The Great Cigar Dynasty

Michael Sauers

November 14, 2024

The men named below and their families came to the United States because of their skills in stone working. Many stonemasons who worked in the quarries of Carrara, Molise, Isola and others found their way to America. They came from Tuscany, Lombardy and Campobasso Italy in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. They worked with marble, granite, limestone and other types of stone. All sought a better life for themselves and their families. Their work can be seen in many buildings and structures in the United States. They were excellent craftsmen.

Luca Bottaro, Luigi Caprini, Manny Arruto, Ricardo Mendi and Antonio Ciccio all immigrated to America. They and their families settled in and around the tiny coal town of McAdoo aka Sailor’s Hill and Pleasant Hill. They found masonry work through railroad, construction and mining companies. Bridges, tunnels, walls, foundations and roads kept them busy. As skilled craftsmen, they made good money. This gave them a certain measure of independence and kept them from the tentacles of local mooks who specialized in preying on newcomers. They mastered English but remained fluent and engaged in their Italian dialects and customs.

During the Spanish-American War, Luca Bottaro had the occassion to travel to Cuba where he met and befriended Hilario Acura. This friendship blossomed into a very lucrative business venture. You see, Hilario Acura was an ambitious tobacco farmer and cigar manufacturer. So, around 1930, Luca Bottaro started importing cigar ready Cuban tobacco from Hilario Acura’s farms. It was the Canaria d’Oro pre-revolution brand. That’s right, Cuban tobacco grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba, known for its nutrient rich soil, was being brought into the United States under the radar. These cigars are famous for their sweetness and flavor.

It was easier and more profitable to import tobacco leaf rather than cigars. Bottaro then masterminded the five families of McAdoo into a cigar manufacturing and marketing dynasty. Like the Gambino, Genovesse, Lucchese, Colombo and Bonanno families of New York each one had a operational/home territory. The Caprini’s territory was Tresckow. The Arruto’s controlled Kline Township/Kelayres. The Mendi’s turf was Delano/Lofty. The Ciccio’s held Still Creek/Ginther’s Corner and the Bottaro’s worked McAdoo. This may sound incredulous but this arrangement was so simple, so clandestine and so very successful. These families made a handsome profit which they invested in their futures. Remember, they had both identity and income from stonecraft.

With Hilario Acura as a teacher the five families mastered the art of rolling Cuban cigars. Above all else the “families” demanded discipline and relied upon secrecy (Omerta). They flew under the radar for nearly three decades. Mostly, the tobacco came in through New York but sometimes Baltimore, Philadelphia or Boston. The transport of tobacco was cleverly disguised and always done at night. Cigar manufacturing was done by family members only and only in their basement/garage operations.

Over time they marketed the cigars to many Mom and Pop stores throughout the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. All cash and no paperwork was the rule. A handshake was all that was needed. They quietly made fortunes.

Now, it’s not that they didn’t know or have occasions to rub elbows with reputed mooks of various rankings. They surely did. Joseph James (Big Joe) Bruno held sway in Kelayres/Kline Township until the late 1940’s. His claim to fame is the November 5, 1934 Kelayres Massacre. Gioacchino “Jack the Dandy” Parisi lived in nearby Hazleton. His claim to fame is being accused of being part of Murder, Inc. Then there was Umberto “Albert” Anastasia who had a garment factory in the area. He is accused of being part of Murder, Inc. Sometimes they needed to fend them off or distract them. In those instances, the McAdoo families called upon Michael and Nicholas Soral. They were highly skilled in old-world negotiating and diversionary skills. They held court at Louie’s Cigar Store, of course, or Zullick’s Gas Station in McAdoo. According to various sources including the Pennsylvania Crime Commission Report many infamous characters had ties to the area. However, they mostly were not even aware nor would they have been interested in cigars. They were frying much bigger fish. No harm, no foul.

This all came to a screeching halt in 1959 as a result of Fidel Castro. Hilario Acura was aligned with the brutal dictator, Fulgencio Batista whose regime was overthrown. Everything changed. By then the business had moved down a generation or so. It was almost a hobby. It was over. Nobody cried. Life went on.

By the way, No one was ever hurt by this enterprise. No strong arm tactics were used or even needed. It was pure entrepreneurial success conducted on the down low.