One positive effect from the interest in all things cigar related came in the form of a magazine article on movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola. "I was looking at this picture of Mr. Coppola in a magazine, and there he is, smoking one of our cigars." Ever the go-getter, Tony Jr. sent along a box of DeNobili Toscani and wrote Coppola a letter expressing his thanks for the exposure. "Then I forgot all about it," he said. That was in 1995.Six months later, Tony Jr. got a call from Coppola himself. After a 45-minute phone conversation, Avanti Cigars had a new customer. Coppola wanted to sell his own label of cigars at his Napa Valley winery. He designed the packaging and named the line "Carmine," in memory of his composer / conductor father, Carmine Coppola. The gold and green five pack of Ammezzati-style cheroots bears the slogan "Carmine Thrifty," with a G-clef and musical staff lines.
At the same time that he was landing the Coppola account, Tony Jr. was developing the Europa - a Continental-style maduro wrap version of the Avanti product, sold in boxes of 25. "1 sent a box to Mr. Coppola," says Tony Jr.,"and soon after that, received a fax from him asking if we could manufacture a red wine-flavored version. We did. We made up a box and sent it off. We heard back right away that the taste was perfect and the first order went into production."
Those cigars, the Carmine Premium, are sold in a wooden box of 25, with a nail tag and an inlaid cover designed by the filmmaker. Each box includes a printed insert telling how Coppola's father and grandfather both smoked these cigars. His grandfather used to measure the distances he walked by how much of his cigar he smoked. Both the Carmine Premium and Thrifty brands are available exclusively through the Niebaum-Coppola Winery in California.
Another media giant, Rush Limbaugh, became a fan of Avanti products after one of his radio listeners called in and complained that the talk show host only plugged premium cigars. The caller was an Avanti smoker. When Tony Jr. heard about the exchange he sent Limbaugh a box of cigars and a two-page letter extolling Avanti. After Limbaugh tried the product, he read the entire letter on the air and has talked about the virtues of Avanti cigars several time since. "Every time he talks about our cigars, our 800 number rings of the hook," says Tony Jr.
Right now, the entire family is focused on breaking into the over seas market. At present, they export a minuscule 150,000 cigar annually. "This is a market that no cigar maker can overlook, says Suraci Sr. Avanti is exploring the possibility of establishing manufacturing facility somewhere in the European Union. At pre sent, the Italian government has a monopoly in its country and sell 110 million Toscano-style cigars annually.
"There's no question that ours is a superior product. If we produce in Europe, we can sell in Europe. That's where our focus is, in terms of long-range planning," says Tony Jr.
As the premium market peaks, Tony Jr. hopes that America smokers will give his products a try. "Look at it this way," he says. "A good premium cigar takes a couple of hours to enjoy. I know. I enjoy them myself sometimes. But for half a buck you can smoke one of our cigars in half an hour. More time and money are both things everybody can use."
