Inside JFK’s Secret Cigar Deal with Salinger

We’d like to share this article from Cigar Aficionado Premier Issue from the Fall of 1992. It was written by President John F. Kennedy’s Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger, who shared the President’s love of cigars. In April of 1961, Kennedy asked Salinger to try to get “about a thousand Petit Upmanns” by the next morning. Salinger did his best and reported back the next day.

“How did you do Pierre?” the President asked. Salinger told the President that he brought 1200 cigars. Salinger reported that the President smiled. He then opened his desk and signed the decree banning all Cuban products from being brought into the United States. Cuban cigars and goods would be illegal to buy and sell in America.

As you know, Cuban cigars are still banned and that embargo changed the industry forever. We’ll look more at that in future posts.

Here’s the link for the Cigar Aficionado article. Enjoy – there’s more to Salinger’s story on the Cuban cigars that were no longer legal!