Al Capone once lit up here. So did Winston Churchill and a whole slew of pirates. But those aren’t the only reasons for the dedicated cigar-smoker to experience Graycliff’s warm Bahamian charm.

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Graycliff, page 2

Birth of a Brand

Enrico, you came to the Bahamas in 1973, when you and Anna Maria bought the historic manner house. What prompted that decision?

I was getting a little tired of Italy. I really wanted to come to New York, but my wife didn’t like the apartment lifestyle. then it happened — the previous owner [of Graycliff] knew my grandfather, and I bought the place, and that’s it. It was nice: nice weather, nice temperature, no cars, quiet. It was ten thousand times more relaxed.

Why did you decide to develop the Graycliff line of cigars?

I used to sell Cuban cigars for a long time; I had an office in Cuba for about 12 years. their cigar industry is going down the drain. Avelino couldn’t even get ten gallons of paint to paint the Cohiba factory. it was really terrible down there — real hunger, 23 hours a day without lights. they really had it bad. and Avelino said, “Hey listen, I’m too damn old to do that shit here. What do I get here? I get $100 bucks.”

And then what happened?

First I took my cigar rollers — they’re all Cuban, I handpicked them and brought them with me. that was when I also got Avelino — I went to Cuba, got everyone on a private plane, and left. Cuba was pissed; if they could have stopped the plane, they would have.

Paolo, How did you come into the world of Graycliff Resort and Cigar Company?

I first came out of Hofstra university with a degree in international business and management. We met Avelino; that led to a couple cigar dinners, and from that it evolved to us making our own cigars because of the massive demand. Our goal was to make 100,000 cigars a year, sell them out of the restaurant and a few stores in the states. The response has been absolutely phenomenal. The cigar smoking hobby I picked up from my father years ago. He’s been a major influence. He is Enrico. He is a phenomenon. I tell him he’s our number one asset and also our number one liability.

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