Great cigars come from great cigar families. Great cigar families love cigars. Sanford Newman exemplified the difference between someone who loves his job and someone who doesn't, and that difference was reflected in their product. A definite loss.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Stanford Newman many times, and on each occasion I learned something new about the cigar business. One of my favorite stories was about a nickel cigar called Cameo that he created in the days soon after World War II. Stanford's father, J.C., was still alive at the time, and Stanford had just cinched a huge deal that would mean the sale of 1 million Cameos a week. (Not a year--a week. In those days, just about everyone smoked cigars and unit sales were dizzying.) Stanford left the room, and while he was gone his father told the buyer that they were raising the price of those cigars by one cent each, to six cents. When he came back, the order had been cancelled, and Stanford lost half the Cameo business overnight.
Stanford Newman was a wonderful, wise, funny and extremely gracious man who helped me quite a bit over my years here at Cigar Aficionado. I last interviewed him in May for a story that's just coming out in the magazine now. I'm sorry he didn't get a chance to see it, but he lived a long, interesting and fulfilling life and has a great legacy.
Posts: 2261 | Location: New York, NY | Registered: April 23, 2002
I have deep respect for the entire Newman family, and enjoy their Cuesta Rey cigars a lot. He was truly one of the greats in the cigar business, and will be sorely missed.
Mike
"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar." Mark Twain
It was an honor to have met Mr. Newman, and to have attended his memorial service. It was the largest memorial service I have ever gone to. I smoked a Cuesta Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Pyramid #9 in his honor last Saturday.
whaat?
Posts: 610 | Location: Cigar City | Registered: January 21, 2003
