CWNews
Pedro Martin Passes
Pedro Martin, the founder of Tropical Tobacco and a master cigar blender, died March 31st after a lengthy illness. He was 89.
Born in Cuba, Martin started working in his father’s tobacco fields at age 7 and then in the cigar factory when he was 15. He left Cuba in 1961 and worked for a cigarmaker in Detroit. The cold winters eventually got to him and he re-located to Miami. By 1978, Martin had founded Tropical Tobacco, which made the Cacique, Don Juan and V Centennial brands. In 2002, Martin sold his company to tobacco grower Eduardo Fernandez who renamed it Tabacalera Tropical.
by Contributing Editor Frank Seltzer