalty and own their own private island in Greece. Various family members have been sometime residents of Port Charles, living in Wyndemere Castle on Spoon Island. The family is known for their longtime feud with the Spencer family. After the family's initial appearance in 1981, they were absent from the series until the arrival of Stavros Cassadine in 1983. The Cassadine family owns and operates the international conglomerate, Cassadine Industries, which is currently controlled by Nikolas Cassadine. The family is currently represented on canvas by Helena, Alexis, Nikolas, Sam, Molly, Spencer and Danny.

Background

The Cassadines make their first appearance in the 1980s, when Mikkos Cassadine, the patriarch of the family, along with his brothers Victor and Tony, are involved in various nefarious plans, including the Ice Princess storyline, a plot to freeze the world using a weather machine. When Luke Spencer foils their plan, the great feud between the Spencers and Cassadines begins.Elizabeth Taylor originated the role of villain Helena Cassadine in this era. Her curse on Luke and Laura's wedding was watched by over 30 million viewers.